I would personally like to Congratulate my husband on a job well done. I admire him for his beliefs and strength to follow his dream. No matter how hard the day was, he was determined to make this happen. When most of us would have given up he pushed himself a little harder. The winds were not always in his favor and for the most part the hills where going the wrong way-up hill. Sometimes the miles seemed like they would never end and that camp was so very far away, but he believed in what he was doing and fought off any thought of turning back. As Mike said follow your dream. Some times our dreams seem unattainable but if you try hard enough your dreams can come true. I was fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time to meet Boo's dad and share his story. Something that was meant to be. There was a reason that we both were in that same spot, maybe to help me see and believe in Mike's dream even more. Not sure what is on his next Bucket List:-)))))))

Chapter 35 **********The final chapter

We arose about 6 am this morning in Starke FL.to beautiful weather and winds out of the west. I started riding about 8 am and we arrived in St. Augustine about 12:15pm . Probably the best weather and riding conditions of the whole trip happened today. Guess the saying save the best for last holds true. I'd like to make this my thank you chapter. First I'd like to thank the lord for seeing me safely across the country. Second I want to thank my wife for her support, epecially on the days where I probably wasn't the most pleasant person to be around. She is amazing and without her support I would have never achieved my dream. Third, I would like to thank the Williams family and my wife's family for all their love and support. Fourth, I would like everyone to know that everyday of this ride I felt my cousin Stephans' presence. His spirit carried me the whole distance. He was my calming agent when I'd get upset, my cheerleader when I'd get a little tired and down. My strength and courage when I felt a little weak and discouraged . His spirit lives on, as I knew it did and continues to do wonderful things. Fifth, Boo Maddox- who says you can't learn something from 7 year old boy- I sure have. Never give up. Sixth, but certainly not last to all my fellow workers, friends, and even strangers we met along the way- you all are amazing and thanks for your support, prayers and the communications throughout the past 5 weeks. A special thanks to everyone who was able to help Children's Miracle Network with pledges or donations. Your money is an investment in our future- the children, they are Gods most precious gift and they deserve all our love and support. Please take the time ASAP  and give yuour child a hugt and kiss and tell themj uyou love them- If they are no longer homje call them and let them know how much you love them. You just can't overdue the act of love. The last thought I would like to leave you withis as follows. Chase your dreams- Go and fulfill them- It will enrich your heart and make your soul overflow with joy.
Well , no more pictures, no more blogs, just me and Vargie, headin' home with 4 dogs.
We both want to say may God Bless and watch over all of you and we look forward to seeing everyone soon.
All our love and best wishes
Mike & Vargie
P.S

So what's on your BUCKET LIST??????

CHAPTER 34

We got up this morning to cloudy skies, but as I rode out of Suwannee River State Park it was still dry. Kept riding east on hwy 90 which has been a phenominal stretch of road for bicycling . Hats off to Florida for such a bike friendly highway. About half an hour in, it started to rain again, however it was much lighter than yesterday and the winds were very light. They are still calling for tornado warnings in the area. We passed some beautiful homes today - some as large as average motels, and literally scores of acreage with metal fences with brick and wrought iron gates. I probably should have stopped at one or two of them to see if they would adopt me. I rode into Starke early this afternoon, which is on hwy 100 and hwy 16. Tomorrow I will take hwy 16 east and ride the last 55 miles into St. Augustine. It has been an incredible journey- unimaginable to be precise, and it seems strange to know tomorrow will be the last day. With 34 straight days on the narrow bicycle seat, my butt is going to be glad to see the Atlantic ocean. We are supposed to have sunny weather tomorrow and I will look forward to doing my last blog from Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine. As Always Thanks for your blog responses and support.

So long from Starke, Florida    This is a little squirrel looking for dinner after the rains stopped in the park.

Mike

Chapter 33

Courthouse in Monticello, Fl that we drove through.
We got up early this morning and Vargie dropped me off about 40 miles west of Madison so I could catch up the ride that I missed due to weather yesterday. I got started about 7 am and by 7:30 we were already getting rain. ajpparently just west of us they have a tornado watch that is supposed to hit us later this morning. Riding in the rain is pretty much just plain miserable . I just keep my head down and keep turning the cranks. By about 11 am I was riding into Madison and the rain was really steady now. I talked to Vargie and we decided to keep going east as long as we possibly could. About 20 miles east of Madison she pulled into the Swannee River State Park and set us up with a space. She must have ESP,  as I rode up the rain was bouncing off the pavement and we had a lot of thunder and lighting. I was already drenched and Vargie got the same way getting the trailer backed into our designated spot. So glad to have the trailer-a tent would be almost impossible to stay dry in with the hard rain we are getting. As for tomorrow, we will have to see what the weather allows us. I took a shower in Madison last night, but apparently mother nature decide that wasn't  good enough. Not sure what it is about Live Oaks, as when we stayed in Live Oaks Springs in CA. we got snow, now we are in Live Oaks in Florida and they call for a tornado. The rain is coming down so hard that in the trailer it is hard to talk to each other without yelling. We are close now to St Augusitne.
A soggy so long from Swannee River country,
Mike
A

Chapter 32

Today's blog will be quite short, as today was kind of a "bust". I got started from Midway, FL.about  8am and I rode through Tallahassee on hwy 90 and sent Vargie through on interstate 10 so she would not have to fight city traffic. At the east end of the city it started to rain slightly and the further East I went the harder it started to rain . About 22 or 23 miles in I called her and had her come back and pick me up. We are camped in Madison tonight at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park. I will have Vargie take me back to where I left off today and in the morning I will try to go it again. It felt pretty good to have a "rest day", but I hate to lose a day of riding even though we still have 2 cushion days built into the ride. If conditions are good I may be able to ride some extra miles Wed. & Thur. and get  back on schedule. If you haven't heard the good new , Lil Boo was able to go home, but he will still have lots of physical therapy to go through. What an amazing little guy, my money is on Boo, what a fighter. I hope life is treating you all well and I'm looking more and more forward to returning home soon.
All our love
Mike & Vargie

