Breaking in

The third day of walking along the Alabama roads after my holiday break has my shoulder and arm sore because of the wind, the narrow roadways without a lot of time actually on the road. It's not something you'd think of but new socks need to be broken-in and my feet have a couple tender toes. I had meant to post at the end of the day but last night after getting to Daphne I fell asleep as soon as I settled in my blankets. I to have a breaking in period.
Now the sun is filling the sky lite blue. I hope you take some time to walk today,every day. It can't be as difficult as walking in a ditch pushing an eighty pound canvas ball while leading or being led by a large brown dog.

Walking Softly with a Big Stick.

I thought I'd make it further than the Police station in Robertsdale but with the breeze in my face, the many relaxed conversations during the day, the interviews with the Mobile Alabama News stations, the little talk I had with the class of elementary children as their class was searching for bugs and birds in the schoolyard and the lunch break at the yard sale the offer to stop for the night at the police Department grounds and a ride to get the van was just the ticket. The Robertsdale Alabama police patch was also a welcome addition to the collection. Some days it's not the miles walked as it is the quality of the steps.
During these Years of rolling the Worlds over hills and dales, through ditches and over bridges I have progressed from a man who charges into the fray and forcing my mind and body to power through obstacles to a much more relaxed approach where I will accept a ride past dangerous narrows, bridges or tornado filled wall clouds. Still the constant pounding on my joints is taking a toll. Today I began making myself step more softly, not pounding my boots into the pavement when I transition from thick grass to the edge of the roadway. I notice, now at the end of the day, my feet don't hurt as much, my knees and hips aren't as fatigued, my back is not as stiff. All that from a simple change, walking softly. Not slowly, just softly. Who knew?
Years ago, when I first began this odyssey of rolling the World for diabetes I walked without the World on a string. Only after walking hundreds of miles I found myself going down the side of a long valley road with a cross wind, a rocky trench on one side and a guardrail on the other. Fatigued and desperate for relieve I had to stop. I took out a spare leash I had for the dog and attached it to the laces so I could hold the World at bay while I rested on the hill against the railings. When I continued on I left the leash on the ball and soon realized how much safer it was, how much control it allowed, how stupid I'd been thinking I could walk along the highways being blown to and fro by the elements and passing semi trucks. That I didn't have to jump down revines to retrieve the World after avoiding some dangerous incident. I had a new leash on life. Some five hundred miles later I picked up a broken broom handle as I was plodding up a long hill, tied the leash to the short piece of wood and realized I could steer much better while walking behind the World. All that time "I coulda' had a V-8!" When that broom handle broke I took and old vine-twisted willow walking stick, added some spin toggles and I had a mast that didn't bind or knot at the most inoportune times. I thought this willow branch would. Last a little while, it survived two mountains, twenty six states and over three thousand miles. I glued it back together when Mount Washington's Wind bent it nearly in half, I bound it with fiberglass reinforced oil line pipe wrap after accidentally stepping on it, shattering it. Finally the bottom six inches fell off so I had to bring out the new stick today. It is also willow, very light and since the pipe wrap worked for the broken staff I reinforced the new one from the start. The slightly bigger stick made a noticeable difference for the better. Not a V-8 moment, but close.
To sum up, I walked softly today with a big stick and it felt good.
I was visited tonight and had a great time. The bag of fruits and veggies is the best kind of food to bring the guy walking for diabetes. You deserve a star for your lunch box my friend!
To those who make excuses why they can't walk... It doesn't get easier later. Was that too harsh? How about... Love yourself or walk until you do.
Enough rambling for today, time to settle in for the cool night.

Alabama, the Beautiful.

