Buhler, Kansas to Larned, Kansas
In the morning, roosters were crowing and I met Todd inside around 6:30 AM. He was already cooking breakfast - French toast and farm fresh eggs from his chickens. Had a cup of tea while waiting for the rest of the family to rise. When they all sat down, Todd led a morning devotional. It was on the order of saying grace, but with a biblical reading added and a special prayer for Doug to have a safe journey and find what he’s looking for. Picture the seven of us sitting around a circular table holding hands before this wonderful breakfast.
Afterwards, it was hurry up to get to church. I was talking to “Becca” and Sarah or Rachel (sorry, I forget which one) about tornadoes. Becca told me about the siren warning and how they all stay down in the basement. The sound of a tornado is very loud, like a freight train, she said and very scary. But, these people are not really afraid of anything. They have a deep abiding faith, as I learned after attending church with them. They asked me the night before if I wanted to attend with them and I could have refused but I didn’t. I told them I would, even though I am not an active church-goer anymore. I had passed about a couple of thousand churches along the way and wanted to experience life the way these people know it. I see now, how their religion is the center of their lives and how it seems to offer them this amazing inner peace. They do not just “go through the motions” of attending church. Rather, they make it a part of their lives.
I left Buhler with much to ponder and believe this visit will stay with me for a long time. Debbie said, “There’s a reason we met you.” All I know at the moment is, my life has been enriched by meeting them. I asked Todd and Debbie a few hard questions about their faith and they seemed to have all the answers. They have found the key to happiness in this life.
Todd took the time to oil my chain realizing I had ridden through rain the day before and offered me a sticky bun, power bar, and some written cards offering me information about their beliefs. He took a few photos of me packing up the bike and I took a photo of the whole family, too. Pedaling out of town, I just had to call home on the cell phone. It was my first cell phone call while actually on the bike. I wasn’t sure if I could do it. I got a late start and had lot to tell so I figured I’d try it since there wasn’t any traffic.
While I was riding, Todd and the kids pulled up alongside me because the kids wanted to see what I looked like actually riding across America. I told Peg what was happening and held out the phone so they could all yell “hi” to her. That was one final fun moment with the Murrays of Buhler, KS. Bye folks! Thanks again for everything. I will remember you the rest of my life!
The rest of the day was quite beautiful. Sunny, but the promised wind out of the southeast never came - mostly out of the northwest in the morning and the southwest in the afternoon. I have never paid so much attention to wind direction until Kansas.
Stopped in Nickerson to load up on food and water because the next stretch was 45 miles without any services. Beautiful day to ride. Saw a lot of pheasants. Reached Larned, KS at around 7 PM.
Took a few pictures of those grain elevators. Grain elevator and train station in Larned, KS Grain elevator Totals for the day: 78.92 miles, 6 hrs. 45 min., 1968.5 total miles
As I cruised through Larned, looking for my motel, I noticed a typical Sunday night activity o people strolling slowly out of a restaurant, through the parking lot, toothpicks in hand, but not headed for their cars - headed for their horses!
Checked into the Country Inn Motel and showered and washed out all wet things, including tent from 2 days ago. Clotheslines running from one end of the room to the other to dry stuff off. Slept really well. I think the past few days had caught up with me. Dinner was a giant bottle of tomato juice and some cheese and crackers. Big breakfast in the AM! Good night.
Second Thoughts:
Two events of this trip have been colliding in my head for a few days. Chuck Chermack’s question: “Has the trip changed you?” continually pops into my mind and it always makes me think about something I wrote during the first week - The woman in Buckhannon with the bad teeth. Yes, it was an honest response and the thoughts in my mind were mine. I saw some humor in the situation, but now I’m feeling more like... Who am I to make fun of this poor woman. She can’t help it. Why should I take her situation and exploit it for the sake of humor? Sure, I didn’t name, names but how hurtful it would be, were she to read it. The people who live in Buckhannon, WV would be justifiably offended and I do not want any part of this trip to be offensive. All I feel is good things coming to me from the people I pass.
OK, so have I become an old softy now? I ran this question past Noah in that bar in Chanute and he said, “Leave it, but explain your feelings.” So Noah, I’ll call this the Noah Compromise. I didn’t mention in my daily notes for that day in Buckhannon that I called out to one pretty girl walking by, “Are you Ms. West Virginia?” She just smiled and I kept pedaling. I thought of going back to the notes for that day and replacing the teeth “rant” with this, but the Noah Compromise stands.
Map on the Dining Room Table
I remember several days before I left, having a lot of excitement, anticipation, and anxiety about this trip. As I looked at the US map laid out on the dining room table, with the intended route highlighted in yellow, I got a very simple positive thought which calmed the anxiety. I looked and realized the roads are there and you’ve pedaled roads to distant places before... this is just a longer road. And suddenly the country didn’t seem so large, the task too formidable. Now as I write this from the geographic center of the Lower 48, I realize how right I was.