Update on little Boo Maddox

 Little Boo gets to come home. :-))))))
 copy and paste this in your browser window


http://www.fox8live.com/news/local/story/Boy-leaves-Childrens-Hospital-after-more-than-500/kjaRh_volU6889F9FgVHAA.cspx

chapter 31

As I peddled out of Chipley this morning the clouds were quite low and visibility was pretty bad until about 8:00, so we did indeed eat at the Waffle House. No sign of Kevin Costner or Renee Russo though. Another warm and humid day in the low 80's and light spotty rainfall which looks like the forecast for the next couple of days. Still very nice highway and shoulders. I spoke to an individual going solo from St. Augustine, but he was not going any further west than Yuma, AZ. The winds were very light today, so riding conditions were pretty favorable. About 11:40 am we crossed into the eastern time zone. At one time we were directly south of the Alabama - Georgia border. Got some boiled peanuts from road vendor- pretty good- we have never eaten them boiled before. We are in Midway, Fl tonight about 8 miles east of Tallahassee. We plan to keep going east on hwy 90 tomorrow to a community named Madison. We are both getting pretty anxious to see the Atlantic ocean and fulfill our journey. Each day now, I struggle a little harder doing the miles that weren't so difficult even a couple of weeks ago. I'm  thankful the terrain is fairly level and elevation is minimal. Haven't done many pictures as the scenery is much like it has been since we left the Gulf of Mexico.
My Tallahassee lassy and I wish you a good evening.
Mike

Chapter 30

This is a picture of the little lake inside the state park we are staying at tonight. It's called Falling Waters state park. They brag about the water falls and that it is the tallest water falls in the state of Florida. Ok, well there was only a trickle of water going over it and was 73 ft high. The state park has the highest mountains in the state at 300 '. The lake was pretty and peaceful and beats the sounds of cars, trucks and sirens going off in the middle of the night. Hoping to get a good night sleep and up early before all the traffic for Monday morning starts.
Got an early start, just after 7:00 am this morning from Milton, FL. Hwy 90 so far has been fantastic to ride on, smooth asphalt, wide shoulders and bike lanes through most of the communities. I never got rained on today, but some spotty showers ahead of me this morning left some wet pavement to ride on. It was 73 when I started  and this afternoon it was 85 when I rode into Chipley, FL. We are staying in a state park tonight just south of Chipley. We are starting to "reel in" Tallahassee. Probably about 90 miles east of here and St. Augustine is now slightly under 400 miles. If the weather holds, and these old legs of mine can keep turning the cranks, we should be in St. Augustine on Friday April 1st - April Fools Day-how fitting!!!!! I 'm pretty tired tonight so I will keep this one short. Please join me in saying prayers for 'Boo' and the rest of the children, and as always you guys are in my thoughts and prayers also. We have probably ridden by 100 or so Waffle Houses the last several day. Might have to pop into one for breakfast tomorrow. Each time I see one I think of the movie 'Tin Cup' with Kevin Costner. I must be tired , I'm " Rambling"
Good night
Mike

Chapter 29

We made it into the Sunshine State and are closing in on the last 500 miles or so of the ride. We left Dauphin Island by ferry just after 8:00 am this morning and took about a 35 minute trip across Mobile Bay to Fort Morgan on the east side of the bay. The humidity today was unreal, you almost had to swallow the air before you could breathe it. We rolled into Florida about 11:30 am and took a lunch break along the gulf in a suburb of Pensacola named Pleasant Grove. We just kind of skirted along the gulf until we got east of Pensacola and then went north and we are spending the night in Milton,FL. just off hwy 90. Vargie bought some gulf shrimp from a roadside vendor and we had sauteed shrimp and cajun rice for dinner tonight. Life is perfect. Pretty good roads and good winds today as well. Now that we are getting close to our destination, I have mixed emotions. Half of me is anzious to wrap up the ride and get back to my beloved Montana, and the other half is kind of sad to see the end so near. I'd like to take a minute and thank Laurie who works in our Costco administrative office in Kalispell. She has made copies of the blog, posted them for my fellow employees and members, put up the pictures we've sent along, offered encouragment and is probably picking pockets for C.M.N. along with a dozen other things that I'm totally unaware of. My hearthfelt thanks goes out to her. I hope before we return I can send you a little of the nice weather we have been experiencieng. It's been some winter in Montana this year!
"Later Gater"
Mike

Chapter 28

SWEET HOME ALABAMA!!! As I left Biloxi early this morning we had same cooler marine air( blowing from the southeast) that was refreshing and almost chilly. When Vargie and I met a few miles down the road, she showed me the severed electrical harness going back to the trailer for lights, brakes and all. By the time we rounded up parts and then got everything wired up, replaced bulbs,and fuses we had lost about 4 hours. Our original plans were to try to get near Pennsicola Fl., but apparently God wanted us to spend the night in Alabama, so we did, Dauphin Island at the bottom edge of Mobile Bay to be exact. Once we got going again we rode through seveal small port towns and over several BIG bridges. The south has some of the tallest bridges I have ever gone over. Rode  by a big shipyard in Pasagoula, over a draw bridge in Bayou La Botre, then across a land spit onto a 4 mile bridge onto Dauphin Island . That was really a cool bridge.

