Day 27 Hebron

We're sitting under a shelter reading and generally relaxing. The day started at an RV Park in Belfield.   Last night a chatty neighbor told us a town we stopped at for lunch yesterday had a big hail storm about 30 minutes after we left. Timing is everything.
I suspected if was going to happen and it did. We got our own sound and light show early this morning around 3:30 or 4. The storm was bright and noisy but didn't produce that much rain and no hail. Thank goodness. So the storm had passed by the time to get up so no rain delay.
We grabbed breakfast at a big truck stop kind of place across the highway from the campground.
We got on old Highway 10 East. We'll spend most of our time on it as we cross ND. It's a good road with very little traffic as it largely parallels I 94 which draws most of the vehicles except local traffic. The terrain is long gently rolling hills. The scenery is more Badlands style with occasional small bluffs and gorgeous fields. It has a greater aesthetic appeal than eastern Montana to me.
The wind was not that bad but it varied from crosswinds to slight headwinds. The temperature was  in the lower 70s at the most. Clouds chased us along our eastern path way. We could see the storm from the morning off in the distance in front of us. We made sure to keep it that way.
We stopped in the metropolis of Dickenson for lunch hoping to at least find a bench and a cold drink. We found neither. We ate from our reserves (PB&J) and sat on some sort of new utility trailer that resembled a canoe or rowing shell trailer. It would be 14 more miles to Hebron. Our destination.
A sigh pointed down a gravel road labeled "farm road use". Hmmm. Quaint but not terribly inviting to bike tourists. We finally found paved roads that came in from another direction. The town was small but orderly. The grocery store was closed. It's Saturday about 2. Pizza place opens at 5. We spotted the town park where we understood we could camp. At a convenience store we started chatting with a man that was most helpful. He told is of the local pool. Showers!! Bonus! This brings me back to the shelter. Our tents are pitched just outside. The neighborhood surrounds us. It's a nice middle class area surprising based on towns just west of here. I suppose the oil boom in ND has had some lasting effects.
We also crossed back a time zone so it's central time now.
Today-57 Miles
4:40 in the saddle
12.2 avg
26.2 max
Tomorrow Bismarck!

PAM... WARNING! You may not want to read this next paragraph just now. A tribute.


One sad thing has occurred back home. Our, Pam's, cat, Biner, short for carabiner, had to be put to sleep today. She was in advanced stage of lymphoma. We did all we could as long as we could. It breaks my heart. And it especially breaks my heart that I'm not there to comfort Pam and Kirsten in this sad time. Biner was a good cat. Lovable. A bully to our other cat, Mica. A bird and critter catcher extraordinaire. And actually a loyal, lovable companion of 13 years. We'll miss her.