April 27 & April 28 - One Day in Two

We left Lockhart at the normal time on April 27 - about 7ish AM.  All was normal - cool in the morning and no wind.  We rode through downtown Lockhart and we all wished we had known about it the night before...and that weren't so tired the night before.  It is a cool old downtown with a lot of shops and stuff to look through.  Oh well, maybe another time.

The wind picked up about the time we hit Kyle, TX.  We spent a little time in Kyle.  Our Kyle took some pictures - one was in front of the Kyle City Police Department.  I went inside to see if they had any badges we could have and the cool officer in there gave me three Kyle PD badges and made Kyle an honorary deputy.  We all wore them with pride.  Kyle has pictures.

The wind picked up and so did the hills.  We were invited to dinner at the Comfort Baptist Church at 6pm so we had to cut the day a little short in order to make dinner.  The Church cooks dinner for local families every Wednesday and this week they had spaghetti with chicken in a white sauce, lettuce salad, garlic bread and desserts.  We did not go home hungry and the company was great.  The Pastor has been at the Church for 30 years and had a lot of stories about Texas and the town.  The people were all very friendly and I think everyone was glad we made the decision to stop riding at 70 miles.

April 28
Shannon, Kyle and I got up at the normal time and Bill got us to the place we stopped yesterday by about 7:05AM.  We started riding and it was a little chilly and calm - perfect weather for Shane.  The hills were there but they didn't seem as bad without the wind.  funny, huh.!?

During the ride, a deer jumped across the road in front of me and then I heckled it until it finally cleared the fence.  I saw movement on the hill and saw about 30 more deer running to my left.  Then I saw three more running to my right.  It was really cool to see them alive instead of smell them as road kill.  We did see one road kill deer a little later.  It must have been hit by a semi-truck as it was in two pieces and very mangled.

I also saw this old house and these cool sheep.  The house is made from Texas Limestone and I think looks pretty neat.

We finished the 30 miles in under two hours then showered, did laundry and cleaned the bikes which left a very lazy afternoon.  At about 4ish we walked around downtime just in time to see it rolled up at 5pm. 

Now, Mona is making another good smelling meal and learning how to make creamed peas.

Oh yeah.  Remember the Lady, Karen, who made us the sign and hung it along the highway as we entered Lockhart?  Her Daughter sent Shannon and email and she lives in Lakeside near where we are ending in San Diego!  Coincidence?  I think not!  We are all looking forward to meeting her on May 21 near the Roller Coaster on the beach.  Way Cool!!!!!!

The Ride - April 26

Today, it was hard to get out of bed.  My ankles hurt, my knees hurt, my shoulder hurts and I'm tired.  But, I went to work and am glad I did.  We left Butler at our normal time, about 7am and headed south....then we turned and headed north....wonder why we can't just go west!  Anywho, I was about done by lunch. 

After lunch we got back on the bikes and rode through a couple of Texas State Parks.  These parks were filled with pine trees and smelled just like Arizona.  They were full of hills and free of any air movement (aka wind) which made it very warm.  Once out of the parks we headed southwest again.  Les and Mona went ahead to Lockhart where we ended our day and called back to Bill to let everyone know there was a sign for POP's on the side of the road about six miles outside of Lockhart.  Shannon said, "I bet that is Karen's place." 

Knowing the sign was there and someone local was excited about Our Ride gave me the energy and motivation to complete the day.  I rode for several hours in the heat, wind and hills to be on the bike when we got to the sign.  Guess what - when we got to the sign, Karen was waiting for us with cold Gatorade!  Way Cool.  She was so excited about meeting us and what we are doing.  Funny thing is, I don't think she realizes how important her sign is to us....me.  At times, I have felt as though what we are doing is really only being noticed by our friends, family and a few others who have randomly found out about Our Ride.  She explained she learned about Our Ride from a flier she saw at a local BBQ joint in Lockhart.  She then went to our website, read about us and sent Shannon an email.  Karen's Mom has PD so she is very interested in what we are doing and about how we are trying to spread the word about PD and the treatments available.

