Pictures:

1. For days I have seen one thin stalk of white flower growing out of the desert.   It turns out that I must have seen some young plants.   Today I saw the same flowers growing off the ground on multiple stalks.   Apparently the flowers grow out of a spikey base in the cone Christmas tree shape, the flowers get fertilized and die, then the spikey dies and folds down on the lower trunk.   By doing this multiple times the plant gets bigger.   Haven’t seen a whole lot of the prickly pear cactus.   I asked about it and was told that the extended drought has killed many of them.
2. Climbed a mountain today.   It took over an hour to get to the top.   Close to the top there was a white bike parked above me with a higher mountain behind it.   Couldn’t help but wonder if the biker got close to the top and said forget it, planted his bike as a memorial, and hitch hiked elsewhere.
3. The second picture down on the right side is a picture that stared me in the face for the first 40 miles outside of Alamogordo.   My question as the mountains kept getting bigger and bigger was I to go over, around or over these obstacles.   The answer, right over the top.   It took over an hour to get over them.   I didn’t complain as I expected the ride down the other side to be exciting.   I wasn’t disappointed.   The descent took me to a top speed of 45.6 MPH.   Coming down that fast I couldn’t really see if the berm had glass or nails so I just hung on.   For whatever reason it seems like the wind is always coming from behind you when you are descending a mountain.   This added to the excitement as I had to navigate AND ensure the wind didn’t blow me into a guard rail.   Better than any roller coaster!
4. One of the things that terrify me are the road signs.   I am afraid that I will get caught up in a “detour” route which might not matter to a car but could cost me an hour or more.    This is one of the many signs I have seen but I have never been caught in construction.   My early departures (5:00 a.m. when dawn cracks at 5:30 a.m. when I head to McDs for breakfast) seem to have insulated me from these thus far.   Hope my luck holds.
5. Thought this was a neat West mural that captures the American West with a train seemingly coming right at you.   This was taken in Alamogorda.   The handsome shadow is me.
6. If you look carefully you will see a sign that says,”White Sands National Monument”.   In this area there is also a missile museum which would be interesting for the kids.   The Missile Grounds were huge with a number of sites speaking of its mission.

Summary: Tale of Two Cities: The Rant and the Rave

One of my biggest challenges is finding a place to stay.   In the East I could find a piece of land and put up my tent and I was ready for the night.   In the desert I am a bit more cautious since I am out in the open, the desert stays hot, and the cities don’t have provisions for campers.

If I ride 100 or 120 miles I am exhausted and if my request for a bed is denied then I am stuck since it is late, I am hungry and tired, and try to get the daily post out.

The Rant: I arrived in Alamogordo after doing 115 miles and requested a place to stay.   It was a Saturday which means a lot of town officials are off.   The person in charge called his boss and got no reply and then made the request of his bosses boss.   This gentlemen had the title of Chief.   The chief denied the request saying that I couldn’t take advantage of any services (shower or WiFi) since I didn’t make the request in advance and the two people he needed to get permission from (city lawyer and city administrator) were both out.  Don’t you think that someone who has a title “Chief”, “VP”, “Executive” or similar title should have the authority to make decisions that make common sense?   While the head guys were dealing with the politics “guys that get the job done” provided me with water, directional advice, contacted a couple of churches, and looked up the address of a low cost motel ($40).   Ultimately I was turned away from the station due to politics and went to the motel.   To add insult to the situation, the motel refused to honor their internet price and charged me $45 for the night.   Alamogordo is a city that I hope never to set foot in.

The Rave: I arrived in Las Cruces this morning.   I have a 121 mile trip tomorrow with no stops to Deming in the first 60 miles.   For this reason I decided to take it easy today, stop in Las Cruces, give my muscles some time to remember what it is not to be on a bike, walk around, restock my mobile supplies and rest up.    Stopped at the Las Cruces main fire station (station #1).   This group of folks also had to check with their chief to see if I could stay.   Again due to politics it was decided that I couldn’t stay but here is the difference.   Rather than getting an answer and getting out of the picture, these men decided they wanted to help and took up a collection so that I had money for a motel.   They confirmed my route, told me to stay out of a bad part of town, provided funds plus for a night’s stay in Las Cruces, and wished me well.   Helping me collect money for the Pelotonia IS NOT THEIR JOB but as human beings they decided to help keep me going.

This world is filled with wonderful folks and I keep finding them.   Its as if every day provides me with 10 new friends that believe in what I am doing, what to help strike cancer down and help me go another day.

THANKS TO LAS CRUCES STATION #1!

Stories:

1. Finally saw a tumble week today.   Reminded me of a time 30 years ago when I worked for Bank One.   We had a business meeting in Phoenix and went out for dinner and drinks afterwards.  On the way back to the hotel we were all feeling pretty good (boss was driving) when out of nowhere a image flashed in the headlights and we knocked it down.   At first we thought we hit a person but we didn’t hear a thump or anything.   When we got out to look we realized that the wind of the car caused a tumble weed to jump up and get slammed.   I put the tumble weed in the trunk and the next morning put it in a couple of plastic bags (the branches are kind of prickly as I remember).   I took it aboard the plane when we departed Phoenix and transported it to Dublin figuring having the only tumble weed in Dublin would be pretty cool.   Well the tumble weed figured out how to escape from my deck and was never seen again.
2. New Mexico has been a challenge.   Just about every day I plan the route to Phoenix and then have change it because the cities are too far apart or I’d have to backtrack.   I am happy to report that the mess if finally figured out.   I should be able to get on I-10 and follow it all the way to Phoenix.   I will be on frontage roads in by town and only be on I-10 where traffic is sparse making it pretty safe.   Hopefully this also provides good road and berm.
3. To date Miracle Go and I have traveled 1879.9 miles from the beautiful Candlewood Lake.  The 121 miles expected tomorrow should put us at or just over the 2000 mile mark which makes me feel like we are going somewhere.   Google maps shows that I am 762 miles from target Los Angeles.   If you take the 1879 miles and divide it into the 3 weeks we have traveled it shows we are doing about 89 miles per day or 626 miles per week.  So I expect to be in LA Tuesday or Wednesday a little over a week from now.   At this point I will turn North which will be the start back home (this will be an exciting moment for me).   The big challenge will be to figure out how far North to go before I turn East.   Need a path through the mountains with towns to restock.   Worry about this later.   Progress is being made!  My original calculations were that LA was about 2200 to 2400 miles away.   Looks like it will end up being about 2641 miles.

