Seeing the small things

As we walk along the roads at the 'break neck' speed of one mile per hour, I see so many beautiful things. A patch of wildflowers that have not been mowed down by the highway bush-hog; the well planned yard flora by a country home; a ditch that winds out of a patch of woods and runs under the road into a drain line, overgrown with trees and native weeds and hopping with tiny frogs, flying crickets and other bugs.

As difficult as this walk is at times, I am so glad to have the opportunity to take in so many pretty things that even a relaxed drive could not reveal.

This morning is overcast and on the horizon there is a line of clear skies growing. I spent the night in comfort at The Wohlt Inn, a B&B in Herman Missouri. Yesterday, as we got to this picturesque town with wineries and shops, two women invited us to stay. I had a wonderful evening enjoying a movie and good conversation. After breakfast we will be on our way again to our next river crossing.

I hope you take a moment for yourselves today and look for a little beauty.

sweet people

I must thank the news man for the arrangments he made and the doctors on the hill for the shade I used next to the first Armadillo road kill I have seen, and the two sweet women and their more than generous 'last room at the inn' where Nice and me are tonight, saved from the thunder showers and lightning, and so many people who are there for us on our little walk.

Top of the hill...

To those who are following along from the comforts of home, "HI!!!"

This big hill I was warned about was a good reminder of some of the rolling hills in Indiana and Ohio, and was nothing compared to the panhandle of West Virginia or the hill into Stubenville, Ohio. Not to say it was easy, it was not. The traffic of Saturday made it even more fun, having to get off and then on again, over and over, and over again. The thirty foot sharp bank was a good test of my concentration.

A couple of the local news orgs have given us some press and several people have searched us down to give us encouragement today (it's a muggy one) as we walked from shade to shade. Now we are resting atop this little hill before walking into town. Funny how used to the smell of roadkill I have become. There is a smelly one just a few yards away. Not strong enough to chase us out of this shade.

Have a good day and please go for a walk.

Rolling the trenches

The backroads of MO are much like the roads of PA. Big fun and slow going. I would say more but nap time for Nice (the dog) is about over and the flies seem to like the taste of deet. And ticks are immune to everything but fire!

Shade hoppin' day

It's a hot and muggy day and we are now in a fine shady spot next to the road. Nice( the dog) is sleeping and I am doing my best to rest. Every time I lay back another car pulls up for a picture, a policeman checks on my progress and a newspaper photographer comes for the story. And then there is the ticks , spiders , and other bugs who come for the feast.
I am about two miles from New Haven but the hottest time of day is upon us and this spot feels almost cool..I may gat up soon and trudge to town even in the heat. The bugs are thick and the traffic seems lighter. Then again I may just wait awhile.

I feel like a river

In a way, since I have crossed into Missouri, I have been like a creek or a river. They flow with the landscape, meandering this way and that, turning corners sometimes, almost heading back in the direction they came. This is how I have spent the last two weeks, making progress meeting just the right people at the right time and stopping to appreciate the scenery, like a rivers eddy that swirls in place as it heads downstream.

After these days of seeking the path to Kansas City, I hope the advise I've been offered found me on the most direct and relatively safe road to my destination. Yesterday as I was finally headed from Washington, we were called into the last business before we left town for a drink. A salesman who I had spoken to the night before came in for a call, and we talked of my plans. He redirected me one more time, suggesting a route no one had before. I only had to eddy back a quarter-mile, and I think his advise will be the best for our purpose. No roads are safe for a big ball, yet this one is headed west and looks to be a wise decision when looking at the map and listening to a man who drives these roads everyday.

Take care, and take in a walk today. I'm sure it will not be so hard on you.

Have a good day, Erik.

3:30 am

All I have to say is I am in our tent and the dog has gas.