The Mighty 80

We left Pella in a morning downpour and watched the flood water lapping at highway 80 as we said goodbye to Des Moines. I heard they were closing 80 tomorrow east of Des Moines. I am not at all surprised. I have been following the weather in Iowa all day. Unbelievable. More of the same! Lord, have mercy! As I write this we are watching the sunset on the western side of Nebraska and the air is dry and 50 degrees and falling rapidly. Fresh and clean. Big big sky country. The sun takes forever to set. I'd forgotten...

We have a laptop with a wireless internet donated by Matt Smith from Altel. WoW! It connects to what used to be the van cigarette lighter and runs off a power converter so I can check up on all of you while Cal is driving. (I did my share of driving today, too.)

All my list making abilities served me very well. Packing was a snap. I shall feel very organized for a day or two until my disorganized nature overtakes me once more. But by that time, it won't matter. We made it!

We said more goodbyes this morning. Our son, Jeff, told us we are crazy. It nice to be able to do something once in a while that your CHILDREN can call crazy.

The camper pulls like a dream. Good gas mileage too.
Today our job is to drive. It's hard to remember that's it's part of a much bigger picture.

We will drive until we are tired and then pull off somewhere and sleep. It's nice to be on the road and this far along. We just crossed into Wyoming.

Good night All.

Ps. The message on my Styrofoam cup of coffee that I bought in Kearney, Nebraska said. "You are nowhere." I quite agree but I wouldn't advertise it.

Wishing Well

My boss and co-workers from Gosselinks came over last night to sit in my camper and to enjoy each others company one last time. You all make coming to work a joy! (See above) And best wishes to Lana, the newest employee who will be learning the job while I'm gone. (Lana...don't believe a word Chris says.)

Church goodbyes, work goodbyes, friend goodbyes, family goodbyes, just-in-case-I-don't-see- you-before-you-go-goodbyes... Thanks to all of you who have wished us well and God speed.
(Of course, there are some of you that I will be talking to more on the road than I do when I am at home trying to balance daily life! US Cellular...you know who you are.)

Anyway...

Here are some of the personal things that I am taking to entertain myself on the road.

Recorder (instrument) and music books...
Genealogy charts
Italian and Spanish and Sign Language books (Spanish is more practical, but Italian is prettier.)
Bird and Tree and Rock Identification books
Bible
Camera
Laptop Computer which becomes my office, post office, library, road maps, telephone book, newspaper, darkroom, and weatherman as well as entertainment. I'll be missing the Olympics!
A sudoku book
Paper
I plan to pick up reading material as I go.

This week it has been hard work to stay in the moment and not be distracted by what's ahead... It's like Cal and I are studying for different exams and the tests are coming! He is an experienced biker and I am an experienced camper...but never before like this.

Cal wrote about "bonking."
I am hitting the wall in my own way.
I think I know how birds must feel in late summer when they are gathering to migrate...
TIME TO GO.

Thank you - Florence Christian Church - Oregon!

Thanks to Florence Christian Church www.florencechurch.com for allowing us to park in their parking lot on the night before we start the ride. I checked out their website and they seemed to be similar to the church Cal and I attend in Pella, Iowa, www.trcpella.com, so I felt comfortable asking them to allow us to park there. Thank you to Jan and Frieda who helped me on the phone. You will not be forgotten. Just because Cal needs to be on the road at 8:00 doesn't mean I won't be able to attend church in all these places if they will accept me in camping clothes! What fun! To worship my way across the United States!

Both Cal and I are getting itchy. We are SO ready to be on the road and doing this "thing." One week from today we leave for Florence.
The camper goes up and down according the the weather. You see, the thunderstorms have been usually fierce this spring and frequent. So every time bad weather threatens, the camper goes down. I am getting quite an expert at taking down the camper...except for the door. Those of you who have fold-downs know what I mean. I'm short and I seem to get banged and bruised by that door. It may be an ongoing fight this trip. But I do love that little camper.

Our house is in upheaval. As Cal and I prepare for this ride, our son, Jeff, is getting ready to move to Sioux Fall to start his dream job. We have another Jeff living here this summer who is interning at Vermeer and taking two college courses. He studies at the dinning room table every night. My nephew and family will be stopping for an overnight while we are gone and another one of Jeff's friends may need a place to stay as he looks for an apt in Des Moines. But this is no bed and breakfast. Everybody does their own thing. Right now I feel the house is more like a commune. (Kids: Dad and I are finally able to live out the best part of hippiedom.) I wonder what the house will look like when we come home!

My prayers for all my family and friends and fellow travelers through internet. Love you all.

All we need

I think we now have everything we need to live on the road. The propane heater for the camper came today....A way to get clean, a way to eat, a way to sleep, and a way to stay warm (it hit a high of 50 in Yellowstone today). What else is there? Oh yes. A way to answer nature's call. That, too.

