July 7 - Tribune, KS

We got to town around 4:30 after a bit of a headwind in the afternoon.
We went right to the town pool! The towns in Kansas have incredible
town parks and pools. Wish we had more than 2 really hot days in
Maine, I would love a town pool for the kids. Met our roomates for the
night. 2 brothers and a cousin and 2 friends riding for brain tumor
awareness. Really nice guys. The 2 groups have been riding together
for a week now and are heading west up to Oregon like most folks we
meet heading west. We went to Burger Bar for dinner and 3 of us had
our first chicken fried steak...interesting, not bad, and a "this
isn't sitting well" from James! Back to set up camp and this ugly sky
was awaiting us! Strange that the game was still in progress but I
figured this must be normal for Trubune KS! Well after snapping a few
photos, I headed back to the gazebo where the 8 other folks were
trying to figure spots to put tents. That's when the $&@" hit the
perverbial fan! The rain came and 50 mi/hr winds hit. The rain washed
along the concrete floor of the elevated gazebo and wind took
everything in it's path clearing off the gazebo. Everyone grabbed what
they could to secure items and I sent the kids to the bathhouse by the
pool. The 3 boys grabbed stuff and ran to the bathhouse. Matt and Ross
who had already set up their tents were trying their best to keep
their tents from blowing, Ross inside his while talking to his
girlfriend and Matt holding on to the top of his tent next to the
gazebo. It actually was pretty humorous! Mike and I were hunkered down
next to the gazebo holding onto bikes that were blowing over. These
folks playing softball didn't stop playing with the lightning around
them...just when the rain came! It lasted a 1/2hr. And then drying out
and clean up began. This game resumed and at 10:00 another game
started! These games a huge out here...with an announcer and
everything! Fitz, you would be in your glory!