Great Sunday to one and all!

First the pictures:

1. This picture doesn’t do the scene justice.   This is a scene in the city of Ruidoso, NM.   There are about six horse sculptures (3 should be in the picture) that are jumping over bushes and “playing”.   It was extremely lifelike and I am sorry the picture didn’t capture the magnificence of the scene.
2. Well I couldn’t find Area 51 but I did find “Area 52” and sure enough there was an alien and his space ship right out there in the open.
3. Today I found myself humming John Wayne movie music again but also had a surprise.   I went through Hondo, NM and remembered that John Wayne had a movie of the same name.   As I recall Billy the Kid was in it trying to figure out if he was going to be hero or criminal.    If you like John Wayne movies this might be one you should see.    Billy the kid was all over the Hondo/Lincoln county areas.   There are several museums that have bullets, bullet holes and other artifacts of his era.
4. This morning about 20 miles outside of Roswell I found myself in the foothills of the Rockies (at least I think I was).   I spent all day going through, around, up and down them.   See summary below.
5. The “road picture” is me coming down from Apache Summit at 7591 feet to 4600 feet.   Just as I came to the bottom of the hill in the distance was a white band that looked like clouds had touched down on the earth.   These are the famous “White Sands”   I couldn’t believe the contrast.   This picture is taken about 10 miles away and the white band was clearly seen.

Summary: Today I was able to knock out 115 miles.     In yesterday’s note I said I would be going to Carrizozo.   Turns out in last night’s mapping session, if I got to Carrizozo and then Vaugh, I would have a tremendous amount of traveling with no stores.   I changed my destination to Tularosa last night and then, since Alamogorda was only 13 miles away, stopped there.    While the wind and hills were a factor most of the day at about 2:00 okay I was at the top of Apache Summit.  From there I enjoyed a 10 mile descent where I did very little pedaling and a lot of enjoying.    The stops between towns were about 40 miles apart which is longer than I like but I just started stopping by the side of the road eating some trail mix (M&Ms, nuts, raisins, etc) and drinking a bottle of Gatorade to ensure I was fully hydrated.

Tomorrow I will go to Las Cruces (I think before my mapping) which is only about 65 miles away.   I will have to stop there because the next town is another 60 miles out.   I don’t want to try and cross 60 miles without any support in the expected high temperatures.   Should be out of New Mexico in the next 2 days.   New Mexico is giving all of my navigational skills a real test because no roads go where I want them too and I seem to have the choice to backtrack, go where it is really hot, or where it is still likely to be cold.   Anxious to get to Arizona!

A couple of you asked what I think about while I am on the bike.    Wish I could say I was thinking deep thoughts and solving universal problems.   The truth is much more basic.   I am trying to keep going.    Riding the bike takes a fair amount of attention all the time.   You have to stay on the road (dodge automatic tire deflators, stay off the rumble strips, decided whether to be in the road or on the berm, listen for traffic behind you and ensuring you are on the right road).   While this might sound easy the road surface and berm size are constantly changing throwing in pot holes now and again.    There have also been times when I feel like Han Solo piloting through an asteroid field of glass wondering how in the heck my tires stay intact.

If things are smooth and I am comfortable then the scenario tends to guide my thoughts.   The terrain is magnificent and very different than what I know in Ohio.   The bird songs, the different animals, the very different plants all cause me to wonder why and how they can live in the New Mexican climate.   The scenario also causes me to remember John Wayne movie music which I find myself humming now and again.

I will also think of things I need to get done or think about this post and figure out what I should say.   I might see a “blue soccer ball”, “one boot”, or a “hairbrush and wonder how in the heck it ended up on the side of the road.

There are also many, many memorials on the side of the road.   I wonder what happened.   Was it a kid texting or drinking or just unlucky.   I wonder if it was a father, mother, son, or daughter whose life was cut short.    Please, please, please, hug a loved one tonight and make sure they always drink safely and in perfect control.   Tired of memorials.

Lastly my trip has many similarities to life or to someone that may be going through cancer treatments.   When I think along these lines I always resolve things to the point where:

1. Life isn’t always fair
2. No matter what happens you can work through the pain
3. Never wait for something to happen, you should make it happen
4. Going through life with people you love makes it MUCH easier
5. There are many paths, choose the one that is right for you and reserve the right to try something else if it doesn’t work.

Long winded as always.   Going out to pick up some provisions for the coming week and then figure out tomorrow’s trip.

Love everyone out there – my best, as always to you!

Today was a rough one.    New Mexico doesn’t really have a great way for bikes to travel East to West.   The roads are long, many towns are small or non-existent and if you get on a road without following it through to the ultimate destination, you may have to backtrack which is never fun.

Today’s route was touted to be 111 miles.   The first 40 miles had two stops for liquids and there was nothing for the last 62 miles except for wonderful scenario.   To give you a feel of the scenery, I kept thinking of John Wayne movies like Chisum, The Shootist, and my all time favorite Big Jake.   In the movie Big Jake, John Wayne had been away from his estranged wife for 15 years when his grand child is kidnapped.   The scenery made me think of this movie and I hummed the theme song for many miles.   For the record, and not to be a spoiler, you don’t kidnap John Wayne’s grand son.

