Wednesday, June 12, 2002

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                                                          On to Phoenix

The sun was just rising above the horizon as we left our motel in Gila Bend.  Our apologies that the previous day's journal could not be uploaded due to the unavailability of a phone line to our Internet Service Provider.

A quick picture in front of an Arizona cactus and we were off to Phoenix.

Everything was perfect.  We started our ride right on time, a few minutes after 6:00 am.  Our support crew was ready on time and not grumbling. We were pedaling along at a nice steady pace of 14 mph, with the wind at our backs.  Even the road had a downhill gradient.  Ah! Life was good.  Nothing was going to disturb the perfection of the morning.  At long last, we were in the groove, on our way to Phoenix.  Joe and John exchanged knowing glances when the road ahead, in the distance, turned from a black macadam to something akin to tan.  Another half mile told the tale.  Our road ended, not in Phoenix, but in a private driveway.  It was then that the shadow of a buzzard passed over us reminding us that our passing was not going unnoticed.  We all made two left turns and retraced our steps to the turnoff.  At long last, we found the correct path and after John beat Joe with his foot, we were off, once again, on the road to Phoenix.

"Everybody has to be somewhere," said Animal.  "If it is all the same to you, I will just hang out back here and maybe that somewhere will be some place that I want to go."

By the way, Animal wants you all to know that the cool leg art that you see in the pics can be found at:
www.sleeveart.net

The miles rolled by.  Animal wants to know why Arizona doesn't have water in its rivers.  John just keeps pedaling on with great forebearance.  "Just because, Animal."  A sigh and Animal goes back to winking his mouth to passing motorists.

Our route of travel has taken us past dry river gulches, wide open desert spaces, rolling hills, coyotes, snake road kill, and circling buzzards. 

After a hard five hours of riding, and as temperatures approached 106 degrees, we called it a day.

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The Seven J's

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