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The Life's Too Short Tour
(Since completing the trek I've been working on a book about the journey to be published in 2011. )
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Days 61 and 62: Road Runner
Chanute, Toronto, Eureka.Sixty five miles through prairie, gracefully hilled grassland, the Flint Hills, the Bluestem Prairie, a region of Kansas considered to be the largest tall grass prairie land in the world. I pedaled along past pastures of cattle, once stirring up a stampede as the 520 hummed by. I often shout out to the animals I pass. They turn their heads, horse or cow, and stare.Sometime after Chanute someone in a passing truck tossed a bottle at me. As the truck approached I saw the hand of the passenger reach out from the window with the bottle, and when he flung it at my head at high speed I ducked it. I can't fathom the bottle thrower's motive, but I can duck.These Kansas towns appear as relics of the past, nearly all of them. It's like they were frozen in 1960, maybe even earlier, never to evolve or grow beyond that year. The downtowns are near-ghost towns, with main street promenades all boarded up, dusty and sleepy. In time they will disappear completely.Day 62: Eureka, Rosalia, Cassoday, Newton.80 miles of prairie I pedaled and a string of Kansas towns I put behind. I'm really trying to put some distance on here in flat Kansas. I made the 40 miles from Eureka to Cassoday in a strong headwind and was fairly tired when I arrived. Finding the tiny town without anything of interest or amenity, I pondered pushing forward another 40 miles along a route which the map warns has no services. I called Elisa, and said "it's a gamble, there isn't even a place to get a Gatorade between here and there." In the end, I decided to go for it, and lit off toward the west once more. About 30 miles into the second leg, past fields of grass and pasture and under a searing sun, a man mowing his lawn called out to me as I passed by."Would you like a Gatorade?".I took the man up on it and coasted into the driveway of his home, remote in the windswept Kansas prairie. A big, gregarious man in overalls and wire-rimmed glasses, he introduced himself as Dave. As I gulped the Gatorade he revealed that he too raises funds for cancer treatment, with a music festival called String Break which he holds each spring on his property, hosting several bands, for four years now.I saw a road runner at one point on the ride; perched on a fence post; tall and long-legged. It got me thinking of the theme song for the cartoon The Road Runner; seeing parallels in the lyrics to my own travails on the tour; I shouted the song to a herd of startled cows.If you're on the highway and Road Runner goes beep beep.
Just step aside or might end up in a heap.
Road Runner, Road Runner runs on the road all day.
Even the coyote can't make him change his ways.
Road Runner, the coyote's after you.
Road Runner, if he catches you you're through.
Road Runner, the coyote's after you.
Road Runner, if he catches you you're through.
That coyote is really a crazy clown,
When will he learn he can never mow him down?
Poor little Road Runner never bothers anyone,
Just runnin' down the road's his idea of having fun.I made it to Newton drained and sore. Took a meal at a chinese buffet and a found a room at a cheap motel. The budget is dwindling day by day, I hope I can stretch it all the way to California, it isn't going to be easy. I awoke this morning to decide I'll make a short day, 35 miles, in order to avail myself of free accomodation at Zion Lutheran Church bike hostel in Hutchinson. That will set me up for a long push toward Larned tomorrow, and put me closer to the Kansas border. Colorado is in my sights. I am dreaming each day of the Pacific Ocean.until later...
6 comments:
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The password is; "GATORADE"
Funny how small the world is, also funny how many miles it takes to find this out. The irony of many little things that happened on your trek so far and there relevence to life and the journey.
Take full advantage of the forgiving terrain and put the miles behind you. The anticipation of your arrival grows daily as you close in on the west coast.
You will encounter more mindless souls with nothing better to do than practice there bottle throwing skills on your head, but we must forgive those who don't know any better.
KEEP UP THE MOMENTUM AND DON'T LOSE YOUR FOCUS ON THE TASK AT HAND!!!
HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY,
MIKE
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Do not let the coyote heap you down: Just keep chasing the Sun Westbound!
Beep Beep!
Love, Robin
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Oh yes, Tom, dream of the Pacific. So glad to see your friend Ben's comment that you will be having some awesome riding coming up.
Laughed out loud at your serenade to the cows. That was great. It's just too bad that one of us couldn't have followed you with a camera. I'd have played that tape over and over again.
Yeah, Mike, I agree. Gatorade....imagaine....not water or ice tea or lemonade or soda, but the very thing that Tom said he wouldn't be able to get.
Thanks for providing the Gatorade, Dave. Great to hear that you too are raising funds for cancer.
Tom, you keep on singing. You have everything to sing about! You're on your way to completing an extradinary journey, the memory of which will last a lifetime. Which memory, for all of us, will always and forever include Richie.
Love you very much,
Kathy
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Tom,
I can see it now! You rolling along singing to the cows. Too bad it wasn't on video. It actually sounds like a good ride. It's nice to hear you were having fun.
It's great you got a couple stories to do. It's what you were hoping for. I hope the inconvenience of the road doesn't present too much nusiance.
Apparently, the "powers that be" decided there would be Gatorade along that forty mile stretch for you. Good deal! Eighty miles!!! Wow! Keep going! Look out Colorado, here he comes!
All my love,
Mom
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Tom,
You did everything you said you were going to do. You didn't take a single note, yet remembered "String Break". Thank you for the glowing review and web link. I hope there are no other bottle throwers in your future.
You are doing something great and wonderful...keep pushing to the West. I hope you exceed the target donation dollars. I enjoyed our short conversation. If you happen past our place again you are welcome to a gatorade or anything else we might have in the fridge.
God Bless.
Dave (Kansas)
tom, its ben your english riding buddy! man hope youre doing well. ive just reached fairplay, colorado, you have some awesome riding coming up! anyway got to go as v limited for time in this library, take it easy and let me know if youre in san fran before the 21st sept.. ben