We were both exhausted and hungry so we ate at a small restaurant next to the campground, chose our route plans for Sat. and got some sleep. I got up a 5 am this morning to write the blog as I was to tired last night to write anything.We will cross the rest of the bay by ferry later this morning and hope to get 20 or 30 miles east of Pennsicola today. BICYCLE TIRES: they are really the soul of the bike. They feel every inch of the journey,they cushion the blows when the road is rough, they help steer you in the right direction. Along with the brakes they stop you from possible harm. I will leve this morning with this obervation. Take good care of your tires (your soul) and it will see you through all of life's journeys.
Mike

Chapter 27

Poplarville and then broke southeast on hey 53 and joined hwy 40

Got up in Bogalusa this morning, just about 3 miles from the Mississippi border, and had a rare northerly wind blowing, so like any good sailor would do, we went with the wind. I rode east on hwy 26 as far as Poplarville and then broke southeast on hwy 53 and joined hwy 49 just north of Biloxi, MS.That's where we are sitting tonight in Biloxi about 1/2 mile north of the Gulf Coast.My wife tells me I change plans more often than the parents of a new born baby changes diapers.!  Mississippi isn't much for shoulders on their roads, so riding was a bit challenging from a traffic standpoint, but favorable wind balanced everything out quite nicely. Without going swimming we couldn't go any farther south, so east it is tomorrow. We will slip into Alabama just past Pecan MS. and ride into Alabama towards Bayou La Botre. From there to Dauphin Island and a short ferry ride east to Fort Morgan. If the winds ( and the legs) are good we may get to western Florida, but more likely we will stay in Alabama at Gulf Shores or Ornage Beach. It was nice to see the ocean again today. So far no signs of oil on them anywhere, however they are doing a lot of new sidewalk work along 90 where it meet sthe beach. I thin B.P. is paying for that one. Has some great jamblaya  today. All the windows n our little trailer will be open tonight. With all the southeast winds we have faced recently, I was hoping some of the nice weather would blow towards Kalispell, obviously that did not happen. If my math is good we are roughtly  640 miles from St Augustine. All our love and prayers to Boo and the rest of the children in need of, or receiveing care. May God bless ech and everyone of them
Mike

Chapter 26

This a picture from the ferry as we crossed the Mississippi River.
I devoted so much of Boo Maddox's story in the prior chapter, I thought I better catch everyone up on the rest of Tuesday's ride and todays events. After leaving Krotz Springs we turned Northeast and rode through Morganza, crossed the Mississippi River by ferry, and camped just Northeast of St Francesville. We rode through a belt of agriculture that included sugar cane and either oats or rye and even some flooded fields that I believe was rice. St Francisville on the Eastern bank of the Mississippi is really a cool town. Lots of history, with the typical southern architecture and charm. The azaleas were in full bloom and the colors were vivid and amazing. We spent a restful evening nestled in a bayou area R.V. park amongst both pines and hardwoods and the moon was full and bright. I was able to get an early start and had fairly favorable winds. So tonight we are in the WalMart parking lot in Bogalusa, LA just a few miles west of the Mississippi border. Today's ride was more in the hill country, and I would ride through some wooded areas and then break into the open in cleared areas that were predominantly ranches. No close calls today-I can handle that! We will strive to get into Lucedale, MS. and spend Thursday night there, and then break south Friday and try to get to the gulf of Mexico in Bayou LaBatra, AL.
As always Thanks for the responses to the blog
Mike

Chapter 25

If you read none of my other chapters on this blog site Please I beg of you !!!! read this one. Today has been one of the most incredible days of my entire 62 years. I started out this morning from Eunice, LA. not knowing what a day it would be. I left camp about 7:45 AM and Vargie went back into Eunice and did some much needed grocery shopping. I had fairly favorable winds and by the time she left Eunice, I was about 3 miles West of Opelousas. As I was riding thru town a car on my left ran a stop sign, and after veering right and having to ride in front of them, then jump a sidewalk and ride thru a ditch on the other side, all the while turning the air blue at the top of my lungs, as my life passed in front of me. By some miracle I avoided the collision and did not even go down as a result of my abrupt detour. I stopped , collected myself, checked out the bike, and then rode to a pre-arranged meeting spot with Vargie. While I was waiting for her to show up, I was questioning the validity of this ride, while checking my cycling shorts for any signs of soiling. By the time she showed up, I had decided to keep going, I am not sure why. I just had this feeling it was going to be ok. We decided to rendezvous again in Krotz Springs, LA about 15 miles East. Vargie went on ahead of me, she was waiting at a truck stop, and as I pulled up she started to cry. I though we had bad news about family or one of the dogs. As she was waiting for me a trucker pulled up along side her, and so she asked if she was in his way. They spoke for a while and she told him about the ride I was doing and that it was for C.M.N.. Immediately he stopped her and asked if he could show her some pictures of his son Boo. This young boy has been in the New Orleans Children's Network Hospital for over 500 days now, the victim of H1N1  swine flu. He had pictures of his son before contracting this disease and pictures in the hospital showing the progression of his long stay so far. I only wish I could have meet this man. His name is Robert MaddoxIV
He, his wife and family are the epitomy of the term FAITH!!!!!!!
I beg of you to go to this site on YouTube. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t-Xm8l6GO0

also watch this one

http://www.wdsu.com/r-video/23805802/detail.html

Please say no more prayers for me. This ride was personal and spiritual for me in the beginning because of my cousin Stephan , and now it's both personal and spiritual on STERIODS!!!!!  This is no longer about me trying to cycle to St Augustine FL. This is about making it possible for kids like Robert Maddox V (Boo) to be able to just ride a bike up and down this own block. I will get to Florida if I have to crawl there with my bike strapped to my back. After reading this please hit your knees and say a special prayer for Boo.

Love Mike

Chapter 24

GOOD BYE TEXAS!!!!!!!!!!

 Well we are 90+ miles into our 5th state now, and it's kind of like  getting past Hump Day in the work week, you feel like your on the downhill side of the journey now. After some pretty hair raising incidents with country dogs, we are now avoiding most of the smaller county's  'farm to market', or 'ranch to market' roads. Combined with the fact that few of them have shoulders, and most of them are in desperate need of repair, it seemed like a good decision. 2 days ago in Tx. I thought a pit bull was going to end my trip, I have never turn the cranks so and fast in my life, while screaming at the top of my lungs. I was able to out ride his legs, but at one point only about 24 inches separated us. Nice to get back into a stte with milepost markers. The only roads TX. has them on are the interstate freeways. No state or cunt roads we were on had any at all. Two of the things we looked for in TX. were longhorns and armadillos. Didn't see either until we crossed into Louisiana. Lots of road kill in Louisiana, #1 snakes, #2  possums & raccoons # 3 armadillos. Most of the ride today was on a ribbon of hwy cutting through the forests. It was really enjoyable cycling today with the trees helping to cut the wind and provide shade on the shoulders . I don't think the word shade is even in the TX state dictionary.  Our goal is to get to St. Francesville tommorrow, which put us back on our original route again.
So long from the "Ragin Cajun" state.
Mike

