Ah, Hagerstown: 75 miles

This morning we awoke to an intense rain storm. We ate a complimentary breakfast at the motel consisting of a piece of fruit and toast. Much of the team chose not to ride today due to the fact that they were feeling the hilly roads would be unsafe with the water added to them. Regardless, the half that did choose to ride had a wet and chilly ride but thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful scenery and challenging hills. The picture at left is atop one of the climbs. Despite the rain, this was probably one of the most beautiful rides of the summer. We stayed in Hagerstown at a center for people with disabilities. We had a friendship visit with many of the residents, all of whom had severe mental disabilities. I had the priviledge of feeding a woman named Teri dinner. While this was a first for me, it was actually much easier and more enjoyable than I had expected. After dinner we circled up for our final team meeting where we all shared our thoughts and feelings on the summer. It was great to see everyone reflecting on how positive of an experience it had been for them. Following the meeting we were surprised by a special visit by the Grand Island Ladies who were in DC for the banquet a couple days early. It was great to talk with them and share our memories of the trip. Just before bed, many of us jumped in the vans and headed out to grab a snack and ended up going to a Sheetz Gas Station. I share this with you because I discovered a machine that will change the lives of all of us who love milkshakes. This machine is mounted atop a small freezer. First, you pick a flavor out of the freezer and open the top. You will notice that the cup is only half filled but that is when you place it in the machine and select your thickness. At that point the cup disappears into the machine, makes some crazy noises (which I presume are the stirring and mixing of milk into the concentrate), and reappears as a tasty fresh shake! Ok, ok, I thought it was cool...