And some people think there is no God.
No atheist world view would stand a chance for any non-believer who sinks his teeth into a freshly picked, butter soaked and salted ear of sweet corn in Shelby, Ia. during the 36th running of the annual RAGBRAI.
At the 40 mile mark of our first day's ride, Shelby main street--both blocks of it--was a carnival of corn, apple pie and smoothies. My riding buddy, Steve Moorhouse of Gunnison, CO and I plotted our gourmet adventure and the Shelby ladies met and surpassed every expectation.
You can't imagine 10,000 bicycle riders surging through a town of 900 people until you do it. The local fire department is cooking pancakes; churches are serving egg cassarole and everyone is selling water and Gaterade.
This is RAGBRAI 36, the 36th running of the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. And I'm in it for the first time after 30 years of dreaming.
I drove to LeClaire, IA and camped the first night in the rain, preparing to be shuttled on Saturday across the state to Missouri Valley where we started riding back east to the Mississippi River on Sunday. So much color and conviviality. This is a community on wheels, a rolling cash machine to the little towns we're rolling through, each of which is providing a rolling banquet for us.
There is a language of its own as each rider tries to maneuver through the pack keeping free of tire tangles and road rash. "On your left," "rider up," "car back," "rider on," "slowing," all shouted from one rider back through the centipede of color in echos of varying accents to keep the bicycle ballet from crashing.
RAGBRAI is the oldest, longest and largest such tour in the country. People come from all over and are eager to meet and share.
On a shuttle bus the first night the local guide asked where everyone was from and just from among the half dozen on the bus the states of Texas, North Carolina, Michigan, New York and Florida were represented.
Iowa Telecom is providing internet access along the way, which is enabling me to make this post. But there is someone waiting for the computer; and a pork chop waiting for me.