Chapter 23

As I write this blog this evening, I'm sitting about a half mile west of Deweyville, TX, which is on the line for the Louisiana border.( just could not bring myself to go the extra half mile to get out of TX...."-)))) Getting across TX has been both challenging and rewarding. Nothing worthwhile in life comes easy and riding through TX. is a fine example of that statement. Deweyville is on hwy 12 just north and east of Beaumont, TX. With an early start and a cooler more overcast day I was able to make up some miles that I lost yesterday. We are in the land of hardwood threes now, they are starting to bud, but no blossoms yet. Starting to see more marshes & swampy areas, which I'm sure will be the case for quit some time now. As you may have noticed, I have  small black pack on the handlebars of the bike and when I'm not wearing the jersey everyone signed that is where it is at, every mile of the journey. Nice to have everyone blocking a little of the wind along the way. Starting to notice more and more humidity each day. Takes some getting used to  Eunice, on hwy 190, as always winds permitting. Looking forward to some cajun cuisine and hot sauce!!!!!! Hope everyone is peaceful and well. From thew lone star state---one last time.  :-))))))))) Nighty night
MIke

Chapter 22

Got an early start this morning out of Navasota. It was a cool morning, but we're still experiencing head winds. Still riding through nice ranch country, but starting to see a few magnolia trees amongst the pines. Went by lake Conroe on our way to Cleveland ( no not Ohio).it was Saturday, the lake was really busy. Close to Cleveland there is a community called Cut & Shoot. Sounds like great nicknames for two of our managers on the merchandise crew at Costco. I'll let your imagination fill in the blanks. I wasn't able to get quite as far as I had hoped today-who knows, I may be eligible for medicare by the time I get to Louisiana.  I can't tell you how nice it is to hear responses to the blog. They remind me of letters from home when I was in Viet Nam. Please keep em' coming-they are good for my soul and even better for tiring legs. My wife is still spoiling me and I am forever in her debt for her devotion to my dream. When I first started riding in California it was exciting and now that I've been on the road for three weeks it feels more spiritual, especially while riding on quiet stretches , when all you hear are the breezes and your tires rolling along the pavement. gives you time to reflect on family & friends, both past and present. I'm so thankful to have them.
Sweet dreams, Buckaroos
Mike

Chapter 21

Sorry Sis but this is the best I could do in getting an armadillo. Running out of Texas and still have not seen a real one. Locals say they are everywhere. 
As we got ready to leave Bastrop this morning we decided to go back into town and get breakfast. We had an early start and so we were  going to let someone else do the cooking. We enjoyed a nice breakfast and when we got back to the truck we discovered that we had a flat tire on the trailer. By the time we rounded up some tire, got them mounted and  got going it was about 9:45. I rode through more ranch country and across the Brazos & Navasota rivers going into Navasota . Another overcast morning which gave way to a clear and pretty warm afternoon, probably 85. We got into Navasota about 4:30 and had " Churches Chicken". Pretty much KFC without the colonel . As you ride into Texas, you don;'t realize how long it takes to ride out of Texas. It seems to never end. We will head for a very small community called Moss Hill ( name not even on the map) tomorrow and then try to make the Texas-Louisiana line by Sunday night. The warm weather is bothering our Golden Retrievers a little, but other than that things are ok. The wide open spaces of West Texas have given away now to shorter distances between communities. The people are still very friendy and helpful and I hope the same stays true in Louisiana.
Good night  Y'ALL
Mike
P.S.
Still have not seen any LONGHORNS

Chapter 20

 This is our camp site in Bastrop. Dogs love getting out of the trailer or truck and kicking back.
St Patricks Day!!!! and the luck of the Irish was with me today. the steep hills began to  flatten out quite a bit and about 2 1/2 hours into the ride I turned northeast and actually got a pretty decent tailwind!  Praise the Lord, as my legs and especially my knees needed an easier ride today.  We are in Bastrop State Park in Bastrop TX. We actually have threes, bushes and green grass. There is a really nice golf course next to the park. The morning started out overcast much like the last 2 mornings and again by mid-afternoon the skies cleared up and we were probably near 80 degrees  by 4:30. Everyday we seem to get into greener and more lush vegetation which is really nice. If everything goes according to plan, we will spend tonight and then 3 more nights in TX.. The third being right on the Louisiana border with Texas.The towns we went through today were really all american communities. Wimberley, Kyle, Cedar Creek and Bastrop were all clean well kept towns and the hwys had very little litter. The people were friendly and it was a pleasure to interact with them. Their friendly additudes sure reminded me of Montana. They all seem to enjoy bikers coming thru and are very helpful with directions. If you get turned around, and we have done that a few times, they are more than helpful in getting you in the right direction.  I hope the pledges are coming in. We are more than halfway so I'm hoping we are in the $5000. range. Will shoot a few pictures to you at Costco and hopefully on the blog.
Football is "king" in TX. You should see the high school football stadium out of Bastrop. I know some small colleges that would be jealous. I'm hoping the kids from Austrailia got into Austin today and got their bike repaired . It would sure be nice to run into them again. Our sights are on Louisiana and I'm anzious to get into the Gulf states.
Again Thanks for all the respones to the blog.
God bless from Bastrop, TX
Mike

Chapter 19

 Waring population of about 200, but they say this is the best burger joint in town:-)))
As we left this morning from Comfort, TX we had a slight drizzle coming down. Just enough to barely make things damp, and yes the wind was blowing out of the southeast again. still in some very hilly areas and pretty much due south of Austin TX.  We went by some very impressive ranches today. About 75% of them were for sale. They seemed to range in size from a mere 60 acres to 600 plus acres. Caught up with the kids from Australia- they were having spike problems on one of their bikes. They made some make-shift adjustments and should be able to get fixed up in Austin, TX shortly. With 18 straight days of riding and the challenging hills and winds the old legs are getting pretty sore. My knee joints ache pretty good tonight. May have to scale back the ride lenghts the next day or two if the winds don't become more favorable. It's nice to have new tires on the bike. Makes riding confidently a lot easier. I'm really starting to miss the gang at the Kalispell Costco. We sure have a great group of people employed there. I'm eating way to well on this trip, as my wife, Vargie, is spoiling me, but I have lost about 7-8 pound. Time to check the back of my eyelids for pinholes.