In any case I left 4:50 this morning to go to a McD’s (where I met the nicest people).   I got there at 4:55 a.m. and found out the doors are locked till 5:00 a.m. (only the drive up window is open 24/7.   I ordered and ate my regular sandwiches and started for 70 W at 5:30.   The time change allowed me to get a jump on my travels so I wouldn’t be in the sun later than usual.

The 40 miles went without a hitch and at the 40 mile mark I filled up with 4-48 ounce Gatorades in addition to my two bike bottles that were 24 ounces each.   In the next 60 miles I drank ever bit of this liquid and won’t have minded a bit more.   The temperature rose to 95 degrees and while the bike keeps the wind coming you could feel the heat rise from the road.  By the time I pulled in looking for a place to stay (3:00) I was wasted.   Even my legs were telling me that they had had enough.

Ignoring my petty whining the scenery was spectacular.   The prairies were huge and went on forever.   I was told that the reason there were no towns on the 60 mile stretch was that two rangers owned all that property.   I can only imagine how you control that much land.

A fair question is “what do you do when the scenery is the same mile after mile”.   The answer is you look around at anything that is strange.   Just about every car and truck that went by looked at me.   Their faces kinda’ said it all, “stupid kid don’t you know there is nothing out here”!   Even the cows looked at me as I went past.

Tomorrow I think I am headed for Carrizozo, NM which is about 89 miles away.  I like being able to get started at 5:30 a.m.

Pictures:

1.  Yesterday I was on the road to Clovis.   Miles and miles ahead on the opposite side of the road I could see emergency light flashes.   It was by a train track and silos.   I was sure there was a terrible actual and I was saying a prayer for those involved.  Then I noticed that the parade of cars was moving.   It turns out that they is a campaign on to get donations for military families.   The poster on one of the trucks said, “3000 miles, in 120 days, across 19 states.   In the middle of the cavalcade were 3 runners.   I am guessing that the organizers of this event has runners in and between all cities to run the 6000 miles to solicit donations for this charity.   They even had an ambulance in the group should anything happen.   Could’ve taken some lessons from these folks.   Keep an eye out.   I am sure you will hear about them in the near future.
2. At the top left of my shadow is a New Mexican snake that welcomed me into Elido by sticking out his tongue at me.
3. The West has strong ties to cowboys and steers.   This is a sculpture in a Roswell plaza.
4. Picture of the Pecos River as I crossed a bridge just short of Roswell.   After a hot day on the bike I get very tempted to ditch Miracle Go, take off my bike helmet and jump in.

See you tomorrow!

 

Call to Alms . . . Today I completed 1590 miles on my journey to the West Coast.   Remember my ride is to draw attention to the greatest charity in the world the Pelotonia.   Over the last couple of weeks the donations to this cause have fallen off sharply.    The fault is mine in that I don’t really know how to use social media.   I AM ASKING that those of you that use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other popular social media tool to somehow connect “TheScottsKid.com” and request others to donate.

If our friends contact their friends and the word spreads then donations should pick up and the WINNERS will be those that never get cancer or are cured because of us.

Please help me get the donation bus rolling!

Pictures:

1. Crossed into New Mexico late today.   I am one city past Texico (Clovis) but liked the sign.   I am told that now the weather will get hot, there will be some big hills in the coming days and the cities will become more sparse.
2. Texas makes everything bigger as we all now.   The giant cowboy is an advertisement for a bank.   I think he deserves having his picture taken anyway.
3. In a conversation the other night I was told that the “ginning” season was over.   When I asked for an explanation they said that this is the time when cotton should be picked and so it is and transported to market.   In this field apparently the ginning was done on the major field but this little corner wasn’t worth the effort.  All of the white in the center of the picture is cotton.
4. This is a picture of a vast Texas prairie.   If you look carefully you can also see the wind turbines in the background.   This is the 3rd day that I have seen turbines that go on and on.   As a special treat I saw a train carrying 39 wind turbine blades.   What was kinda’ cool is that each blade rested on two flatbed railroad cars that were bigger than normal.   The tip of the blade actually went slightly over the third car.    Not sure how much energy is produced but it is a lot.
5. The dragon emblem was in the Clovis Fire Station #1.   Who doesn’t like a good dragon.
6. The last picture is of a cattle pen.   Ranchers bring their cattle to one of these ranches and sell them to the company.   The company then feeds them vitamins and fattens them up.   When they are ready they are shipped to other cities where they are processed.    The dark behind the signs are all cows.   I got to the top of a small hill to try and show the huge size of the operation but only lost clarity.    There are several thousand cows making up the dark blob.    Hereford proclaimed itself the “Cattle Capital of the World”.   Not sure if that is true but it sounds good.

Stories:

1. Dogs – Every now and again people will ask if dogs ever chase me.   The answer is “yes”.   Over the last 3 weeks I have been chased 3 times.   The first two times I growled as the dogs approached.   The dogs had never been growled at before and slowed to think about what they were doing.   By the time they figured I was crazy I was too far ahead for them to continue the chase.   Today was different.   I was attacked by the well coordinated two dog team of Chico and Goliath.   They must have been laying in wait in the grass.   Chico came charging out of the grass barking his head off.   His job was to divert my attention since he was the size of a large cat.   I growled at him and he said “crazy human, it’s up to you Goliath”.   Goliath had charged to the left which was my blind side since I was looking at Chico.   I quickly turned my head to the new growling sound only to find that Goliath wasn’t a minature anything and was probably 75 pounds of fast, angry dog.   My self defense reflex kicked in and I pulled my foot out of the peddle clip and began the 4 point foot defense.   Wherever the dog’s teeth went so did my foot.   After a while Goliath tired of the game and figured he wasn’t going to get a taste of good hearty “Ohioian” flesh and went back to join his partner in crime.
2. Jack Rabbits – Please understand that while I can tell the difference between a rabbit and a cat I am clueless about the different kinds of rabbits.   Again, Texas says they have the biggest and best of everything and while I won’t give them carte blanche on the statement I will grant that their rabbits (which I will call Jack Rabbits) are pretty amazing.   In Ohio a rabbit will run about 40 feet, stop, look around and decide if it should keep moving.    The Jack Rabbits I saw this morning (for some reason me riding a bike by the road scared them while they ignored huge trucks) would take off and not only go as fast as any other 4 footed animal I’ve ever seen but would keep going.    They were also the size of small cats.   My guess is evolution had to give them speed given the number of predators that are around.
3. Special People – Every now and again I get overwhelmed by the generosity of people.   I hesitate to put names since I don’t want to say anything about a person good or bad unless they approve it.   I have been on the road for 18 days.   During this time I have met 100 people or more that have done everything they can to make my trip a success.    They have shared dinner, given me mementos, bought me dinner, donated to the Pelotonia, shared map information to keep me out of trouble, ensured my plan is medically sound (i.e. am I using sunscreen and am I getting enough liquids).   Most of these people have been fire fighters from one of the great states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Texas, and now New Mexico.   Remember these are heros that are willing to risk their lives daily to help complete strangers.   In truth, when they are helping me out they are also helping a stranger.  In the last couple of days a fire fighter took me to the restaurant of my choice, paid for dinner, and then gave me a $100 donation for the Pelotonia.   We live in an amazing country filled with very generous people.   It is a shame that the interstates take us to places quickly without given us a feel of the wonderful people in the middle.    THANKS GUYS!
4. Time – My computers is showing 3:39 pm.    This means I made it to Mountain Time.    This may mean my blogs will start coming out a bit later.   Given the distance between towns my mileage may become a bit erratic.   While I am willing to go 90     miles I don’t want to go any further due to the winds, hills, and unknown roads.   Should be interesting.
5. Mileage – For those of you keeping track I made 89 miles today and completed 1580 miles since I left Candlewood.   Wind remains a heavy factor in that it comes and goes and it wishes.   I just try to push through it when it appears and enjoy the heck out of its absence when it leaves.
6. Red Skeleton (sp?) was a favorite comedian when I was young.  I loved his various skits.    The thing that impressed me most was how he ended every show and I will take the liberty of copying him by saying, “Good night and God bless”.

Pictures:

1. Picture of the Canyon Fire Department entrance.   The plague is pretty interesting stating that before 1909 the volunteer firemen used buckets and homemade ladders to fire fires in Canyon.   They bought there first horse drawn “truck” in 1910 and successfully stopped a fire from burning the downtown area although the hotel was lost.
2. The Pampa’s firemen honored me by giving me their station patch.   Last night they sat down to eat.   One fireman had his pork chop cut up with the fork ready to go into his mouth while second fireman picked up his fork.   At that instant they received a call and immediately dropped utensils and were in the truck gone in 3 minutes.   They returned two hours later to heat up their dinner to eat.   Last night they went on at least two other calls that I know about.   If you see a fireman tell him how much you appreciate his work!
3. As you may know storms in the West can be quite violent.    A concrete company was offering their version of a storm shelter made entirely of concrete.   They don’t look big but based on the truck they put on top of one they are durable.
4. This morning for breakfast I had a choice of a diner that had the Route 66 decor but slow service or a Mexican Bakery with fast service.   I went with the Mexican Bakery and was delighted.   Their breakfast had eggs, bacon, beans, and hash browns along with salsa and chips.    Great price, great food, highly recommended.
5. This is the view I had in front of me this morning.   Two helicopters were still grounded in Amarillo due weather.   Last night there were severe storms that were moving out this morning.   Looking at the Cumulus clouds ahead of me I wondered if I was going into a storm.   Turns out I bypassed the storm with only wind in my face.

This morning I said goodbye to my good fried 152W and started on 60 W, my route around Amarillo and to Albuquerque.   My directions were precise but I decided to follow the 60 W road signs rather than my Google directions.    Ultimately this lead me to Interstate 27.   Once I realized that I was once again on an interstate I moved off to a frontage road that  paralleled my intended route of travel.   I wanted to make it to Hereford but it is still about 40 miles from Canyon and didn’t want to have another 100+ day without resting a bit.   Concerned that at some point my muscles may rebel and don’t want to get to that point.    I did get 74 miles today which isn’t too bad for a rest day.

Google maps tells me that I am 1,082 miles from LA and 1,241 miles from Candlewood.   These aren’t accurate as the route varies widely and I show I have pedaled 1490 miles to date which is more than 200 miles off.   The big takeaway is I am getting closer to LA.

Stories:

