Nice long ride today, 113 miles. I am thoroughly pooped. My legs feel like cooked spaghetti. Highlights of the day: I had my first crash! Around 60 miles into the route, I was in the middle of a steep downhill when I saw a small turtle crawling across the road. I wondered why the turtle was crossing the road. Sheryl was ahead of me and she shouted “Save the turtle!” Immediately, I turned to the left to cross the road in an effort to rescue the turtle. In a split second, I found myself on the pavement. I got up, picked the bike up and made my way over to the turtle. The turtle must have sped up because by the time I got over to it, it had made its way across the road. Cause of the spill: my front bike tire had a slow leak and it was halfway flat when I attempted the turn. No major injuries – slightly scraped knee and elbow. We rode through Itasca state park and I walked across the headwaters of the Mississippi river, about 25 feet across. I also saw a very large beaver on the road.  Unfortunately it had come too close to a vehicle moving at a high speed. The beaver had a luxurious coat. We had an amazing meal of lasagna and cole slaw at St. John’s Lutheran tonight. It wasn’t just that I was hungry enough to eat shredded cardboard. It was an excellent homemade meal and I had two plates.