Lou the Fish

Today (July 19), we rode from Waterton, South Dakota, to Montevideo, MInnesota.

After riding about 40 miles, I crossed the Minnesota border at around 11 am. Here’s the proof.

Shortly after that, we had lunch in a park in Marietta. These silos towered over the park. I tried to imagine how many pounds of grain they hold or how many people could be fed for how long from them, but it was beyond my ken.

After lunch, I got back on the road heading for Madison, Minnesota. Around noon, I spoke with Bill Werner, a Minnesota News Network radio reporter who interviewed me about NAMI, mental illness, and my reasons for doing the ride. I just stopped under a tree by the side of the road and did the interview on my phone!

Then I started out again toward Madison, which bills itself as “Lutefisk Capitol of the World.” Lutefisk is dried cod, treated with lye, a traditional Scandinavian dish. Frequently on “A Prairie Home Companion,” Garrison Keillor jokes about the Sons of Norway and their annual lutefisk dinner. In a park in Madison, I found what I’d been seeking. There was “Lou the Fish,” who’s been on the job for 25 years commemorating Madison’s claim to fame.

After riding through about 30 more miles
of gently rolling hills, I arrived at our destination for tonight, Montevideo.

In the evening after dinner, some of the guys put one of the rider’s bikes up on a basketball net. It will be interesting to see his reaction when he discovers it. Tune in tomorrow to find out.