1. Two or three days back I was told that the Oklahoma/Texas weather was much colder in April and much warmer in May that is the usual case.   I am getting a taste of that now.   This morning I started off in 65 degree weather which is about 20 degrees colder than the usual.   Glad May has been warmer than normal!
2. Rain has been coming down all around me or at night and has yet to catch me.   My time will come but I certainly don’t mind being lucky a time or two.   Being dry makes so many other things nice.
3. As you can imagine being out in the sun has a negative impact on the skin.   I didn’t put it on my legs to start with and got a heat rash.    My arms in direct sunlight much of the day was also getting pulverized.    While in Louisville I bought sleeves that basically go from wrist to shoulder which effectively protects against sun burn.    Just when I was getting ready to tell Jill, “and you said I’d be losing things” I noticed that my sleeves were gone.   I went back to the Bristow fire station (I was a mile out) looking for them to no avail.   This forced me to wear a long sleeve under my bike jersey.   Two days later I wake up in my tent and get ready for the rode and both sleeves were at the top of the mat.   The mystery?    Where did they come from.   The tent and sleeping bag were wrapped up so the sleeves couldn’t have been in them, the clothes I was wearing were packed so the sleeves weren’t there.   I will never know how they reappeared.
4. Trains are everywhere in the West.   If you ride down a highway next to tracks you are likely to have a train pass every 30 minutes coming from both directions.    Today a train kept passing me and then getting put on a side track which allowed me to pass him (could tell by the graffiti on the cars).    This happened 3 times.   Reminded me of when I was in East St. Louis earlier in the trip.   The roads have car and bike lanes.   I ended up racing a city bus for 17 miles.    He would get ahead of me and have to stop to load passengers at which point I would pass him.    We had  many lead changes with the ending being a draw.   He had to turn off the road to stay on his route and I wasn’t willing to follow.
5. For the last two days there were balls of white in the grass.   It looked like cotton but it couldn’t be since cotton needs lots of water, right?   Turns out there is a strain of cotton that was developed that needs much less water and is now grown in Texas.   I was actually seeing cotton that had blown off the transport trucks.
6. Last night at dinner the firemen were talking about nuisance animals.   These are animals that kill cattle or tear up the farming land.   At some point they started talking about black cats.   At this point I lost the thread of the discussion and wondered if they were superstitious.   Turns out they were talking about panthers that happened to be black.
7. The best story is the last story.   Have you ever seen prairie dogs except on TV?   I hadn’t till today.    I was riding my bike not thinking about anything in particular when I noticed moment.    I saw 3 or 4 little brown furry things rush back to their houses.   As I continued to ride I would scare up new prairie dogs and they too would run to their houses.    Really neat seeing something that existed only on TV suddenly appear, unexpectedly, by the road.

That’s a wrap for today.    Need to start doing a better job on my route planning as the towns are getting farther apart and need to ensure I get water periodically.

Hope your day is amazing!

Today is a day that I will long remember for all the unique things that occurred.   First last night there was a big storm.   The Cordell firemen refused to let me sleep outside (they probably knew the storm was coming) and set me up in a room upstairs.   I had a great view of all the fireworks and am SO VERY grateful that MG (Miracle Go) and I woke up dry and well refused.   Miracle Go actually even conned me into giving her chain so oil (she is no longer a Spring chick and has been getting clunky on our rides).

I was was excited because there was both the Sunshine Cafe and a Donut Shop for breakfast.   I headed to the Sunshine Cafe at 6:00 a.m., my first choice, and saw people going in so I knew I was about to get a good breakfast.   This confused me a bit since the door said they opened at 7:00 a.m.    When I went inside I was informed that there was a meeting and they didn’t open till 7:00 a.m.   While I was getting my stuff on to go to the Donut Shop a gentleman walked out and invited me to the devotional meeting with breakfast.    This was so very kind of him and I was sorely tempted to join them.   I gracefully declined since my mind would have been on the food and not the devotion, I wanted to get on the road early since the first town was 36 miles away and for a nice change the wind was at my back.   Missed the potential fellowship but based on today’s ride it was the right decision.

I then went to the Donut Shop that was still closed at 6:05 and went to the gas station to fill up on Gatorade and a donut.   The lady said that the donut guy opened when he feels like it regardless of what is posted on the door (6:00 a.m.).   I also scarfed down some nuts and trail mix figuring that the 900 calories I ingested would get me to Sayre where they were sure to have a McDs.   No McD’s and no diner which a “me” that was hungry.   The postman pointed me down a street where he said they had a couple of diners.   Went for two miles and only saw a grocery store and Sonics.   I have never eaten breakfast but it seems to be a favorite of my grandson Logan so I decided to give it a whirl.   They had an eat/bacon and eat/sausage sandwiches and I got one of each.   I was pleasantly surprised by how good they were and the lady was confused why I kept going in the store (everything is done at an outside table or car parking space).   They finally taught me the system.    Up to this point I was flying.   I did the 36 miles with a 14.3 MPH average.   See what MG and I can do with no or little wind!

This is when the next decision point hit me.   I could do 80 miles and stop in Wheeler at about 12:30 or go to the next town.   The problem was the next town was Pampa which was 42 miles away.   Well the wind was at my back, the morning ride was easier than normal and I felt like we could make Pampa.   We arrived in town just about 4:00 p.m.    I stopped at Pampa’s Station Number 1 and they graciously allowed MG and I to spend the night.   Can’t express my thanks enough to the Pampa Firemen and the other stations that have been so gracious to me.   Without their help this trip would have been much more demanding and I would be a very dirty rider most of the time.    THANKS GENTLEMEN!!!

Pictures:

1. Picture of a mural on a building in Cordell.   I was riding with the Chief to pick up a picture when I saw this and he pointed out 3 errors on the fire truck that the artist made.    Never try to fool a chief.
2. Picture of a display at the top of the stairs of the Pampa Fire Station.   They had lots of toys and “fun” things.   It would be a fun display to show any kid.   Note the photographer.
3. Sayre Sonics – Really impressed with their breakfast sandwich.   While McDs has them on price (2 for $4) the Sonic sandwiches tasted much better and was hotter.
4. Second sign announcing my arrival into Texas.   The first was the state line.   This is the 7th state that I am now passing through.
5. Cordell Court House and Water tower.   Though the building was extremely impressive.
6. The sign into Pampa, Tx and a sign I have never been more grateful to find.   I did 121.8 miles with a 13.8 average speed.   I was on my bike for almost 9 hours and I could feel some of my leg muscles ask if I was crazy.   My new motto is a mile done today is just less miles for tomorrow.    The distance was necessary because of city spacing but I don’t want to do this too often.