So long from Wimberley, TX

Chapter 18

We lit out of Ozona about 9:00 am this morning, and you guessed it straight into the teeth of some headwinds:-((( maybe the look on my face says it all. First I cursed at them, then I prayed they would go away, and then I cursed some more. When I finally got over my small tantrum and just accepted the fact that there was nothing I could do then I was alright. Only went about 80 miles today and I'm so glad we stopped in Comfort , TX. Vargie peeled off the route and went into Kerrville, TX  and got me some new tires and tubes. When we got in tonight, I put on my new tires, so I guess you could say I " Re-Tired in Comfort" !  We met some kids from Australia who were also cycling and they left San Diego about 10-12 days before we did. They are riding the same route we are, but are headed north to Austin for a few days to spend time with some friends. We asked them to join us for dinner and they were happy to accept. Nice to chat with them. Extremely nice kids, may god bless them and may they have an unforgettable trip. We are in the hills of TX now and just slightly west of and mostly north of San Antonio. I haven't done the math, but I think we are at least half way through TX now. More water and vegetation in this area- nice to see a little more green off the side of the road. Headed for Wimberley , TX in the morning
Ge good out there because the "The Eyes of Texas are upon You"
Mike

Chapter 17

As we left Ozona, TX about 8:45 am this morning it was pretty overcast, cool and windy!!!!!!!!!! ( whats new). Winds pretty much out of the north-northeast-- not good!:-((( We got about 10 miles west of Junction, TX and are spending the night in an RV park located  in the middle of a pecan grove. The weather cleared up early this afternoon and we are enjoying a breezy, but sunny evening, Even the dogs are happy to get out of the truck and relax. We enjoyed the evening with a nice BBQ.

Sorry the blog has been a little boring the last couple days, but not a lot going on in Texas. A few oil wells and more pecan groves, that's about it.  I was told there is an armadillo hanging around the RV park here so we are looking to get a picture.. Got about 430 miles left in Texas before crossing into Louisiana. Eastern Texas will be more populated and communities much closer together, so after tomorrow things will be a little less boring.Waving good night with my 10 gallon hat.
Mike

Chapter 16

We left Fort Stockton about 9:00 am ( forgot about the time change), so in 3 days we have lost 2 hrs., one to daylight savings and one to the central time zone. If you went by the mileposts on 1-10, we are 365 miles into Texas. I don't know if that qualifies for " Deep in the heart of Texas" or not. I failed to mention yesterday that we met a nice couple from Michigan, They had a Golden Retriever and we had our four so we visited for a few minutes. They had bikes on their car rack and as I had lost a magnet on my spoke, they were kind enough to give us one of theirs. They also posted to the blog today and advised me of some upcoming hills ahead, many thanks to them and we hope you have a safe trip. We are now in Ozona, TX and Tuesday night we will be back on our original route and itinerary. Winds were lighter today, but still from the South, so I'm glad we altered our plans a bit. High clouds and a little cooler today, in the low 80's. I was able to rack up 104 miles today which was nice.In the course of about 5 days I've managed to ruin two tires. One to a blow out and one to a bad break. There is a bike shop in Kerrville, TX, I am hoping to get re-supplied there on Tuesday. Not many pictures  to send,  scenery isn't that impressive.For everyone at Costco in Kalispell, I would like to thank you for your contributions to C.M.N. I hope we can get the members involved soon and start to reach our goal of $10,000. As you ride through the vast landscape of west Texas it gives you time to think & reflect on many things. Know all you guys are doing so much for C.M.N. makes long days on the bike a lot easier and certainly more rewarding. My heartfelt thanks. Junction TX. or bust tomorrow.

Mike

Chapter 15

Our free camping spot in an abandoned gas station in Kent, TX.
I'd like to start this chapter of the blog by dedicating today's ride to my mom. If she were still alive she would be 85 yrs old today. I think of her always and miss her witty sense of humor, her smiling face and her generous upbeat attitude towards life. We got into Kent last night and spent the night at the Kent mercantile parking lot & gas station. We left this morning about 8:00am & we arrived in Ft. Stockton TX. about 2:30 central time 89 miles. The winds were with me today, finally, and the ride was the best one I've had so far this trip. I got another flat, but at least it was in FT. Stockton. They are much easier to change than if you have to do them along side the road. I have to confess that I'm going to take a bit of a "mulligan" and stay parallel with highway 10 for the next couple of days. We will re-join our original route in Kerrville/Ingram probably Tuesday night. The winds from the south have been so strong these last 4 to 5 days, at 62 years of age I just don't have the stamina to fight them and still make the time I need to be in St. Augustine by the 4th of April. I hope no one thinks less of me for taking a little shorcut! Hard to believe I've been riding for 2 weeks now without a break. Hoping for more tailwinds tomorrow- still haven't seen any "Yellow Roses".
MIke

Chapter 14

We left Sierra Blanca at about 7:45 am this morning and headed east for Kent, TX. About 10:04 I rolled into the central time zone, which needless to say, made it 11:04 am. Riding throught this part of TX. is kind of like watching a marathon presentation of the movie " Ground Hog Day". I had head winds early today, but about 12 miles west of Kent we got a quartering tail wind. Pretty warm day, at least 88 degrees  this afternoon. I had a blowout on my rear tire and Vargie had to come back and give me another tire & tube. I wouldn't know what to do without her. When we got to Kent, there was a guy about 70 yrs old  from Mississippi with an older Ford pickup and camper. His rear tire blew out and he didn't have a jack. We finally got his spare tire on and got him some cold water  and sent him on his way. I hope he makes his destination as the tire he put on was not much better than the one that blew out. Nice old boy, down on his luck and so we wished him well and he hugged both of us and thanked us for our help.
I will try to get an early start in the morning as the weather is to remain warm. Just heard a small blurb about the tsunami, I sure hope it doesn't cause a lot of damage and loss of life. Starting to get an evening breeze as the sun is going down. Will sleep well again tonight.
Adios
Mike
Just a little history on Kent, TX

The town, once called Antelope, was founded in the early 1890s.