Karen and her Parents met us at Chisholm's Trail BBQ for dinner.  We were all honored to meet her Mom and Dad and spend some time with them.  Karen surprised us again at dinner when she said she was buying.  Such a humbling experience.  We have met some very neat people so far on the trip and they have all blessed us in different ways.

Karen - Thank you taking the time to make the sign for us.  Thank you for your words of encouragement and support.  Thank you for dinner.  Meeting you today has provided me with the energy to tackle another day...week...the rest of the trip.  I wish your Parents and your family many more years together.

Karen's Sign with Dad and Karen.  She had everyone's name listed on it.  Way Cool.

The dinner crew at Chisholm's

Today, I would like to recognize all those from Safeway NASC who have helped with POP's Ride fundraisers and organization.  Specifically - Mona, Sue Mac, Sue R, Jody, Patti - for the many hours you put in to planning the various events.  Thanks!

boll weevils, cows and chickens

Hello Again.

First, we are all well, showered and fed.

Second, we are staying at the Inn at Indian Creek in Burton, Texas.  This is a very cool B&B just outside of Burton with three nice and clean cabins, a pond and lots of room to chill and relax.  Mr. Kennard Lawrence is the Innkeeper and if you are ever in the area and need a place to stay, you should stay here.  Why?  For the reasons already listed and because he generously did not charge us for our stay tonight.  Incredible!  What a blessing.  Please check out his website, http://www.innatindiancreek.com/, and stop by for a night or two and let him know you are friends of POPs Ride.  Rachel Baderman - another success!  Thanks.

Now, on to today's travels.  Today we rode through the Sam Houston National Forest.  A great surprise and very cool place.  We even had to cross a lake.  The rest of the day was filled with hills, wind and gusts of wind. There are a lot of very neat ranches in this area.

At one point, we stopped to take a picture of an old grocery store and this pickup passed us.  It was going slow around the corner and I noticed it was a state vehicle.  The driver worked for the Texas boll weevil education department.  Seriously, Texas has a department dedicated to educating people about boll weevils?  Sounds like a potential budget slimming opportunity.

Cows.  Most of you reading this have probably never passed a heard of cattle (cows) on a bike.  I'm here to tell you they watch us.  They stop eating and watch us until we are gone.  They stop eating and some rubber neck until we are out of site.  I wonder what they are thinking.  I wonder if they moo to each other and make sarcastic comments about three men riding bikes in spandex.  I know we heckle them so am pretty sure they heckle us in cowese.  Maybe they hawk some cud at us in disgust as we pass.  Who knows - just something I thought about today while riding up and down and up and down and up and up and up.

Today, we thank my Staff at Safeway.  We have pretty much decimated the basket and box of goodies you sent.  The GSC's are very popular and so is the homemade trail mix.  Thanks for everything!

Chickens - not much to say here other than there is a really cool one at the entrance to the Inn.  Mom, this rooster is for you.  Miss ya.



April 24 - Easter Sunday, A Day of Rest

Happy Easter Everyone.  I trust you all had a great day with family and friends eating ham and all that good stuff.  We went to First Baptist Church of Willis this morning.  Good service and really cool skit type thing by some of the youth.  They darkened the church, turned on black lights and the kids were all wearing white gloves.  They made words, symbols and different designs to a song the choir sang.  Really cool.

When we were walking back to the RV after church, one guy asked if we needed a ride and another car thanked us for coming to their church.

After church we said Thank You to our Aunt Sharon for two weeks of cooking and support and then Dad and Bill took her to the airport in Houston.  While there, they picked up Mona, a co-worker and acquaintance of mine, and she will be with us until Phoenix. 

Shannon, Kyle, Les and I went to the laundry where we had a little scare.  We thought the keys were locked in one of the compartments under the bus but after a little encouragement the bus gave up the keys and all is well.  After laundry we went to find lunch but soon realized something really cool.  Most of the local restaurants were closed to celebrate Easter.  Even the likes of Taco Bell and Sonic were closed.  Way cool.  Pretty sure I would never see that in Phoenix.

