Saturday, June 30, 2007: We started out earlier than usual this morning...actually, I drove us to my starting point east of Wabash while Jonna hid under the covers on the sofa and groaned. Whatever bug had gotten hold of her the past couple of days had not loosened its grip and she was feeling a few shades worse than rocky. But we knew we had to start early because of the planned get-together this evening, so off we went. It turned out to be a beautiful day in every regard and as it wore on, Jonna gradually was able to climb out of her hole, and just under nine hours and twenty miles later, she was actually feeling human again.

Covered Bridge

The annual (early) 4th of July celebration at Kryston and Brian's place is a tradition at least a dozen years old now, and while we were the newcomers there, we were welcomed like family. It's quite a gathering. I didn't even attmept to count how many people showed up, but they had an inflatable water slide for the kids as well as a pool, a couple of swings hanging from a grand old tree in the backyard that provided shade enough for everyone, a badminton net, a croquet set, a fire ring with chairs gathered 'round...and of course lots and lots of great food. They live two houses down from one of Indiana's venerable - and surprisingly long - covered bridges and the older kids took turns driving the lawn tractor across the bridge pulling a wagon loaded with the younger kids - and some of the adults. Finn and Spoof romped with Baron and received more than their fair share of attention - and leftovers.

Roann Picnic

T.J, Theresa and Robert showed up shortly after we did, and it turns out Robert is a water baby, just like our Katelyn. When he spied the water slide it was like a magnetic attraction and T.J. spent half the evening hauling him away from it as it was the primary hangout of the kids several years older...and quite a bit rougher than a two year old. Obviously we had a wonderful time, but had determined to leave before the fireworks to spare the guys.

TJ and Robert

Theresa and Kryston

We said our goodbyes at twilight and headed straight east to George's place in the country outside of Huntington. On the way we passed one of the most beautiful scenes we've seen on the trip - a wheatfield lit in the golden-pink of early sundown. It fairly glowed in a golden bronze, framed on three sides by the darkening greens of tall forest - and it just took our breath away. It was one of those glimpses of beauty that you immediately know cannot possibly be captured by a camera but will remain in your mind's eye for years to come.

George's Yard

George's Neighbor

All along the road today I was accompanied by another Indiana attribute that is a sheer delight. Jonna lived in Indiana for many years and tells me that they have had an ongoing program of scattering wildflower seeds along the highway borders here. I don't know if the program is still in operation today, but I did encounter many small signs along the roadway that read "Do Not Mow Or Spray" - and whether or not the program is still in operation, the payoff remains quite evident: all along this stretch of route 24 there is a literal garden of wildflowers - poppies, black-eyed Susans, cornflowers, buttercups, Queen Anne's lace, baby's breath, and dozens of others I don't know by name. It's really quite stunning. I took a few sample pictures but probably won't be able to get them to Duncan tonight - look for them soon.

Indiana Wildflowers

George's place is nestled back in the woods, so much so that we weren't exactly sure we could squeeze Nessie down the lane. But squeeze her we did, and Jonna fell in love. She plans to offer to trade places with him in the morning. Even in the waning light we could see that the home is surrounded by gorgeous gardens and stately trees. We're looking forward to a closer inspection in the morning.

Friday, June 29, 2007: Today was one of the nicest walking days I've had in quite a while. The humidity was still pretty high, but the temperature had dropped considerably and there was a continuous gentle breeze, so the weather was about as pleasant as I could expect in a midwest summer. Not only that, but the entire walk today was along a very broad shouldered four lane stretch of route 24. I could have done quite a few more miles today but am trying to pace myself over this section because of logistics. We have a get-together tomorrow evening back between Peru and Wabash and a place to park Nessie tomorrow night in Huntington, so I've positioned myself so that we can readily accomplish both without going too much out of our way.

The bad news is that Jonna's come down with a terrible cold and has been feeling miserable all day. Nothing much we can do but ride it out, so I'm hoping some good rest tonight will see her in better shape tomorrow...and that whatever bug she's got won't decide to move on over to me. I've been extremely fortunate in that, for the entire trip so far I can only recall one where when I didn't feel well enough to walk. I can only hope that continues.

We're mooching electricity off of Krys and Brian tonight, friends of T.J. and Theresa. Their place is also where the party will be tomorrow evening and we're looking forward to that. Krys and Brian have Baron, a Golden Retriever, and the guys have had a great time this evening romping all over the yard with Baron and the kids, barking up a storm and generally just having fun. But as usual, Jonna and I have proven to be less than ideal guests. We spent most of late afternoon crashed inside Nessie. I finally acquired enough energy to emerge in the evening and spent some nice time talking with Krys and Brian, but Jonna has been confined to aching and groaning within the confines of Nessie.