A post office was granted in 1893 and by 1914 the population was a thriving 25 persons. The population doubled in the mid-1920s and remained at that level for 40 years. The post office was reported closed in 1960 but has since reopened.

Kent had a population of sixty-five in the late 1960s - falling to 60 by the mid-1970s where it remains today.

Today little is left to interest a tourist - but the juncture of the two roads provides a sense of place. The lone telephone at least looks comforting but it's condition is unknown. The overpass of I-10 offers some relief from the scorching sun but it will be sometime before Kent becomes a destination.

THE TEXAS SCHOOLHOUSE (Prior to 1950) pictured above

In this series we showcase some of the most modest of Texas buildings. Schools had one purpose and one purpose only. They didn't enjoy the amenities or details of hotels, public buildings, depots or courthouses. In some cases during the winters of the 1930s - each child came to school with a piece of firewood for the stove.

Many schools were dismantled and recycled into barns and outbuildings after the school consolidations of the late 40s and early 50s. Only a fraction are still standing today. Some today serve as community buildings or even residences. Others are simply collapsing under their own weight or being swallowed by vegetation.

Chapter 13 (??? not yet )

Got up at 5:00 am this morning, lots of things to do before I leave El Paso. Trailer and truck tire pressure and truck engine oil. I'm putting two new tires on the Orbea bike as the old ones have close to 2000 miles on them and working like me "old and scarred up". By the time we got all our stuff done it was 10:00 am before I started " turning the crank". Rolled into Sierra Blanca about 5:45 , found a camping spot and had dinner. Rode very close to the Mexican border today. In places there is a very high fence that runs along the Mexican border. Everywhere you look there are border patrol vehicles and border check points. The irrigation  and crops have given away to the desert again as we got closer to Sierra Blanca. Fought some pretty good head winds again today-I'm told they " build character" Here I thought I already was one!:-))))))
My wife is telling me to stop writing so much as she is the one that needs to type all this into the blog and she is tired and wants to go to bed. So I'll say good night.
SEE YA
Mike

Chapter 12

Sorry for not posting a blog Wed. night. We got just east of El Paso, but I was having troubles with my front sprockets not shifting from one to the other. We found a bike shop in El Paso and they adjusted it and got me working fine again. I also picked up a couple new tubes. By the time we got that finished and had dinner it was about 9:00 P.M. & I was 'out of gas'. There were still a lot of pecan groves along the way. A lot of agriculture still going on. I visited the Costco store in El Paso after the bike shop, impressive warehouse. I was able to replenish some supplies while I was there. I need to take a few lines and mention some things that I've neglected to share with you. Along the way so far, I have run into about a dozen cyclist going cross country the hard way. They are loaded down with everything they need to be able to camp, cook and sustain their journey. My guess would be about 80 # minimum. Their bike frames and wheels probably are 12-14 # heavier than mine and they fight the same hills and headwinds I do.”My hat is off to them”, pretty hearty individuals. I also got a call from my cousin Don Williams ( Stephan's older brother) & we talked for 20-30 min. We talked about our much younger days, cycling, ( Don is an avid cyclist and does many long distance races), and of course Stephan, where we both choked up a bit over the phone. It was great to hear from him and we vowed to do a better job of staying in touch with each other. It turns out that his wifes family has the McGinnis Meadows Ranch west of Kalispell. “small world”. Have a shorter ride tomorrow but uphill all the way. Just to let you know – I rode across the Texas State line right at “High Noon” how fitting.

Mike

Chapter 11 ( no I am not filing for bankruptcy)

We left Silver City, N.M.  & headed  up to the top of Emory Pass where we left off yesterday. I started downhill  & then leveled out & then started uphill again, only to discover that yesterday we did not get to the top of the pass. No wonder we did not see the elevation sign. We still had 10 more miles to go before the pass. That 10 miles took us from 7950 ft to 8,228 ft to the top of the pass. I think my lungs are still somewhere up on the mountain. The winds were high again today, but not as bad as Monday.As you look East over the top of the mountains you can see quite a distance to the hills below.Certainly not a breathtaking as " Going to the Sun Road" but pretty  respectable for the southwest. There were actually some small patches of snow left & I spotted several fir trees among the ponderosa pines. As we dropped down to an elevation of about 4000 ft I rode by Caballa Lake, which is pretty much the headwaters for the Rio Grande. A lot of agriculture in the area. Mostly chili peppers and some formidable groves of trees, we think Pecan trees. I went through  a small community called Garfield N.M. , but no sign of the "Fat Cat". About three miles down the road a little " ankle biter"  dog chased after me- a new mexican Chihuahua -naturally. In the late afternoon with the sun at my back I began to notice my shadow riding ahead of me & I never did catch him. We are now at Fort Selden ST. Park in N.M.about 17 miles from Las Cruces N.M. We should be in El Paso, TX Wed. night. Just under 1/3 of the way across to St Augustine, FL and into our fourth state. Because of it's size we will spend more time in Texas than any other state. " Glad none of my ex's live in Texas" with that sad bit of humor I will close and get some rest! : Hasta La Vista Baby"
Mike
Sounds like the fire in Silver City area was under control when we left this morning. Talked to some of the forest service DNR guys and they said they were up all night fighting it with the winds.

Chapter10

From the sound track 

Paint Your Wagon 

 AND THEY CALL THE WIND MORIAH!!!!!!