So, we ended up at the local Kroger Grocery Store for lunch.  We found a pizza and the ladies at the deli baked it for us.  It was quite tasty.  While Kyle and I were waiting for the pizza to cook and Shannon and Les were wandering; a lady walked by, looked us in the eye and quietly said...."Do you know Jesus."  It was neat and a little creepy at the same time.  The creepiness cam from how it was asked, not the question itself.

Mona is busy making dinner right now and it is smelling pretty good.  I think that is all I know for today.  Tomorrow we have a short day...only 85ish miles.  Until then...Cheers

Shane

April 23

This morning we left Silsbee, TX and headed west.  West is good as the wind comes from the south.  The morning was nice with cooler temperatures and a slight breeze.  We made it to the lunch stop at about 56 miles by 11:30. 

Just as we were about to leave for the afternoon ride a truck pulled up and a guy started asking us about where we were riding and the Mother Ship.  He explained he had raced BMX as a kid and his daughter was kind of into it and his son has been asking more about racing.  He said he still has his Redline BMX bike.   The guys name is Allen Brock.  Allen explained how when he was a kid he walked into a bike store and picked out the bike he wanted.  A gentleman there said he would help him get the bike.  The gentleman took Allen to Wal-Mart and bought him a lawn mower and a gas can and helped him earn the money to buy the bike.  We gave Allen some of the BMX magazines and stickers we had and then parted ways.

Our afternoon went fast.  We were done riding by about 3:30.  The roads were a little rough but we survived.  Fewer road kills today.   Not sure if the animals are more alert or there are just fewer of them to take out.  Maybe since Texas is an old state, Darwin’s evolution process has progressed more than in the earlier states.  Who knows, maybe the animals were just smarter to start with.

We are now on the road to Waller, TX where we have been offered some Texas Hospitality and a Texas Meal.  It is about 60 miles from our hotel but I think we will all appreciate the meal and company tonight.

We just left the Spier’s house and it is after 10 PM.  For dinner they smoked a brisket of beef and we had potato salad, cucumber salad and bread.  For dessert, Julie’s husband Derrick made homemade ice cream and a cherry and blueberry cobbler in a Dutch oven.   All was very good and much appreciated.  The great food was followed up with good conversation.

Tonight was another reminder of what a great country we are blessed to live in.  Until tonight, Julie and I had never met in person – we were co-workers who had talked many times on the phone, via email or instant messenger.  Yet, she and her family opened their home to us.  We live in different States and have completely different backgrounds.  This community part of America has always amazed me.  The way we can come together to support others who are in need or share what we have with others who have less.  I’m sure this happens in other countries also, but does it happen to the extent it does here in the U.S.?  I don’t know.

Tonight I want to say thanks to Melody and Melinda Schlosser for their help with POP’s Ride.  Last weekend they had a garage sale for The Ride.  In addition, they have been very helpful with the organization and operation of our other fundraisers.  They also spent many hours searching for all of the schools we would be riding near and sending letters to them describing our little adventure.  There support, prayers and words of encouragement are unending and we are honored to count them as our friends.  Thank you Melody and Melinda for all you have done.  You have helped make POP’s Ride a success!

The Ride - April 22

Today we rode from Mittie, LA to Sillsbee, TX.  Yes, we have entered the Lone Star State!

Texas has so far not been very welcoming to us.  We were greeted with wind and wind.  How much wind?  You know how rain rolls across a car’s windshield as you drive down the road?  At least those who live outside of Arizona probably know about rain.  Anyway, that is how the sweat on my face was today also.  It was rolling from the left side to the right side.  Kind of a strange feeling.

We took some pictures at the Texas state line.  Today we wore our Davis Phinney jerseys so it is a fine looking picture.

I counted nine road kills today – two of which were rather large birds.  I believe I smelled at least another five or six but didn’t see them.   So on average, that is one road kill for every 10 miles traveled.  Not sure why I tracked that today but I needed something to focus on besides watching the miles add up on my GPS. 

While riding through one of the towns I saw an old Hinke Dinke grocery store where the words were actually painted right on the building.  Most have probably never heard of this chain but it brings back memories to me. 

We also saw some Oreo cows.  I’ll upload the pictures when I have internet again but these cows were black on both ends and white in the middle.  I’m not sure if they produce the milk to go with Oreo’s or what but they sure were cool to see.

