Flatlands (Days 28-31)

>1900 miles in.
I have left Colorado and enter the Great Plains (which in my opinion, are actually not so plain).

Day 28:
Made it over the last of the Rockies into Pueblo, CO and stayed at a cheap motel. On the way I met another single cyclist traveling West and we chatted. As we are talking, Jeff and Cynthia (the couple I met before) caught up and the four of us intersected. I've noticed that all the cyclists seem to magnetize towards one another, quite strange. Travelled 93 miles, and did not arrive in Pueblo until the sun was setting.
Day 29:
Slept in and got some breakfast, then hit the library for a couple hours. I was planning on riding for a half day to Ordway, CO, but as I was leaving I noticed my rear rack that holds the panniers snapped at one of the welds, causing the bottom part of the bracket to break off, leaving a bolt stuck in the bike frame. It couldn't have happened anywhere better though, because I was able to ride for a few blocks to a local bike shop and got the rack, and my rear tire (now low on tread) replaced, and the bolt removed from inside the frame. I didn't get out of Pueblo until around 5PM, but with some new Lance-Armstrong-Status confidence gained from defeating the Rockies and once again having a stable bike, rode 56 miles to Ordway anyways and set up camp behind a library.
Day 30:
Colorado must not have wanted me to leave. Vicious headwinds blasted me for 64 miles on my way to Eads, CO. My 18MPH-23MPH speeds from the day before, now reduced to a pitiful 5MPH-10MPH. Twice the effort and half the output. I rolled into Eads in the dark to a nice display of fireworks though. I found the one gas station open on the 4th of July, and was able to actually have a decent meal. Scott and Cynthia showed up around 9:40PM. They had rested a day in Pueblo, then made the full journey from Pueblo to there in one day, intense! It had started raining, so I set up my tent as fast as I could, then took some video and photo of a crazy lightning storm off in the distance. Well, it turns out the storm was headed directly over, for one of the most intense storms I have ever had the joy of being part of, and in a tent no less. Every two or three seconds the tent would light up from lightning, crazy rain blasted away, and winds blew me around like a kite (I'm surprised a pole didn't snap). In between lightning and thunder, people were setting off fireworks nearby, then the sprinkles came on. Basically I was being blasted as hard as possible by every possible source of anything that could blast. It was still warm though, so it still remained rather exciting, and somehow I managed to pass out between bombardments.
Day 31:
Officially over a month in, and approaching the half-way point. Left Colorado and was treated with a beautiful calm sunny day by Kansas. Kansas has been one of my favorite states so far. It's flat and peaceful, and the lack of mountains and trees places more emphasis on how big and beautiful the sky and clouds can be. I was finally able to put down more than 100 miles too, 107 to be exact. As I arrived in Scott City, Kansas, I met a nice couple travelling West, Sebastian and Stephani. We ate Mexican food together, then all camped in the park. Wonderful.