32 mph today with gust in the high 40's. My forearms ache tonight just trying to keep the handlebars into the wind and stay upright. I truly appreciate all the prayers for tailwinds & boy you guys are good.!! I'd call that results. Had to play catch up West of Silver City N.M. today and rode East to the top of  Emory pass 8,228 ft..God willing and the wind co-operting I will ride down the east side of Emory pass on Tuesday morning & into Las Cruces. We have high wind advisories for all of N.M. & West Tx. so who knows how far we will get . Catholicism is alive and well in the Southwest. Even the tiniest communities have lovely churches that are emmaculate. The open pit mine above Silver City, N.M. is huge. Hard to believe that much earth could be moved on any amount of time, let alone the last 100 yrs. Riding was a full time job & photography wasn't part of the bargin.A personal note regarding the wind:  When the wind is at your back it's like the hand of God giving you  a gentle push. When it is in your face it's like the slimy devils trident right in your chest.
Looks like Silver City has a major fire going on to the North & East of us. This wind spread it quickly. I'm going to hook up the trailer tonight and be ready to go if the winds change directions and we have to get out of here. I'll keep you informed.
Buenos Noches
Mike

Note from Vargie:

 Mike just really amazed me today with fighting the winds. I told him just skip this part:-)))) He says no way. I will do every mile of this ride as I have said I would. Not a lot of people would have this much dedication and that's the way Mike has always been. Mike ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!

Chapter 9

What's new??? New Mexico is whats new. We got to Silver City tonight about 5:30pm mountain time. Lots of climbing and lots of coasting today. Because we are hovering around 5,500 to 6,000 ft we have pretty much left the more arid desert country and have come into some ponderosa pines and then broke over the pass and into ranch country, that reminds me a lot of eastern Montana. I have been through the desert several times, but not at the slower speeds you travel on a bike. Although it's not my 'cup of tea', I have come to appreciate the desert. Beautiful sunrises, sunsets, clean air, visibility for endless miles. It's so quiet that all you hear are the bike tires rolling over the asphalt and the wind. It's refreshing to see new scenery now & be in our third state. Traveling with my wife and 4 Goldens has gone smoother that I planned and all the love you get at the end of the day is really nice--especially the cold noses and wet kisses-- & that's from Vargie, not the dogs:-))))))). More high country for at least one, if not two more days and then we will start descending upon LasCruces N.M. and then on into Texas. It's been a challenging but wonderful experience so far and I hope sharing my stories with you does not bore you guys to tears. So long from New Mexico.
Mike

Chapter 8

Today I rode through the heart of Apache country in the Gila Mountains. We spent Friday night just west of  Globe, AZ. and had a nice dinner at a nice Indian casino for Vargie's birthday. The first 3 or 4 miles were pretty good & then came the headwinds!!!!!! I have never dad to ride so long consistently into the teeth of the wind as I have today. The weather was good aside from the wind and we are staying in a little community called Safford, AZ tonight. There wasn't much to take pictures of ,as even the cactus were dying do to lack of water. It was an awful day for road kill. I pass 4 dead dogs, one fox, on coyote, and something that looked like a wolverine. I didn't think Arizona had any but it susre resembled one. More mountains tomorrow and a pass of just under 6,300 ft to go over. So I'll keep this short. Finding a lot of joy with replies to the blog. Would appreciate an update on the C.M.N. pledges. Only 2 flat tires so far- one in San Diego and one today about 12 miles west of Safford. Headwinds and a flat, how can you beat that. Hope the weather in the flathead is finally improving And all of you are happy and well.
Mike

Chapter 7

This is a picture  of the superstition Mountains in AZ. Coming out of Apache Junction was a gradual clime until we got to Florence, Then it went from 1,900 ft to 2,651 ft in 15 miles at Gonzales Pass. Then the work really started.. The grade was 18 miles long and asended to 4,600 ft.taking me thru Devils Canyon. Would have loved to have take a picture but no where to safely get off the road. Traffic was heavy and fast paced. It is warm, at least to our standards considering what we left in Mrion, and the wind is not my friend. Someone said I would have prevailing winds at my back, but they my have been talking about someone coming the other way:-))) The scenery is beautiful and sometimes pictures are just not easy to take because of traffic. These people really drive fast and the shoulders are not always wide to ride on.
The top 5 things you see along the road while riding.
1. Bottles/cans usually beer
2 .Bungee cords, lost a couple ourselves
3. Weights to balance tires
4. Nuts & Bolts
5 Tired old , grey haired, wrinkled cyclists
Sorry this is a day late. Thats going to happen on occasion because we are tired orin this case the computer ran out of battery.
Thanks to all for following us
Mike & Vargie

Chapter 6

100 miles, 200 miles, 300 miles, 400 miles, you can hear the whistle blow 400 miles. Was that Peter, Paul & Mary or the Kingston Trio? Today was the longest distance I have done. I left Aquila,AZ  & got to the edge of Mesa, AZ about 100 miles of riding. It was a day of opposites, Hwy 60 was 2 lanes in Aquila & extremely quiet & it was about 47 degrees when I left & when I rolled into Surprise, AZ it was 83.  Hwy 60 became 3 lanes in each direction & traffic was heavy. I veered off 60 and rode the AZ. canal bike path. It's a stretch that starts in Surprise & goes  through Peoria, Phoenix, Scottsdale & Tempe. Most of it consists of 2 canals & 3 trails. A low , middle and upper trail that parallel the top, center & bottom of the canals. I then broke south and went past Arizona State University  (very impressive campus) & then east again towards Apache Junction. Ran out of daylight again before getting to camp,soVargie will run me back to Mesa so I can take up where I had to stop. We are camped about 18 miles further east. I want to dedicate todays blog to my far better half, Vargie. She has had to wear several different hats , drive, cook, navigator to mention just a few, and I have taken her clear out of her comfort zone with all the responsibilities. On top of that she turned sweet 64 today. That's "sweet 16" four times over. She deserves a wonderful birthday present today, but will probably receive a tired, sweaty, sunburned old man to have to care for tonight who can only give her his undying love. We are both thinking of all you guys out there and missing you guys very much.
Please stay well
Mike