I am 60 or so miles outside of Amarillo and will pass it by tomorrow.    Albuquerque is about 402 miles away so it will be a bit of time before I cross that bridge.

Stories:

1. I have passed a lot of creeks and there are three names that I bet have a story behind them.   What do you think about doing a book on creek name origins?
   1. Two Babies Creek
   2. Hazel Gal Creek
   3. Starvation Crdreek
2. In the country, as a politeness, drivers will sometimes pull in the wrong lane (when no cars are coming) to make a turn so they don’t impede the traffic behind them.   I think someone tried to do this today in the traffic coming at me.   Rather than pulling in the lane, he pulled into the berm.   That might usually be okay but in this particular case I was in the berm.    As we are heading toward each other I decided I could maneuver either left or right to get out of his way.   He never really got close though.     Not anxious to get in the same situation anytime soon.
3. Am I in the West?   Never thought of where the Mid-West ends and the West begins.   It seems to me that Ohio, Kentucky (maybe South), Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri are all Mid-West States.   They have hills, trees, farms, streams and a similar climate.    When I rode into Oklahoma it felt different.  The flora and fauna seem different.   Couldn’t identify any trees and miss my Oaks and Maples.    Plenty of birds but didn’t recognize any of their songs.    In any case I decided I am now in the West.   The scenery reminds me of some of the old John Wayne movies that I so like.   The size of Oklahoma’s farms puts Ohio to shame.   They go on and on and on.   The size of Oklahoma’s farms is small contrasted with Texas fields.   Not sure if they are pasture land or what but they just go on and on.    Saw two stockyards in Texas.   I don’t think I have ever seen a stockyard except in a cowboy movie.   There were thousands of cows in pens.    I saw Buffalo as well in a similar situation.    Again never seen that many buffalo in one place except on TV.

Sorry for rambling . . . I am no longer in Ohio.

Today begins week 3 of my journey and shows me on schedule to be in LA by the end of May.    Today’s efforts show me making just over 89 miles to the wonderful town of Cordell and it was a struggle.   My friends from the Bethany fire station warned me about Route 66 and its bad stretches.    For this reason I went out Rte 66 for 10 miles and then cut down on 81S to 152W.    152W is a straight shot to Amarillo.   The problem was 81S was directly into the wind.   I know I promised not to talk about it but see the story on wind below.   By noon I had 50 miles with my lowest average of my journey of just 9.6.   I was able to bring it back up to 10.0 by the day’s end when the wind broke but it wasn’t easy.

The problem was the lack of cities between Bethany and Cordell.   I decided that I would take the challenge which would rack up about 90 miles.   The challenge was that after “Binger”, “Cordell” was 36 miles away.   This was 36 miles in the afternoon in 90 degree temperatures.    Turns out I drank more than 128 ounces of Gatorade on the trip.

Should make it to Texas tomorrow.   Haven’t done my mapping yet so this remains to be seen.

Pictures:

1. This is the Meeks/152 Diner in Binger.   I was really disappointed in this diner and this is most likely due to my expectations.   I was looking for pasta and the only thing they had was burgers and related food.   I settled for a Taco Salad which was okay but nothing spectacular hence the disappointment.  I did think the interior was nice which is why I snapped a quick shot.   The one interesting thing, from my perspective, was when they asked what I wanted to drink nothing looked good and I decided on the Pepsi which had free refills.   I don’t usually drink cokes but I figured I could use the sugar and didn’t know what the downside might be.   I had three helpings of the Pepsi and is proud of it.
2. Much of this trip provided views of Wind Turbines, hundreds of Wind Turbines.   It looked like there was a 5-mile strip through Oklahoma that had the Wind Turbines sprinkled all around.   Tried to get a better picture to give the feeling of turbines everywhere but this is the best I could do.
3. Fire Stations and the associated departments always have neat patches.   Here is the Bethany Fire Department’s emblem that was posted in the fire station.

Stories:

1. Belated Mother’s Day – While I was riding on Mother’s Day I passed a liquor store.   Out front they had one of the temporary message boards that had this message, “Buy your Mom some Wine for Mother’s Day, after all your the one that drove her to it”.   Figured this was worth mentioning.
2. Picture Not Taken – One of the problems I have is knowing when to stop and take a picture and when to keep going.   Once I make up my mind I often regret not making the stop.   Two days ago I was traveling in the morning and there was a cardboard sign posted that had “UFO” written on it with an arrow.   I turned my head to see a homemade UFO that looked pretty interesting and included aliens climbing around.   It might not have made you a believer but this is a picture I wish I had taken.
3. Picture Not Taken – This morning I was going through the town of Yukon.   As I approached the town there was a cool welcome sign that struck me as showing the “quality” of the town and included a full size bull.   As I went through the town it had all of the stores, facades, and businesses that support the Route 66 and “out West” motifs.   I failed in getting the picture but should you ever get to Oklahoma this would be a good town to visit.
4. You’ve heard my stories about the turtles and Armadillos that commit suicide by car.   Snakes are the same but I haven’t brought it up to you since the “dead animal idea” is played out.   Today I was riding along and looked down to see a 4 foot snake about a foot away from my bike wheel.   I’m clueless as to the type of snake it was but figured it was 4 foot long since he suns himself on the side of the road – his family will survive.
5. Many Indian tribes were moved to Oklahoma.    There were signs along the road that mentioned the Fox, SCA,  Wyandotte, Cherokee, Seneca, and several others.   I think it would be real interesting to take on a project to interview the tribal chiefs to understand their perspective on their history and what they are doing to promote their respective tribes.   While I didn’t go on an of the reservations, the area that indicated association with an “Indian Nation” seemed to be really nice.
6. “Paint Your Wagon” – When I was much younger I got an album for the Rock Opera “Paint Your Wagon.   I think it was about a Wagon Train going through Oklahoma.   One of the songs on the album went something like this, “… the rain is Tess, the fire Job, and they call the wind Myriah.”   It dawned on me that rain, fire, and wind would have had a dramatic impact on early settlers for obvious reasons.   For this reason I have recanted my promise not to talk about the wind.   If the settlers thought it important then so must I.   My promise is I will not whine about the wind.   I will use it as a challenge that I will deal with as needed.
7. MG (Miracle Go) is doing well.   She hasn’t had any problems since she had a flat tire.  I do need to oil her chain since I do have a rattle that I can’t seem to get rid of.   I no longer take the packs off.   I pretty much know where things are and just unzip that compartment to get what I need.

