"THE POWER WITHIN YOU"

May 5 - De Ridder to Oberlin-40 miles

We waited for the library in De Ridder to open at 9:00A so we could book our flights and update the blog. We saw a couple of the cross country riders we have met along the way checking out their emails. We were busy at the library until noon, ate our PB&J in the parking lot and started our ride at about the same time the rains started. It rained the whole 40 miles. Real rain this time not just the drippy kind. We had rain running off our helmets and mud splashing up our backs. The road basically was flat with some easy rollers. Actually this was one of the most fun and easiest rides of the trip. We stopped at White Sands canoe rentals to use the facilities and met a couple of new friends. They were sitting on the porch playing cards watching the rain when we rode in. No canoe customers this day but on the weekends we were told there are thousands of people there renting anything that will float.
We rode into Oberlin and found THE local motel. A family of four from Holland with two small children cycling the Southern Tour west bound were already sheltered there. Shortly after we arrived three more cyclists came splashing in. These three were with the Adventure Cycling group of sixteen. The rest of the riders were at the local fire station but apparently it was pretty crowded.
Cross country cyclists are great people! This group is especially nice. It would be fun to ride with them. However we do like doing our own schedule. Maybe we'll meet up with them again in Baton Rouge and get escorted over the bridge together.
Dinner was pizza from the Shell station across the street. Don't feel sorry for us! It was delicious! The pizza box had a saying on it that Rusty says should be our new mantra :
"The Task ahead of you is never as great as the POWER within you."