Phew! Rest Day

Here's my first post about why I'm riding and why donating to Water Life Hope will resurrect the Great Library at Alexandria.

March 21: Rest Day

The rest day gave us a chance to do laundry, rearrange the bus and just stop pedalling for a while.  We got artificial tears for me, gave the bikes some love and got and provisions for making it through the Arizona desert to Flagstaff.   I found out that I hadn't done anything useful all week with my front camera.  My rear camera only works a day at a time.  So here's a piece of the ride coming into Needles, from the back of the bike.  I'll try to do better.

Since I don't have a trip to report on today, here's a laundry list of trip stuff that needs a place in the blog.

  • Some of the stuff you see on the road is concerning.   On the Cajon Pass I went past or over the remains of someone's rear-view mirror and an enormous cotter pin that looked like it came from a BOB trailer.  What happened next with these folks?  The thought of a detached trailer hurtling backwards down the pass melts brain cells.
  • The people are definitely of this place.  I saw a woman in a Starbucks outside of Victorville that looked like an oven-roasted Sissy Spacek.  The guy we met on the road on the way to Barstow was definitely relaxed and confident and appeared to be meeting his needs.  He even mentioned going to Tahoe, and handling some financial affairs in the valley.  I was happy but absolutely bumfuzzled that such existed.  When I think about it, I'm sure I've evoked the same reaction in some folks.
  • Nancy Qarmout  asked if I could mention times when I saw God on the road.  It's Lent.  I'm in the desert.  I'm not going to say my prayer life is a gab fest, but the circumstances don't hurt a bit.  The desert is huge, and really doesn't care about you one way or the other.  But God does.  Start there.
We'll spend the next week working our way to Flagstaff.  Matt's going to fly in an ride with us through the Painted Desert.


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