A heavy dew had soaked the fresh paint from yesterday so thw world had to redry in the morning Seminole sun while I spent my morning talking with the men of town at the table in the gas station/diner/social club,no dues required. A love of college football on this particular instance is a plus. The sun slipped in and out of the fast moving clouds, I was able to dry the part of the globe I touch the most, got my pack together and began my walk across the state against a brisk wind and intermittent sprinkles. I had intended to begin at a slow pace today. Indeed because of the chopping wind my pace was slow and determined by the gusts from the west, refreshing after five weeks of allowing my body to heal. The ditches and berms of the sharper bends in the road actually helped as I made my way west to the truck stop at the corner of 90 and 87. Several people stopped, all had friends and close family members with diabetes; both types and were very glad to see our effort. When asked by one man why I don't have a large group of supporters, a movement. I told him I was walking to help people know they can help themselves by staying active. A movement movement. The last person to stop me came out from his home that was within sight of my stop for the day. He offered to ride us back to the van. On the ride back to Seminole he told me of his father who is very active as he manages his diabetes with good results. He said, after talking about it for awhile, his father was the epitome of what I talk about, keeping active. Not a bad observation from a drunken sailor. That's all I'll say about my exciting ride to get the van. I ended the afternoon with a pretty healthy meal of greens, beans and stew with carrots at the truck stop. The Liars section there has a twist I have not seen before. Off to the side of the eating tables is the open office where I had a good conversation with the owner who said it is a good way to keep on top of the goings on. The executive desk adds well to this area liars section.
Forecast calls for 28 to 30 degrees in the morning with a high touching 50 here close to the coast. With a wind advisory again I should bundle up for the walk tomorrow. Slow goings again.
Keep walking, eat something green!

Seminole Winds from Toys in the Attic

I guess it's time I began posting again as I've driven from Louisville, my ol'Kentucky Home, and driven to the eastern Alabama town of Seminole where I've been all day repairing and repainting the World since I planted myself here this morning. I figured that if I was going to walk across Alabama I'd walk at it's narrowest part. The five weeks of rest after walking five months was good but it is time to get the ball rolling again for diabetes. I am going to eat better this time, maybe I can loose this ten pounds I gained while I healed during the holidays before I walk three hundred miles. I don't turn down a gift of food, that makes it hard sometimes. Since I am walking for diabetes awareness and prevention you can help me prevent getting diabetes with no high fructose corn products. I was amazed at the number of people who I meet who bring me, the guy walking for diabetes, junk food. Talking about diet is a new thing for me, I am one of those in denial and I need help in making good choices. Like someone said, " The definition of insanity is: Doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. Help me clear those toys from the attic.
Thanks to my good friends in Kentucky who had me stay at their home, the first time I have ever taken the time to heal. All I did was help take a few boxes of toys and books from their attic and that was to test my sprains and aches. I'll be back to ibuprophen soon, the time to heal was nice.
In the morning we begin again after waiting for these Seminole winds to die down. Hello Alabama!

A Pink House and Wild Rice

That's what I've been doing for these holiday weeks, eating wild rice from Minnesota, a gift from the White Earth Ojibwa Nation. Staying at my friend's little pink house, a far cry from the Cat Lady's house I left in June. A welcome month of quiet healing has us plumped up and ready for another stroll. The eye-Hook of the Florida panhandle sounds nice. Soon...

Fork in the Road

The way is full of choices. The last day in Oklahoma I was stopped in my tracks by the sight of the snow. The wide four lane divided highway was stretching out of sight. While walking these past five months I would think what this day would look like. The road, the clouds, the wind, the snow. My minds-eye was spot on. It was time to go home...

Sheboygan until the snow flies.

I did what I set out to do and it was just as I had envisioned it when the snowflakes fell into view. It wasn't a blizzard but just enough see and feel. On the Southern edge of Muskogee Oklahoma is where I saw snow. Just over five months from Lake Michigan to Omaha by way of Fargo North Dakota then in Oklahoma from Pawhuska to Muskogee. When I had started this morning I carried a lighter backpack with only emergency essentials, my lower back was so sore I was having trouble moving so the smaller load relieved some pressure. When the snow began to fall I stood and watched it for awhile before turning back to get the van, it was less than a mile. The wind had quickly blown me that distance, when I turned around I had to work for every step. When I made my way back over to the Hilldale store there was a woman who had heard I was there and had excitedly jumped in her vehicle to find me. She had seen on a news report that I was going to stop when I saw snowflakes. She not only got the last picture of me walking in Oklahoma she also gave me a ride to the van at the next intersection. She said, as I was getting out," I don't know what you're going to do from here but you have helped a lot of people with what you have done." What a sweet exclamation. When I get my back adjusted and after the holidays I have eighteen states yet to step foot in before I set another goal.
I will post updates soon. Until then, keep walking.

