july 14--"as bad as it gets around here"

71 mi from marshfield to houston, mo; total logged miles 2368. I started riding in the dark and by 8:30 it was really hot and muggy. A man at the cafe in hartville told me that the heat index for today (106 degrees) is as bad as it gets in the ozarks. Took a break after 50 miles in bendavis and a couple of local men told me they admired what I'm doing.
Five miles outside hartville I came upon a field full of violet-hued wildflowers, so gorgeous!
I'm tired and depleted, time to sleep.