Shannon stopped to talk to a turtle and take some pictures.  Apparently it was a snapping turtle and he didn’t like all the attention.

The hotel we are staying at, Pinewood Inn & Suites, is a nice place.  We spoke to the owners for a bit and they wanted to see our bus.  They are nice and bought a few of our shirts. 

We ate at Novrosky’s, a local joint and I had chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes and gravy.  Mr. Estle paid the tab and I think we all enjoyed our meal and had a good time.   Mr. Estle has a good sense of humor.  He takes our jokes and jabs like a man and dishes them out when he can.  Thank you Eileen (his wife) and Kendra (his daughter in law) for lending him to us.

The Ride - April 20 & 21 - Gorilla in the Mist

The above picture is how we started our day on the 20th....beautiful and peaceful.  A little light morning fog but definitely no chill in the air.  It was muggy and quickly became warm.  Dad and Shannon rode the tandem until lunch then Dad spent the afternoon in the RV with his sister Sharon and their cousin Les Stutzman.  Les is now the Mother Ship driver and will be with us for about 2 1/2 weeks.  Thanks Jan for letting us borrow your new husband!

We rode to Plaucheville, LA and spent the night at the Paragon Casino RV park in Marksville.  I was a hot and tired by the time we hit the RV park and was not in a good place to be challenged by the desk agent at the RV Park.  We walked in and she asks our name but couldn't hear my response because she was chewing on something crunchy.  Then it went downhill.  "I need your credit card and ID."  She took a copy of my drivers license and I asked why they needed that.  Her response, "Its our policy."  Not a good decision on her part to hide behind "policy."  My co-workers will tell you that is not a good way to answer my question.  The agent had no clue so she said we could ask her supervisor.  First, my opposition to the photo copy was now someone has all of my ID information if they want to become Shane and I didn't like that much.  Her supervisor was sitting to my left, on the computer, playing (yes playing) Solitaire.  Seriously, you are playing Solitaire where a customer can see you?  That did not help to gain her my respect.  The supervisor said they needed the copy in case I came back in a few months and said it wasn't me who made the charge.  They had my ID to prove it was me.  Well, only if that ID wasn't forged or stolen!  duh.  Anyway, I pointed out the video camera behind her had a picture of me and that should be better than my ID.  She was a tool and I gave up.  Such is life.  I would have like to show her some policy!

On Thursday the 21st we rode as normal.  Kyle started talking back to the dogs that chased us and encouraging them to run faster.  We had a few come after us but nothing real exciting.  Dad and Bill stopped at the end of one driveway where the dogs at the shock collars on.  The kind where if they went beyond a certain spot they were shocked.  The dogs just stood there barking as Kyle talked smack to them and we filled our water bottles.

We met Roy today.  Roy is riding the same route as us only solo on a recumbent bike.  He stopped at the flex and we talked for a few minutes.  We shared some ice and water and pretzels after a bit and headed on our way.  He ended up staying at the same hotel as us tonight and explained how when we met him on the rode, he was just about done for the day.  Done as in ready to quit.  He said there was something about the cold water and pretzels that helped him finish the rest of the day.  We invited him to spaghetti dinner in the Mother Ship which he accepted.  He explained how his father (I think) had PD and how he was going to blog about meeting us and share it with all of his FB friends.  I guess we were someone's angel today.  Pretty cool.

Dad and Les left about 20 minutes ago to find some ice cream.  I have seen the Flex pass through the intersection in front of the RV twice now and we still do not have any ice cream.  I think they are making this errand more difficult than it needs to be.

Well, that is all I have to say.  Keep praying for us as we are in our third cycle of riding and are all tired and sore.  We have a good meal waiting for us on Saturday night and we are all excited about it.  Sharon because she doesn't have to cook and the rest because I have been talking it for a few months. 

One last comment.  If you know Sarah Worley, let her know what an incredible wife (to Kyle) and friend (of Shane and Shannon) she is for agreeing/encouraging/supporting Kyle and Shannon and I on this adventure.  Kyle being here is very important to our success.  He is a great friend.  Thanks for coming along.