That wraps up today’s report.    LA is two weeks away, and counting.

Wishing you a spectacular day!

Before I explain the pictures I want to wish all the “Mothers” out there a most spectacular day.   Speaking from experience, my mother Effie and wife Jill, there are no other more selfless people than moms.   About 1200 miles from home it is easy to remember all of the things Jill has done over the years to take care of the boys and I.  Too often we begin to take what they do for granted and “forget” to tell them how special they are.   Take a moment today and wrap your arms around your mom and hold her tight for a minute or two and just say thanks.    She deserves it and you will feel better as well.  MOMS are the true SUPERHEROS!

Completed about 95 miles today traveling to Bethany Oklahoma.   Had to get “off my map” to get here but think I am close to Route 66.  The temperatures have started to climb.   This morning at 9:00 it was 81 and when I stopped riding about 4:00 the temperature was 91.   That makes it hard to get enough water but I am doing my best.

All the stations I have stayed in to date have been spectacular and last night in Bristow  was no exception.   They invited me into the station, provided a shower which is a pleasure few truly appreciate, came me some of the Tabouli Festival food (delicious), then brought in some McD’s where I had more than my share and finally wouldn’t let me buy breakfast for them and provided a most delicious bakery bacon and cheese sandwich and some donuts.  Keep me powered the whole day through.

Picture Explanation:

1. Happy Mother’s Day – Dedicated to all the most beautiful of women.
2. Waterfall in Oklahoma City.   As I rolled through it looked like there were a lot of family activities and the waterfall seemed to be a favorite “picture taking” place.
3. Rich Red Dirt of Oklahoma – Passed a number of places where there were huge fields of this red dirt.   Not sure what makes it red but things sure seem to grow well.
4. Museum Underway – Passed a building going up that had a lot of old gas station signs planted in the front yard.   See any that you remember?
5. Prairie Sign – By the waterfall were many plants labeled with their name.   When I went to the front I saw the sign that announced that these were all plants from the prairie.   It would have been fun to stop and look for awhile.
6. VW Coming out of 2nd Floor – If you look real careful at the right side of the building you will see that the VW is just about to leave the building.
7. Mural – Section of a mural showing different scenes from Oklahoma for their 2007 Centennial.

Haven’t done my map yet but I should be close to Route 66 again.   The next big city of note is Amarillo (I think) so I will be setting up my route a little later.   It was fun coming through Oklahoma City on a Sunday.   The roads were fairly empty and I was able to look around a bit.    The coolest thing I saw (and for some reason the picture didn’t come out) was the waterways under the bridges I crossed.   They had nice sandy banks that swerved left and right and the water went its way.   I thought how nice it would bring the family to a spot like this for a picnic and swim.

My left leg is a bit burned from the sun.   I haven’t had to worry about the sun hitting the lower part of my legs but that will have to be rethought out.   I may have to start wearing my tights to protect my legs.   I am no match for the sun.

The Bethany firemen invited me to eat with them.   That is yet another act of extreme kindness.   Had they not done that I would have had to ride another 4 miles today and either stay in my dirty clothes or get sweaty after a shower.    Our firemen are extremely helpful, friendly and kind.

Wishing you my very best!

Today was a day for pictures and I have even more that could be added since when I arrived in Bristow in the middle of their Tabouli Festival.   First the pictures:

1. This was a painted window in the Main Street Diner in Chelsea.   Travis, my Chelsea host recommended I eat breakfast there which would be a huge deviation from my McD’s breakfast routine.
2. Travis has many important roles in Chelsea none more important than heading up the local animal shelter with his wife.   They don’t believe in killing any animal and to date have placed 102 dogs.   If I was in a car he would have placed 103 dogs as I fell in love with one of the dogs.  Designer dogs are great but you may want to check out your local humane society as well.   There are some great dogs out there that are already trained.
3. Across from the diner was a painting on the wall stating that Chelsea had the first oil well in Oklahoma.    Remember when I said each of the towns I stay in have a secret?
4. Picture of the inside of the Main Street Diner.   The place had all the character of “Cheers” and “Mayberry RFD” combined.   Everyone knew each other and didn’t even have to place an order since it was already known.   Time kinda’ slowed down in that place and it would have been fun to be part of it.
5. For twelve dollars I got two big pancakes, a sausage, two pieces of bacon, two eggs, hashbrowns, and a large chocolate milk.   The other downside was they didn’t open till 6:30 which kept me one hour behind all day.   IT WAS worth the wait.
6. Neatest Route 66 sign I have seen to date.   I believe this was in Tulsa.
7. The Bristow sign welcoming me to my place of rest tonight.
8. A sculpture of horses meeting a car for the first time.
9. The neatest train and cars out on exhibit that I have seen.   This is also in Tulsa.

Summary: Completed 84.7 miles today in reasonable shape.   This puts me just over 80 miles away from Oklahoma and the trip West’s half way point.    This is the last time I am going to talk about the wind – it’s no fun.   The only difference between yesterday and today is the wind gusted to only 25 MPH instead of yesterday’s 40 MPH gusts.

Stories Remembered . . .

