DAY SEVEN – AN INTERESTING DAY

I left Odell later than I wanted but it was the first time I’d camp and everything went ok I think. I knew it was going to be a short day so I didn’t get up until 6:00, then left by about 7:30. I had a slight tail wind that I’d guess might have gotten up to about 10 mph. Why are head winds always stronger than tail winds?

So, I’m tooling along just enjoying having what tailwind I have when I hear this air type noise. It really didn’t sound like a tire going down but I look at the rear one while I was still riding, it seemed ok. But, I kept hearing it and occasionally in interrupted intervals. Then I looked back….here came the NDOT paint stripe truck approaching fast. I knew I could not out run it so I was forced to pull over. After he got by and left a nice white line at my feet about three feet away, and all the following traffic passed, I had to hoist the 120 lb. bike over the white line one tire at a time without stepping on it. Well I succeeded thankfully and I went on down the road.

Next problem was that I usually rode on the white line. So I had to force myself to stay away when traffic passed….no need to add white tires to my already colorful bike.

Then, I decided to do something really dumb. I hadn’t had a picture of myself yet while trying to ride down the road. You know, the kind you hold the camera up at arms length and point it back at ya. So, like an idiot I tried it. Now, it’s hard enough balancing the Pilgrim the way it is without trying to point and shot a picture at the same time. As it happened, as soon as I pulled the shutter, I lost balance and swerved towards the freshly painted white line! I recovered just in time and put the camera away a little more wiser. The picture was good though.

When I was arriving close to my destination of Hebron I came to an intersection. For some reason the Hebron campground I had wanted to stay at was two miles off the route. My directions told me that but I just had forgotten. I wasn’t in the mood to ride and extra four miles to be right back where I was in the morning. I looked at the map for options but didn’t see any. As I was ready to give in and pointed the bike towards Hebron, I took one look back at cross traffic and there it was….a sign advertising free camping at an RV park in Deshler 8 miles on down the route. Alright!

It was going to be a short day anyway, (oh, did I say that it had been raining on me since I left Subway in Fairbury about noon?) so I had no problem going a little further. When I got to the nice park I was reading the sign that gave the rules and a lady pulled up and asked if I needed help. I said I’d like to find a place to shower. She said go back a few blocks to the City Building and they could help. As I pulled up at the City Building out walked DeAnn Nielsen and some of her children. She is the Lutheran pastors wife and after we chatted she offered me a vacant house to sleep at and a meal with her family. Double alright!

We had a wonderful meal and they are a great family. Theirs Pastor Phil, DeAnn, Jess, Eric, Isaac, Reece, Sheila and Keisha. I really enjoyed myself and they even served apple crisp with ice cream! God sure has had His hand on me today and I’ve been seeing His goodness and love for me all along the way.

Here’s a little humor that happened to me when I was done at Subway today. I went outside and it was raining with no cover so the bank next door had a little lean to. I got my rain gear out to put on. I have a plastic bag that I keep my plastic Croc want-to-be sandals in so I took them out and slipped the first one on. Just then a gust of wind came along and started blowing the bag across the parking lot. I needed that bag to put my riding shoes in. So, here I am running after bag holding on plastic shoe, one on and only my sock on the other foot. I soaked my sock of course. Wish I had a picture but you get the picture. Wasn’t funny at the time but was later.

Tomorrow’s destination Franklin, NE. RV Park (unless God has some other plan.

Ice cream today – Vanilla with apple crisp.