nach yo cheese or natchitoches or nak-e-dish, LA

What a week it has been making our way north thru Louisiana, hot sun, sideways rain, lightning, thunder, and humid fog.

We left New Orleans for Baton Rouge and tackled our first 116 mile ride day. I was sweep with Ashley and right off the bat I got a nail thru my tire.

 It was wistful thinking that this incident would be the worst part of the day. There were a few flats before first lunch, but after first lunch was when it started to get really exciting. Let's just say flats on flats on flats on flats. Elle, Molly M and I had a exciting and difficult next few hours.

By 4:45 we had only reached mile 82 and second lunch. Upon arrival I asked how far behind the next group of riders we were and turns out flats really slow you down. We were back a whole hour and I might have started laughing menicically. It was 100 degrees and 49% humidity and I was really struggling with the heat and flat tire frustration. Since it was so late, we were unable to complete the last 40 miles but on the positive got hosed down with chilly refreshing water. It was quite the day of biking and though I was really disappointed that I didn't complete all 116 miles, I did enjoy our ride along the leave confining the mighty Mississippi river.

While in Baton Rouge, we enjoyed a build day with Rebuilding Together and painted the entire exterior of a house in less than 6 hours. Its amazing how much work a group of 32 can do with enough tools for all of us.

We had another day of epic riding from Baton Rouge to Opelasous. We got to cross the mighty Mississippi and then the Achafalya rivers, both with Police escorts since the bridges were narrow with no shoulder. I only jav pictures from the second bridge because the first half of the day was spent riding/hiding from sideways rain, thunder and lightning.

Yaya, rain while waiting for the train to pass for one hour...

Police escort!

And then we road to Alexandria along beautiful amazing country roads. Probably my favorite ride day yet but for some reason I didn't take very many pictures.

Found a toad sign with my name!!! Well at least my initials.

And now we are in nach-yo-cheese. We had a beautiful ride day and got here and gave a bike clinic to some local kids. It has been an amazing rollercoaster of a week.

And we hit 1000 miles!!!