1. The other day when I was riding in the rain toward Springfield, MO I forgot to tell you about he marvelous sight behind me.   I turned around looking to see if any cars were creeping up on me and I saw a sky of fire.   The sun was coming up and backlight the clouds.   The entire Eastern sky was backlight in fire orange beautiful outlining the Cumulus clouds.    Awe inspiring!
2. When I was fixing my bike tire and needed to put air in the tire I pulled the pump off my bike and gave the level a pull/push.   Out of the valve came water gushing out like there was no stopping it.   It took several pumps to clear the water.    I was very grateful for my test as I am not sure what dynamic would be injected with a tire filled with water.
3. Lastly, after I put air in my front tire I decided to check the back tire which was fine.   I then strapped the pump back on the bike and took off.   Fifty miles later when I was checking out the Main Street Diner I noticed my front tire was bouncing.   Turns out when I put the axle back in the tire I didn’t tighten it down (because I had the brilliant idea of checking air in the back tire).   Lesson, always finish the job at hand before starting something new.   If I had hit a pothole yesterday there is a good chance that the tire would have separated from the bike and that wouldn’t have been fun for anyone.

Staying the night at the Bristol Fire Station.    Turns out they are having their Tabouli Festival today.   One gentleman asked if I was with the other riders.    Bristow appears to be a really neat town founded by Lebanese people that settled the town many years ago (hence being known for Tabouli).   Will get some pictures to share with you tomorrow.

Turns out that the fire station had some people bring them food from the festival.   They graciously offered it to me and I have consumed Tabouli, potato salad, baked beans, ham, and hot dogs.    This was after allowing me to put the bike inside and allowing me the luxury of a shower.   Life is perfect (although I am on the hunt for a milk shake).

Funny how I think of a hundred stories I want to share with you while riding the bike but as soon as I get off they are all forgotten.   I do remember a group of couples talking about people traveling by themselves going crazy.   As I remember they were trying to figure out the tell tale symptoms.   I developed one of my own.   I think when you are riding along and start talking to the cows and horses on the side of the road that would be a good indicator.   I started talking to them two days ago.

I also tested out the hypothesis that “bikes can legally drive on the interstates of the Western states” today.   I followed my map and left 66W to go on 266W.    I took this step since Google told me to and it was out of the wind that I was extremely tired of fighting through.   I had a choice of continuing on 266W for another couple of miles or getting on I-44 which really tracks to 66W.    I was on I-44 for 5 miles until it let me off on 66W.   On this track I passed two State Policemen.   The fact that they didn’t stop me proved the hypothesis.   The “cheating” side of my nature was tempted to stay on I-44 longer since it is a direct route with cars/trucks passing me and drafting me along.   I choose to get off since that is the real 66W experience and the Interstate in no place for a bike.

Good night and God bless!

 

Pictures:

1. Sign showing my Entrance to Eastern Shawnee Nation
2. Going through Vinita saw this sign for an inn on Rte 66
3. Sign showing entrance to Chelsea, OK.    Hope to find lodging here today
4. Antique fire truck at Neosho fire station
5. Oklahoma has lots of open grasslands.   here is an example
6. Rte 66 bridge no longer part of Rte 66
7. Rte 66 sign in Oklahoma proving I haven’t lost it yet

Summary: The watch word for today was wind.   I fought it from the moment I got up to the moment I stopped at Subway for dinner at 2:30 (what can I say, the Subway was here, Chelsea was my planned stopping point, and I was hungry).   My average speed was a flat 10.0 MPH which is an all time low for me.   Hoping the Chelsea fire station will put me up for the evening.   On my way there after this post is complete.

Of this and that:

1. Automatic Deflating Device: I had just met up with Tucson Bob, the second East rider I met today.   We compared notes and exchanged pleasantries and then broke off.   Within 30 seconds of getting started my steering felt off and checking the tire found out why – tire flat.   After dodging glass, screws, bolts, tools, metal bits, sticks and other junk all day in driving wind I got stopped by a wire no bigger than a pencil lead.   I found this out after I rolled my bike up to a fence so it had something to lean against and inspected the tire.   I had a hard time believing that this was the problem but when I used the new tube after pulling the wire out of the tire.   The 30 miles we’ve done since proves we are good to go.
2. Personal Hygiene:  I remember a couple of people wondering if I would be a “dirty old man” once I left home.   After almost two weeks on the road I am happy to report that I brush and floss my teeth twice a day, wash my clothes regularly and have never worn the same clothes two days in a row, showered every day but once, and haven’t had anyone hold their nose when I walk up to them – yet.
3. Today, due the wind, I stopped riding at 70.3 miles.   The next city is 10 miles and I don’t feel like staying on the bike that long.   I did finally break the 1000 mile mark officially .   completing 1022 miles as of this moment.    That is an 85 mile a day average which is good considering I didn’t ride at all day 4.
4. One of the things that we all miss staying on the interstate is the birds singing.   Every day regardless of the wind, rain, time of day, or other factors there are always birds chirping.   Guess it is easy for me to hear them since I don’t have any windows to row up.
5. In some of my earlier posts I was stating that I hadn’t cramped up at all.   I think I was bragging a little bit and even being a little bit surprised since I was exercising much longer than usual.   Here is the sad truth.   A couple of mornings ago I was getting dressed and crossed a leg to put a sock on.   That leg did start to cramp up.   I took emergency action (straightened the leg quickly) and didn’t have the problem again.   I do find it extremely interesting that I can pedal all day but can’t get a sock on.
6. Next objective is Oklahoma via Tulsa.   I am 178 miles outside of Oklahoma now so should be through it on Sunday.

That’s it for now.    Going to look for a place to sleep and since it is early maybe even find some interesting items in Chelsea for pictures.

Great Weekend to you!