This morning I woke early, before the sun. With a strong tailwind to help, I headed south of Bismarck toward Linton - about a 62 mile ride. Above are some photos from my ride, which I enjoyed very much.

There are times when I don't feel like riding bike. I even question why I bother, and I almost forget the reason for my two-wheeled infatuation.

But then July and August arrive in the northern plains. And then I remember. And the miles add up quickly. It's the time of the year when I'm always hungry. And thirsty. The time of year when I spend a lot of hours in the saddle, under the big, blue North Dakota sky.

About every other day I pedal twenty or forty miles. Or sixty, as is the case today. The sun is often merciless. And the wind is sometimes unkind.

But it's worth it.

Flying over the pavement, rolling over the hills, the sky is often broad and deep blue. It seems bigger, in some inexplicable way, than it did back in December.

Flowers color the ditches, and the fields are turning slowly to gold.

The songbirds take my mind off the hill or headwind, as the case may be. And I gaze, in awe, at the buttes towering over the Missouri.

It is said that nothing good comes about, except by the grace of God. So I thank thee, Lord, for these highways and this summer.

I surely am blessed to be able to ride through this land.

Happy Independence Day! Tonight I walked among the crowds on the capitol lawn here in Bismarck. The symphony played while the pyrotechnicians did their work and lit up the sky.

All across town, I hear and feel the rumble of exploding fireworks. There is a faint smoke drifting across town. The smell of gunpowder is in the air.

I'm grateful it's not the sound of mortar shells and car bombs. No matter what you think of our foreign policy, the war in Iraq, of our president, or our government in general, you have to agree we are blessed. This is a great, safe place to live.

Happy Birthday, U.S.A.