Today, August 3rd, is my Mother's birthday. She is 80 years old today. Her and my Dad just celebrated their 60 wedding anniversary back in June, by staying in a tree house in Hawaii. Don't let her grandmotherly crocheting fool you. Just a few years early on a similar trip, her and my dad were zip-lining. On one section, mom pulls off a perfect inverted "T", by zip lining upside down with toes pointed high in the air and arms out stretched. In her 70's. Yep, that is my mom. Although she has always had a sense of adventure and travel, she was a bit anxious her middle-aged son decided to ride his bike across the country. So far, so good. Happy Birthday mom. I stopped to pick you some flowers......
Leaving the comforts of Wibaux this morning (neat little town to visit), I jumped up on I-94 for a bit. About 8 miles later, I am in North Dakota. I am glad to be making that progress. It feels different, almost immediately. I know it should not, because not much really changes. It does not feel better or worse, just different. Perhaps it is simply the road. It does indeed smooth out, as they do not appear to use the chip seal on the surface. It is smooth asphalt. That is a big deal (I have my opinions on chip seal, but will save for later).
Not long after entering ND, I jump onto Old 10 Highway. About 11 miles down the road is Sentinel Butte, where there is a small convenience store where I stop for a snack. I enter, and am immediately welcomed. Rick, the owner offers me coffee and a spot at the table that he is sharing with Pete. We talk a bit about a variety of things, including my journey. Then I spot a pastry in Tupperware plate. He tells me to get one and to spread on top some of that white icing from the green Tupperware bowl next to it. He then tells me he usually has maple icing, but only had the white today. Ugh. I did not need to hear that, my family knows I love the Maple Pecan rings at Publix, when they don't skimp on the maple icing. I love maple icing. Regardless, I use the white icing and must say it was delicious. I can only imagine what the maple must be like. Pete tells me that Rick's father used to run the store and the local post office as well. There were many times when he would leave the store, which has gas pumps, un-attended and people would just come by and pump what they needed and leave a check for him when he returned. Once a local paper ran a story on it, the AP wire picked it up and the next thing you know Oprah flew them out to her show. She asked them who was manning the store while they were gone, and they said "No one". Even today, the local folks have a key to the gas pumps and can come by and get what the need when they need it. Cool place. 
The next stop was Medora, ND for lunch. This clearly was a summer tourist destination, which I have not seen for weeks. The streets and decor is that of a bustling old west town. Oddly, it almost has a Disney feel to it. It is a neat town even without shows and restaurants and highlights the Cowboy Hall of Fame. It is a bit of a climb out of there back to the main route and I come hard upon the badlands in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. I stop at the rest area in the National Park for a few photos of the beatific, but intimidating painted canyon. The variations of colors in the canyons is certainly picturesque.
The route takes me back to Old 10 Highway and shortly the return of the rolling grass fields and buttes. For the past few weeks, I have been watching Hawks and other birds of prey fly and hover over the wheat and hay fields. All the time I am hoping to see them swoop in for the kill, as it were. About twenty miles from Dickinson, I am pedaling along and then hear the familiar squealing "kee-yer" of a hawk. I cram my neck to spot it and don't immediately see it, to no avail. It must be behind me. Then a sudden swoosh just above my head startles me. The bird was certainly close to me. I stop the bike in hopes of seeing it diving for its prey. As I turn my head, I see the most amazing (and terrifying) thing. With its wings pulled in hard at its side, I see the small brown spot quickly getting larger until both of its eyes are deadlocked onto mine. It's bent beak and talons diving directly at my head like a missile, only to pull up at the last second, strafing my helmet with what sounded like a thunderous whoosh. I kid you not. Nine times this bird makes a bombing run at me. Every time that I would start to cycle, he would be off in the distance, and before I knew it WOOSH, there he was again. I pulled out my GOPRO, which I have not been using, to try to record this. While I held it in my hand, I get a good shot of it, but he pulls up quickly in the videos as I am raising my hand to capture the shot. I then put it on my helmet and it was a great dive by him, but I completely blew it as I has somehow changed it to photo and not movie. I did get one decent shot at it, but it does not tell the story. By now, however, I am at my wits end. I am not sure how to get out of here without this bird taking my helmet off me. Eventually, I do pedal slowly over a hill and he finally leaves me alone. He was obviously protecting something, and was glad for me to leave.I was glad to accommodate him.
After that, I am ready to rest in Dickinson, ND. Which is what I do.
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