Colds in a heat wave

We are kinda back on our bikes after a wonderful Independence Day on Black Oak Lake. The Hoffman's were a warm welcoming group of people that we can now call friends. They shared their home and summer traditions with us and it was amazing to be part of a group again. The fireworks were awesome receiving an A+ using the high standards set by my Dad years ago. A great band was playing at the Gateway Lodge, a hotel that threw you back in time having a great rustic, nostalgic feel to it. We got to see two parades on the Fourth, one on land and one on the lake. The parade on the lake was especially enjoyable since it was 90 and sunny and we were wet from the lake wearing swimsuits. The heat wave hitting most of the country was present bring the area the hottest Forth since the 1930's. Luckily each night a rain storm would pass by and cool the place off making for great sleeping. Surprisingly there were few biting flies and even fewer mosquitoes.We will give credit, I guess, to the spiders. They were fast setting up and they were everywhere but I don't think they were interested in us. We milked our stay another day because of the heat but bucked up and peddled out on Friday the Sixth.
Ironically with our first exposure to any length of heat we got summer colds. Hopefully we didn't infect our new friends with Whooping Cough! We had set reservations in a hotel 2 days after we left Land O Lakes so we pushed forward, John mostly being over the cold but myself hacking and coughing my way thru the rides. We have all been in these shoes before when you can't stop coughing and you are so embarrassed you not only feel like you are dying but wish you would. Oh well, the ride goes on and after 3 nights in a hotel and a bottle of NyQuil I think we will be back on our feet again in the morning. Thanks to Mother Tericia for all your healing oils and concoctions at the cottage. We are still using the rosemary oil which seems to work nicely. I wonder if my great boss Julia would pay me sick time for this week instead of vacation? I think not!
We have crossed into Michigan and are heading to 'The Bridge'. People keep asking if we are going over 'The Bridge' and at first I thought wow they really like talking about their bridges but then realized they were talking about 'The Bridge'. The Mackinac Bridge! It is the longest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere at about 5 miles long. We can't ride it, I guess in 1957 they didn't consider bike lanes important. We will probably ferry around it to Mackinac Island or we could get shuttled across. It will be the first of the trip where we will have to rely on motors. As an aside I guess The Bridge also separates the Yoopers from the Trolls. I'll let you know if I see any differences between the folks that live on the Upper Peninsula from those that live below The Bridge .
Funny how the trip feels like it's flying by, only maybe 1400 miles left to go. But looking back the Cascades seem like a whole different ride, was that last year? It's the same sensation I had as a kid when the ride to anyplace fun seemed to take so long but on the drive home it all seemed to have gone by so quickly. The trick for us now, as it has been, is to enjoy the now and not look to far forward. Maybe even slow down and milk it for all it's worth. When is the next time we'll get to cross The Bridge and hang out with Trolls! Till next time. Kate