Oh wait..... Oasis in sweet onion fields

Today was going to be a better day. Flats are done now. Well wishes I guess. It was a nice ride of Hermiston this morning. Mellow and cool compared to the afternoon heat. I made it back to the river and rode along side for a bit. It was early so there was very little traffic. I met up with US 12, which I will be on for awhile now.

I turned off to the old hwy when I was approaching Walla Walla. It was hot by then. I had been grazing all day and was ready for a real meal. 

Out of no where, sprinklers appeared and two angels came out offering water and a cool place to sit and rest. I leaned up my bike and went inside. I hung out for a little bit and went back out to continue toward Walla Walla for something good to eat. I got out to the main road and looked down to see my tire was flat. UGH. I went back and changed the tube. This is when I looked and felt around the whole tire and thought that I had found it and got back on the road. 

I got down the road a bit and broke down again in front of a winery. They had one tree that I eyed to change my tire under. There was a man outside taking down a tent. I got on with getting rid of that tire and pulling out one of the ones I hadn't sent home yet. The man came over and we started talking. He was just cleaning up from his daughters wedding the night before. His family were cyclist and his brother owned the winery that I was broken down at. He took a look at the tire and found a small steel splinter from a truck blow out. Lesson learned. 

He suggested a place to eat lunch and the food was great!!! It was a family run grocery store and restaurant. I was excited to have a chocolate milk and torta! 

I found a hotel with a 24 hr hot tub!!! I took full advantage of that. I still needed another tire and looked up the bike shop. It was Sunday and they were closed. I also had to deal with the people in the Financial Aid office at school in the morning. Mail a package home of stuff that I wasn't using and was extra weight.