While I was in Michigan this weekend to see my family (my father turns 90 next month), a F-5 tornado tore through Parkersburg, Iowa. The devastation is tremendous. From the air, the town looks like matchsticks - smashed. Cal's dad was a minister and had a church in that area many years ago.
Check out this link for pictures. www.kcci.com/slideshow/weather/16393589/detail.html?rss=des&psp=news
Our daughter, Rachel and son-in-law, Justin came from Grand Rapids for dinner (Rachel, your hair is incredible!) and I visited with my sisters and extended family who were camping just outside Kalamazoo. It was great to see everybody. Love you guys.

Rosy

Here she is! This will be our home for at least 2 months starting June 15. I know "she" is a "she" because I named her after my boss, Rosa, who so graciously allowed me to have those weeks off this summer. I thank all the people who were involved in getting her to us in Pella, but I'll let Cal take care of giving credit where credit is due. We are indeed spoiled.

I am loading her up. Rosy is basic, tiny, and very classy. She is black and silver inside. (Fleetwood, Coleman, Cobalt) She's a little lopsided - a full bed on one wing and a twin on the other. Stove and sink and table and that's about all. I am working on how to take a shower in a pinch and keep us human in other ways. I'll let you know how it works when we get on the road.

We will not be able to put up the camper until we reach our destination each day so clothes and daily food and water and personal items all be in the mini van, but I think we will have plenty of room even for me to take a little nap in the back while I wait for my husband to come tooling down the road. Hey fella, want a ride?

Beside taking care of Cal (we have both decided that this trip is all about him) I hope to take pictures and learn some local history, pick up a few rocks, identify a few leaves, and read a few books. I might be a monastery of one. The Monastery of the Open Road. I'm sure I'll be changing the name of my monastery as my situation changes...Monastery of the Blistering Heat...Monastery of the No Place to Park.

I also have responsibilities to my hair stylist and friends to keep them well informed of daily life on the road. Pray for me, My Friends. Pray I learn to use a cell phone without swearing. Pray for kind churches with great parking lots. Pray for water. Pray for safety. Pray I won't ruin the carpeting when I dye my hair in a motel room. Ok. I won't dye my hair.

Cal has been training in Iowa wind. He has a bikers wind burn and he is biker thin.

We leave in 24 days.

Love you all!

Our House in Pella, Iowa

Inside this innocent looking house in Iowa, a bike trip across the United States is being planned.

One State At A Time

I have put away my Dutch Costume. Pella's Tulip Time has come and gone for one more year. The spring in Iowa has been cold and miserable, so therefore, the town's tulips were unusually beautiful. (If that's what it takes, we might want to consider another flower!) Cal and I tandemed around town to check out the tulips yesterday...(maybe that will be the first step to lose the 20 pounds I gained this winter.) Anyway...back to the trip planning of the Renewing Spirits Bicycle Tour.

I am very excited about the possibility of pulling an basic 8 foot pop-up. It will give us the sleeping space we need without taking away from the adventure of "camping." We have camped in a pop-up for years with our kids. Now I know how to deal with all the details that have been teasing me.

Did you know that it's only 31 degrees in Yellowstone right now! I am monitoring temperatures in the Western United States to make some decisions about our living needs...looks like we will need warm layers as well as cool layers. When we went to Italy I was able to pack all my personal clothes in one carry-on suitcase and I liked living that way. Simple...and I am hoping to be able to pack in a similar way on this trip without looking too much like a bag lady.

Last night I looked at maps...it was so exciting and I started getting curious about all these little black dots with names and the squiggles of ink that connect them! In less than 6 weeks, the dots and squiggles will have faces to go with their names. I only let myself look at one state at a time so I won't get overwhelmed by the bigness of it all. (My computer has no trouble with "bigness".) "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day (or each state) has enough trouble of its own." From the book of Matthew.

Cal, in his blog, mentioned "Pressing On" by Bob Dylan. Other song that I will carry with me is "I See You" by Rich Mullins. Especially these lyrics.

Lord, You're leading me (Lord, You're leading me)
With a cloud by day (With a cloud by day)
And then in the night (And then in the night)
The glow of a burning flame (The glow of a burning flame)

And everywhere I go, I see You (And everywhere I go, I see You)
And everywhere I go, I see You (And everywhere I go, I see You)

And You take my hand (And You take my hand)
And You wash it clean (And You wash it clean)
I know the promised land (I know the promised land)
Is light years ahead of me (Is light years ahead of me)

And everywhere I go, I see You (And everywhere I go, I see You)
And everywhere I go, I see You (And everywhere I go, I see You)
And everywhere I go, I see You (And everywhere I go, I see You)
And everywhere I go, I see You (And everywhere I go, I see You)

Well, the eagle flies (Well, the eagle flies)
And the rivers run (And the rivers run)
I look through the night (I look through the night)
And I can see the rising sun (And I can see the rising sun)

And everywhere I go, I see You (And everywhere I go, I see You)
And everywhere I go, I see You (And everywhere I go, I see You)
And everywhere I go, I see You (And everywhere I go, I see You)
And I see You, Lord, I see You

One State at a Time.