Well all that timing for that Prairie Dog State Park out by Norton went out the pooper this day. I arose early, in fact the sun was cresting the hill. Watching it lazily rise in my sleeping bag, snug as a bug in a rug (which I’ve been told is one of Benjamin Franklin’s more humorous sayings), I had to gather myself up to get out of bed. It was about 9:30am when I finally hit the road.
Not a bad start, I was only four miles from Phillipsburg, and excited to be heading in to a town I’d been seeing signs for the past 124 miles. I can’t even remember what town I was coming out of when I saw the first sign, but they were moderately frequent and reminded me of the South of the Border signs in North/South Carolina.
By 10:15 I was walking down the main drag. I located the library chatting with a road worker helping to repave a road. It was then reconfirmed by another guy who asked where I was going from a parking lot. Round the Majestic Theatre, which is open Saturday and Sunday night pretty much, I found the library a few blocks down.
There I spent a good while on the internet posting and responding to a host of emails I’d been sent. I felt truly loved. I even think I confirmed an apartment I’d been after in Denver for almost the lowest rent I’ve ever paid in my life. This would be my 19th apartment I’ve rented in the past 9 years. Yes, I’m nomadic by nature and that’s not counting the places I’ve just stayed at for three or four weeks. Anyway, by the time I finished up my check out time was 12:37pm. I’d spent some time talking with the librarian and another lady who was depressed about a Danielle Steele book.
From there food was on my mind so I went to the 3rd St. Bakery. The food was so good and so cheap that I had a cheeseburger with chips as well as a 3rd St. Bakery Special which is a tasty treat and very a kin to an old sandwich I’d have back home at the deli. All of this was about a quarter over $5 with a bottomless cup of coffee I tried to find the bottom to.
I had gotten talking with the waitress there and she got excited about my journey and called the newspapers. There were two in town. One said they had reporters out looking for me already, I can’t remember if that was the same one I went to, but in the end it was the Advocate that I waltzed over to after lunch.
There were only two ladies there, and one I later found out didn’t even work there, she was just hanging out or something. The other lady, Kathy, interviewed me for a good long while by just letting me chatter off mostly. I always have a good time doing that. Afterward I asked to refill my water there and then was about to head off. Kathy then asked if I would like to stay out at her place with her family. She was eleven miles out, so I started to say no thanks, but then I realized it had gotten to be 3 and I probably wouldn’t make it any further than her house anyway before the sun started to set. On realizing this I happily agreed and left looking forward to a nice supper and company to talk with.
Leaving Phillipsburg my old friend US-36 had a fit. I don’t know what her problem was but suddenly hills sprung up around her, she curved north, then west then north, and went all over the place, and I saw groves of trees, many, many groves of trees. It was a sight to behold. I tried to sooth her, but in the end took a break under some of these newly sprung trees taking full advantage of their shade.
While I was resting I suppose Kathy had flown by me heading home because about a mile later she came at me from the north. She took a few pictures of me walking and we chatted a bit about exactly how to get to her house, then she took off and Mr. Policeman pulled over. He IDed me, which actually made me a bit nervous. About three years ago I’d been pulled over going through Kansas on I-70 for going 120 in a 75 zone and I didn’t think I ever paid the ticket. I’m still not sure, but everything checked out and off I went again.
By the end of the day I arrived at their house weary and ready to use the bathroom. I met Paul, her husband, and their youngest son Kyle then went into their beautiful old stone house that was built around 1900 by Paul’s family. Dinner was excellent, and afterwards I showered for the first time since I’d been on US-36 and got my laundry done. We nestled in at the end of the night in front of the TV and I got to see what was happening in the world again. We all had to be up early the next morning though so we all soon went to bed. I laid out my bedroll and bag on their living room floor and rested my head on an actual pillow for sweet slumber.