Birds and the Moth

While I lay in the van looking out at the rain spatter the panes wondering how I would go on with my back in such pain a moth fluttered to the window, circled a few times and flew up and away so I could follow its progress until it disappeared into the grey clouds. Then a bird flock of hundreds passed flying high as the cloud layers blew by in several directions. I decided then that when I was able to walk again I would keep going. I'll not be outlasted by a tenacious moth. It has become colder but the weather front has passed, for now my muscles have loosened enough so I'll head South like the rest of the flocking birds heading for home.

Honestly

Early Sunday Morning and my back is racked from the rain. On Friday I walked from the edge of Muskogee to a long term care hospital, they had invited me there for a meal and a shower. As I got there a light rain began. I was able to get the canvas World under cover before it got soaked. From there I defLated the ball and loaded it into the wqrldguy van. The rain fell off and on Friday night through until morning when the sun broke through for just awhile. The months of walking and the cold rain combined to make it difficult to stand and walk Nice (the dog). It was only after a day of resting in the van that my back now only hurts like it would if I had just walked twenty miles. I wrote the previous post to avoid dwelling on this nuisance but I, in all honesty,have to say my back pain is incapacitating. I have heard it will rain more this afternoon after the lite sprinkles clear off. Honestly, I hope it snows soon.

True Grit

Five months, to the day from when I stepped away from Lake Michigan, Sheboygan. Across Wisconsin and the Mississippi to Iowa, up the big muddy to where it drains out of Lake Itaska, across the White Earth to Fargo, through the Dakota's to Nebraska, skipping Kansas (been there) and finally here with the Okies in Muskogee there they were. Not since I left my old Kentucky home far away had I found them, grits. Finally I am fer' 'nuff sa'outh. Praise all that is good, I ate me sum' grits today an' they wuz' Deeeliciously gritty tastin'! Don't git' me started' 'bout ma' grits...many a mile,many a mile...

Nothing to say

There's lots of things I could mention about yesterday, but I can't get the thumbs going. The little town of Porter, the men lined up at the long table in the store at the edge of town; the look on their faces when I took their picture for being one of the best examples of what I call "the liar's table" I've seen in months. I had come in and left before any of them showed up for their morning review; the early bird gets the worm. The walk past the school, the crossing guard's reaction when the World passed him by like he was warned it would was classic but I don't want to mention that either. As I made it to the far end of town and spent almost an hour progressing a few hundred yards while talking to more people than I can count including the sheriff who brought me patch from town and was attacked by Nice(the dog) who licked his face with his ferocious long tongue , many who had family or were themselves diabetic or in need of a bit of calisthenics ending with an ex- RN on her way to the diabetes specialist for a check-up who told me she was having troubles with her kidneys and yet didn't check her levels as she knew she should or walk to keep in shape like she knew she should but she did stop saying "Okay I have a minute for your story". Of this I have nothing to say. Or of the ol farmer I watched work his way over on the tractor, took a few minutes to get out the gate and down off the large piece of machinery and talk to me. He was bent over obviously from years of working the fields before I was born. I bent over so I could look him in the face while he clung to the hay-bail forks of the tractor. When I walked away I heard a loud call and turned to se him scuttling almost upright to get back and close the gate, the heard of cows were curiously ambling to follow me down the road as they usually do. I've got nothing in regard to the high dormant grass that brings my World to a halt when I need to roll off the road as cars passed until I got to the wide four-lane and it's pull-off lane. I might revel at the coincidence of the road maintenance crew with the open trailer who just happened to stop to pick up a couple road signs at the busy bridge over the Arkansas River as I walked up; they gave me a lift over to the safe side in the rush hour. But still I have nothing. That the guy at the Pilot was there to assure me the World would be safe when I got my ride before I had it tied to the pole and then turned around to meet the young women who were on their way back through Porter; one of the two sisters had spoken to me the night before so I didn't have to say much before we were on the road back. Thanks to E and T is what I'd say if I had the inclination to write, but I don't. Finally I might mention the couple who brought me a meal after I was settled and thank them too, but I can't find words to peck away on my Blackberry... I don't want to check my spelling or proper wording, I don't want to get out from the warm blanket, but I will because despite myself I do enjoy life,

It's the cold.

My bones are aching. Not all of them, just a few joints that have taken some abuse. Oh,that would be most of them. I made it to the edge of Porter and no more. My knee and foot would have no more for the day. Ten miles per day with the cold, short days is about as much as I can take. The shoulders are steep and the terrains are taking a toll . Ok I'm finished complaining...