Chapt

 One state down 7 to go. Starting to work our way across AZ.now. We have completely left the agricultural areas now that we are riding away from the Colorado river. As I ride through the desert I'm wishing I had gotten a copy of "Everything you wanted to know about Cacti, but were afraid to ask". This is probably the warmest day so far, but it is hard to confirm this as we have not gone through a community large enough to have a legible thermometer. Leaving Blythe & Ehrenberg this morning I was actually riding on the freeway(interstate 10) for about 17 miles. Once I got back on hwy 60 it was so quit , traffic wise, that it was almost deafening. With the quiet ride I started to notice how everything in the desert struggles just to survive. It's Mother Natures way of reminding us just how precise life is.Went through a small community called Brenda, AZ. Had to take a picture of the sign for Brenda Webb, who works at Costco as a front end supervisor and who is a big contributor to C.M.N. We got to Augila today and for the first time I was able to ride  our actual agenda. Long pull tomorrow, over 120 miles through Phoenix and into Apache Junction.
Stay well and keep smilin
Love the picture????   :-))))))
Mike

Chapter 4

I had a shorter ride today and we decided to stay on the Calf. side of the Colorado River. As I ride out tomorrow all I have to do is cross a bridge & I will be in Arizona. I went out of desert country & back to more of the agricultural country again. The Colorado river is to this area what the Columbia river is to central Wash. I rode through a small community called Ripley, which is near Blythe, CA. There really is a Ripley "believe it our not". As I was going by some fields of broccoli and iceberg lettuce I told the worker to send the pick of the crop to Kalispell, Montana. All I got was the deer in the head lite look. Not to rub it in, but as I rode through Blythe about 12:30 pm it was 61 degrees. Vargie's brother & sister and theirs spouses met us at our campsite this afternoon & brought dinner. They winter in Yuma, AZ from Washington. It was nice to see them all again and we got a nice long visit in. I've got a 96 mile uphill leg scheduled for tomorrow so I am going to close and get some rest. Out side of the snow day Sat. the ride has been great and it's been wonderful to read the responses & well wishes on the blog.
Happy trails.
Mike

Chapter 3

Our neighbors called to let us know we had a broken water line. Thanks to Joyce Ratka and Tina Miller they kept the damage minimal and we avoided a catastrophy. My heartfelt thanks for their quick thinking and clean up efforts. God Bless great neighbors.
As I rope through the El Centro & Brawley countryside there was a lot of agriculture and cattle feed lots. A few miles east of Brawley the irrigation stopped & we were back to desert & then on to sand Dunes. The ride is fairly flat now with several challenging swails or dips quartering head wind most of the way. the legs are a little sore & the butt is really sore.:-)))) We had very nice weather today, but we are in some country that is really spotty for cell sevice. Please be patient. I am hoping to get to a place where we can send pictures and this chapter Tuesday. We should just get into Arizona Tuesday to a community called Ehrenburg. Thanks for all your messages , they keep me going. Starting to get very heavy eyelids so I'll close.
God Bless
Mike

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 begins with a snow day. It started to rain hard & then soon turned to snow & the winds blowing pretty hard. Needless to say cycling was out of the question, so we lost  Sat. completely. Sunday was a good news, bad news day. The good news is it turned very nice in San Diego & I completed the 18 miles & got to the Pacific ocean. The bad news , it was140 miles round trip in the truck from camp at Live Oaks Springs to San Diego and back to camp.
The good news is we got back to camp & the 8 " snow we got was almost gone & the roads were good. We were able to get the trailer out and down the road .Back on my bike to get as far as I could the rest of the day. The bad news is we have lost a lot of daylight & won't make our pre-determined destination at Brawley, CA. We did get to a small community called Seely which is about 6 miles west of ElCentro. It looks like we will lose a day early in the ride. The good news is I saw my first RoadRunner today-bad news is no sign of Wylie Coyote. I'll sign off with this observation. In western Montana every 3rd vehicle is a logging truck, in southern Ca. every 3rd vehicle is a Border Patrol. We are safe and all is going to be good as we are now seeing some sunshine.

Camping at Live Oaks Springs , CA

SNOWING

Chapter 1

Left Marion about 11am on Wed the 23rd with the snow and wind at a rampage. Was able to stay just ahead of the storm, but never got away from the high winds. Got 50 miles south of Salt Lake City around 1:30 am Thurs. morning. Left about 7 am and got to Barstow fighting head winds all the way. Guess we should not complain as we heard the weather up west was really bad with snow, wind and - temps. Left 6am Friday morning and arrived at our first camp site at Live Oaks Springs, CA. Got set up about noon only to discover that our Montana weather was following us. I made the decision to ride from Live Oaks Springs to San Diego (70miles) because of the weather forecast for Sat. Because of darkness was not able to get the last 12 miles in. Grounded at camp because of snow on Sat 2/26. Hopefully will be able to finish the last 12 miles of this leg Sunday morning. Thanks for following will try to keep you updated each day as we go along. So far temps look better the next couple days.

Today I drove to Missoula to interview with KPAX TV about my ride. For those who are not aware, I am doing this ride to raise money for C.M.N. (Childrens Miracle Network). My employer, Costco, is a big sponsor of this great organization and for those who wish to make a donation  can contact me at pawsagility1@gmail.com for a donation form and I will send it to you, or go directly to the Shodair web page. You can go to  www.shodair.org   click on make a donation, go to designation and click on Mike's CMN Cross Country Ride for Kids and make your donation. Shodair Children's Hospital is a C.M.N. hospital located in Helena, Montana.  Thanks to everyone for your outstanding support.

What's on your bucket list?????

Ok, here I am on Feb 16th, at home, looking forward to warmer weather. Ten more days and I will be on this bad boy riding across California.

Getting packed

I am getting ready for the bike trip and have 32 days to get everything ready. Are you ready? Follow me on my blog and chat with me along the way.