Day 21. Senatobia to Aberdeen, MS. 138 miles. Today's ride had lots of twists, turns, ups and downs, and variety as we wound through the Mississippi countryside. There were so many turns on the navigation sheet that at times I thought I was on the Amazing Race! We had a wonderful breakfast at the Huddle House this morning at 0600 and we had a waitress that was directing the staff like an experienced air traffic controller vectoring airplanes in saturated LA airspace. She had us all fed and watered in record time and all my buddies immediately loaded the van and hit the trail . . . without me! Somehow, I was the last bubba (or bubbette) to leave the hotel and venture further into the country. I swapped a little conversation as I caught up with the team and paid attention to the plethora of dogs protecting the safety of every humble abode along the way. I just wish the owners of these canines would explain the difference between "offense and defense" to the dogs! I outran Cujo, Old Yeller, Big Red, Marmaduke, Lassie, the Bud Light dog/dogs, and Rintintin. Did I mention there were lots of dogs getting their exercise at my expense? The good news is, after 138 miles, the score was: Steve 1, Dogs 0. After yesterdays 122 miles, I was feeling a little leg heavy on some of the climbs. I just tried to use my gears efficiently and spin, spin, spin until my legs were warm and a little more responsive. There really weren't any long, 5-10 mile climbs, but there were lots of .5-1.5 mile climbs, one right after another. We were all prepared for the forecast rain, but I chose to keep my rain gear tucked inside my jersey pockets. The rain gear is designed to keep you warm, but not really dry. I figured if I put that stuff on with all those early climbs and it didn't rain, that I'd overheat and burn my energy sooner than desired. I hit the first rest stop still full from my huge breakfast so I only stayed there about 5 minutes and picked up a few items to eat over the next 43 miles. The more I rode, the better I felt and the prettier and more interesting the views. The lush Mississippi pastures were nirvana for the cows and horses. Contrastingly, rural Mississippi is one of the most humble/poor areas in America. Aged mobile homes and rundown, unmaintained houses were everywhere, and of course the ubiquitous array of abandoned cars and "biodegradable" appliances were strewn across about every other yard. Please know I am not berating or denigrating these people, I am merely reporting my observations. If you think the economy is tough in your area, you need to see what poverty in America looks like. Despite the minimal accommodations, I saw young kids playing outside on dirt driveways, trying to put that ball in the basket as I did for many years. Another thing that struck me today was the wonderful courtesy that all the drivers showed me for 138 miles. I've ridden in many places over the last 20 years and I'd have to say, these folks treated me the best as a cyclist. I was about 1 mile from the lunch stop when the lunch van passed me and said they were moving the location to a covered area since rain was on the way. I had my usual, easily digestible lunch meal and packed up a few treats for the ride and was back on my bike in about 15 minutes. About 20 minutes after I left the lunch SAG stop, it started to rain and 20 minutes later, I put on my booties (overshoes that keep you feet "warmer" and keep all the road junk off your shoes) and my rain jacket. I was already wet, but the rain jacket allows me to build up body heat quickly. Over the next 20 miles the rain intensified, but it was a warm rain with outside temps about 70. I passed up the last rest stop because the van was still supporting riders that had not made it to the lunch stop. I figured I'd just stop at a grocery store and drink rainwater until something turned up. About 2 miles past the stop, I noticed Mike Munk trailing me in the other support van. He went out of his way to make sure I had full water bottles and some quick energy treats (fig newtons) to keep me going. With plenty of water and fuel in my tank, I was happy to enjoy the flat, long straight road into Aberdeen. The rain continued to increase in intensity until it was pouring as I spotted the hotel. I slopped to the hotel front desk and it took me about 2 minutes to answer the attendant's question of where I had ridden from! Eventually, I told here Senatobia, and by then she had processed my reservation and gave me a key. I couldn't wait to clean up, dry off and warm up. Riding in the driving rain requires even more focus and attention to avoid potholes and cracks in the road that are disguised by the rainwater. When all the riders had arrived, Jim, our mechanic, volunteered to take anyone interested to a local hamburger/barbecue place. Since the pulled pork was all gone, I enjoyed a terrific chicken fried steak meal. And to top things off, we finished filling our tanks with the Sonic milkshakes. All in all, a great day of adventure and exercise. Stay healthy as we head to Tuscaloosa, Al tomorrow. Steve PS Here is some video taken by one of my fellow riders, Terry Garrity. See if you can spot the Clydesdale in the video. http://contour.com/stories/wed-april-25-cottonwood-az-1