The terrain has really flattened out today. A headwind this morning kept me from really upping my speed, however. Today’s ride took me through Marion, the home town of President Warren G. Harding.
On the west side of the city, I stopped at a convenience store for something caffeinated and decided it would be a good time for lunch. By the time I finished, dark clouds had gathered west of town and the wind picked up. I took a look at the weather radar. There was an angry red line from just west of Marion stretching south, like someone had taken a knife and tried to gut Ohio. I decided to stay put for a while. I was going to wait out the storm under the store’s awning, but there was so much lightening I retreated into the store. The storm passed quickly, and the sky cleared up within about an hour.
Even flat, Ohio is a beautiful state. You just have to relax a little more to notice it on the plains.
I passed some more Amish country and saw two men harvesting wheat. On drove a machine pulled by four horses. The machine cut the wheat and made small bundles. The other man followed stacking the small bundles together.
Pedaling America 
How far did your “friend” manage to stay with you. I agree about the subtle beauty of the prairie. In some areas the beauty just rises up and hits you in the face. And that is wonderful. But the subtle beauty of the plains is what I love.
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re: Amish harvest.. Charming but a waste of time and effort.
re: head winds. A friend of mine mentioned you were riding the wrong direction too.
Love today’s pictures.
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Why do you think the Amish harvest is a waste of time and effort?
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I think God likes harvest with a big combine just as much and likes how many people are fed by it.
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Here’s an interesting article about shocking wheat. https://allpoetry.com/column/10238161-Shocking-Wheat-and-Oats-by-Grandpa-Moses
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Lots of wheat (and oats) lost during the shocking process. The heads are ripe and dry and the grain falls out easily. Much better to have five big combines in sync. going across a field scooping up that wheat and getting it into the grain bin and spitting the straw out the back of the combine. I’m as charmed as the next person by a field of shocked wheat, but, when it comes to feeding God’s people get the combines out and get that grain into the grain bins.!!!! AND, we haven’t even talked about the big hail storms that can come through and ruin a year’s worth of farming in a few minutes. You don’t have to wear a funny hat and be backward to please God. — I’d still like to visit Amish country. 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Barry, I have shocked wheat. Or, maybe it was maze.???? My senior class(of 1958) shocked feed to earn money for our senior trip.
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