Day 21, Drowning by 18 Wheelers

We have both started out days a little more dignified than today in
our lives. While breaking down camp, a thunderstorm hit and we had no
shelter from the rain. After Molly determined that underneath the
picnic table was a) uncomfortable and b) not big enough for two, we
huddled miserably under our tarp while sitting on top of (and not
under) the picnic table. The rain let up. For a whole 2 miles on the
bike. And then it began raining again. And it continued. A lot. The
spray from semi trucks doesn't necessarily get you any drier, either.

We were headed to Arcola to visit the medical clinic as Molly had
woken up the day before with what looked like boxer ear. Stephanie
swears that unlike how it may seem, she did not punch Molly in her
sleep. Dr. Doug (Molly's husband) said we needed to get antibiotics
for it hence our stop at the clinic. We walked in looking like drowned
rats and you think that would've gotten us some sympathy so they would
see her right away, but no. We risked further injury via pneumonia as
we shivered, wet and cold, waiting for two hours in the waiting room
with their AC naturally on full blast. Drugs in hand as we left,
luckily the sun chose to shine and warm us up (maybe the beer and
hamburgers for lunch helped too).

We rode through a full-on Amish settlement today. The houses were
easily identifiable, either by the different sizing of their windows,a
telltale buggy parked outside, or laundry flapping and drying on
theclotheslines. We think it is pretty remarkable that a culture like
theirs has thrived in the face of (or perhaps because of?)
overwhelming American materialism. We learned that the Amish adopt
some modern technology when it is for the good of their community, but
that they do not value individual ownership, so a single tractor
mightbe used by many. Community vales certainly were evident as we
rode byan entire group of men working to reroof one barn.

We got further along west today than we thought thanks to the
earlyarrival of Molly's mom! We are excited to have her with us for
the next couple of days while she sags us and supports us. Having her
around will definitely add some excitement to our lives, as today we
found ourselves entranced by a field of zucchini and squash. Hey, it
wasn't corn or soybeans!