Prague, Oklahoma
That's where I was last weekend. It's a little town about 50 miles east of Oklahoma City. I took two days of rest at Rick and Kathy Hawkin's house, a couple I met at the Baptist church here in town. I stopped last night at the church to ask if I could camp and they invited me to stay in their son's room (he was at a friend's house and didn't mind, apparently). It was nice just watching TV and sitting in an air-conditioned living room, luxuries I'd been living without.
I've been having a lot of good days. I've learned that I have to keep the body happy, and spend the money to make that happen, so I am. And so my quality of life on the bike has increased. I'm having fun most of the time, and when I'm not, I'm still glad I'm out there.
I've covered a lot of ground since I last wrote at length, so I'll just give you some highlights:
In Maplesville, AL, I stayed in Diane and Clem Clapp's hunting lodge (I met the couple at the Maplesville Baptist Church), replete with various hunting trophies. Animals I saw displayed: boar, deer, squirrel, duck, various birds I don't know the names of. But it was indoors and out of the bugs, so I was happy.
I met Gerald Allen, Alabama State Representative. He stopped in front of me on the highway outside of Tuscaloosa just to talk to me. He rides too, and is planning to go from California to Virginia next year. He was very excited and impressed, and gave me all kinds of advice, some peaches, M&M's, and $40. I was especially excited about the last part. And impressed with his generosity. If I lived in his district, he'd definitely have my vote.
In Reform, AL, I met Walt and Jean Chambers through an interesting set of circumstances. It was getting towards evening and I was looking for a church to camp at. I'd already passed a church that was doing VBS (Vacation Bible School, a weeklong summer day camp for kids that churches often put on), but I wasn't ready to stop. So when I was ready to stop, about the time I rolled into Reform, I was again looking for a church doing VBS. (Which would mean people at the church whom I could ask if I could camp. I like to ask for permission if I can.) At the main crossroads in the town I saw a sign for VBS at Friendship Baptist Church. I asked some locals how to get there, and it turned out to be about four miles off my route, which was okay at that point. I was willing to ride the extra miles in the hopes of camping there.
So I rode the miles and got to the church. They had an identical VBS sign up near the church, and when I saw it, I actually read it carefully. And discovered that I had my dates wrong. VBS was the next week! So I'd ridden four miles for nothing. I asked a lady out doing her yardwork if she knew who I could talk to about camping at the church and she directed me to Walt and Jean's house. Walt is a deacon at the church.
So I rode up to their house as it was getting dark and put on my best cold-call salesman face. Jean answered the door and was surprised to see me but very welcoming. She invited me in to talk to her husband Walt. So I told them my story, how I had got there by misreading their VBS sign, what I was doing, how I had recently returned from South Korea, and they were fascinated. Before I was done telling my story Jean had fed me and they'd invited me to sleep in their guest room and have breakfast with them in the morning. Of course I accepted.
They are fantastic people who love the Lord, have 20 grandchildren and some great-grandchildren, and were as happy as they could be that I'd found my way to their door. I was too. It was quite a unique experience.
In Columbus, Mississippi, I got my first flat on my rear tire. And met Tina and Crystal at a hair salon -- Tina was a hairdresser and Crystal's son was getting his hair cut. I stopped in for directions and Tina gave me coffee and water and was very hospitable.
To be continued...
(Pictures here.)
I've been having a lot of good days. I've learned that I have to keep the body happy, and spend the money to make that happen, so I am. And so my quality of life on the bike has increased. I'm having fun most of the time, and when I'm not, I'm still glad I'm out there.
I've covered a lot of ground since I last wrote at length, so I'll just give you some highlights:
In Maplesville, AL, I stayed in Diane and Clem Clapp's hunting lodge (I met the couple at the Maplesville Baptist Church), replete with various hunting trophies. Animals I saw displayed: boar, deer, squirrel, duck, various birds I don't know the names of. But it was indoors and out of the bugs, so I was happy.
I met Gerald Allen, Alabama State Representative. He stopped in front of me on the highway outside of Tuscaloosa just to talk to me. He rides too, and is planning to go from California to Virginia next year. He was very excited and impressed, and gave me all kinds of advice, some peaches, M&M's, and $40. I was especially excited about the last part. And impressed with his generosity. If I lived in his district, he'd definitely have my vote.
In Reform, AL, I met Walt and Jean Chambers through an interesting set of circumstances. It was getting towards evening and I was looking for a church to camp at. I'd already passed a church that was doing VBS (Vacation Bible School, a weeklong summer day camp for kids that churches often put on), but I wasn't ready to stop. So when I was ready to stop, about the time I rolled into Reform, I was again looking for a church doing VBS. (Which would mean people at the church whom I could ask if I could camp. I like to ask for permission if I can.) At the main crossroads in the town I saw a sign for VBS at Friendship Baptist Church. I asked some locals how to get there, and it turned out to be about four miles off my route, which was okay at that point. I was willing to ride the extra miles in the hopes of camping there.
So I rode the miles and got to the church. They had an identical VBS sign up near the church, and when I saw it, I actually read it carefully. And discovered that I had my dates wrong. VBS was the next week! So I'd ridden four miles for nothing. I asked a lady out doing her yardwork if she knew who I could talk to about camping at the church and she directed me to Walt and Jean's house. Walt is a deacon at the church.
So I rode up to their house as it was getting dark and put on my best cold-call salesman face. Jean answered the door and was surprised to see me but very welcoming. She invited me in to talk to her husband Walt. So I told them my story, how I had got there by misreading their VBS sign, what I was doing, how I had recently returned from South Korea, and they were fascinated. Before I was done telling my story Jean had fed me and they'd invited me to sleep in their guest room and have breakfast with them in the morning. Of course I accepted.
They are fantastic people who love the Lord, have 20 grandchildren and some great-grandchildren, and were as happy as they could be that I'd found my way to their door. I was too. It was quite a unique experience.
In Columbus, Mississippi, I got my first flat on my rear tire. And met Tina and Crystal at a hair salon -- Tina was a hairdresser and Crystal's son was getting his hair cut. I stopped in for directions and Tina gave me coffee and water and was very hospitable.
To be continued...
(Pictures here.)
posted by Jordan | 11:14 AM
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