I may have a problem to deal with tomorrow. Our coach battery - the one that runs things in Nessie's living quarters whioe we're on the road - seems to be depleted. The fridge wasn't working right today and the lights were extremely dim. It's supposed to charge off the engine when we're running and off the electric when we're plugged in, but is either not taking or not holding a charge. I may have to take some time tomorrow to get that problem solved, but we'll see what being plugged in to 110 does for it tonight. If that recharges things, it will mean that it's not being recharged while we're runningm which won't be a major problem as long as we can plug in at night. But if being plugged in tonight doesn't solve the problem, it probably means we either have a connection loose somewhere or the coach battery is kaput. I'll worry about it in the morning.

I read two different pieces early today that sort of converged and brought some new bits and pieces into my thought processes. One was an article on the Truthout website writeen by J,P, Btiggs and Thomas D. Williams concerning teh religious aspect of this administration. The other was sent to me by our friend Soozy in California, written by Paul Krugman about Rupert Murdoch's potential purchase of the Wall Street Journal.

In the article about Murdoch, Krugman analyzes Murdoch's agenda and comes to the very same conclusion I came to so long ago about the president - that he doesn't really have any particular idealogical axe to grind and is simply an opportunist, using whatever tools are at his disposal to generate more wealth and power. Does any of that sound familiar to those of you who have been reading my rantings from the very beginning? It is one of the reasons I can truthfully say there is nothing political about what I'm trying to do - because this current administration, the one headed by the Opportunist Occupying the Oval Office, is thoroughly apolitical. This is not an administration of Republicans. They are not conservatives. They are dyed-in-the-wool opportunists and will use any tool, any language, any structure, any forum, any group of people to promote their opportunism if it has the potential to further their accumulation of wealth and their lust for power.

Which leads me to the other article. While it is well reasoned and thoughtful, the authors used one phrase early in the article that I felt was not entirely accurate. They said that this president was "the most aggressively religious" president in history. That, I believe, is either just a bit off the mark or misleading. Again, I will return to the simple device of observing the actions rather than accepting the words. Yes, if one were merely to listen to the words and accept them as truth, one would easily come to the conclusion that this president is both staunchly Republican and devoutly religious. But upon even a casual examination of the actions, one readily can see that he is neither Republican in any way, shape or from - or religious in any meaningful way. The authors would have been much closer to the mark if they had said this president uses religion more aggressively than any other president in history. I would have no argument with that statement. If we're actually talking about the label "religious" to denote people of some sort of devout faith, in my own personal experience of American history I would without hesitation maintain that Jimmy Carter, John Kennedy, Dwight Eisenhower and probably Bill Clinton were far more religious men than the current occupant of the White House.

The article I read focuses on the "end-times Christian" theology to which this president ostensibly subscribes. (A sidebar here to those readers who are not steeped in Christianity. End-times - or apocalyptic - theology has been around since five hundred-odd years before the birth of Christ. It is a world view that has at its center a spoiled kindergartener of a God who, any day now, is going to get so torqued off at humanity in general that he is going to bring all of time and history to a screeching halt, torture all the bad guys for all of eternity and rescue all the good guys so we can sit around and play harps all day long and take great delight in the eternal punishment of all the nasty people. So there. Despite the fact that at every turn this theology has been completely wrong (not to mention loathesome), it has a perverse, demented appeal to the darker side of our human nature and has thus been able to survive and thrive despite what it says about us, about God, and about the universe in general. It has an estimated 20 to 40 million followers in Christianity and is the exact same theology that drives and fuels radical fundamentalist Islam. If I've offended anyone with this description, I offer absolutely no apology.) Anyway, I think that this is simply another example of this president's opportunism. Those who ascribe to end-times Christianity are primarily driven in their faith by fear. And this president - and those for whom he is the front man - readily recognize that (a) in contemporary America there are a great number of people who either subscribe to this superstitious perversion of faith or who have come to the errant conclusion that this perversion is representative of Christinaity in general, and that (b) this large number of fear-driven people can be exploited by their fear in areas other than their religious persuasions. So once again we have a tool an opportunist can employ to achieve his agenda - and that's really all it is - a tool. The fact that the end-times Christian movement has, in its own agenda, a need for the restoration of Jerusalem and the essential destruction of the rest of the middle east - including Iran - is a happy coincidence of purposes that allows the opportunists to pursue their own wealth and power objectives while at the same time convincing their twisted-theology driven supporters that they share the same apocalyptic motivation. Pretty slick, huh? Some of the end-times crowd are beginning to catch on, but most of them are still in thrall to the wolf in sheep's clothing.

Which all brings me around to a bumper sticker I've seen often as I've been walking across the country. It is currently popular, though disgusting. It reflects the worst of human nature and I suppose arises naturally out of a culture that is in so many ways losing its bearings. It is bred by those who somehow find humor or entertainment in the degradation of others, in pain or shame being inflicted on innocent people, in the elevation of amoral bimbos to cultural icons, in a total disregard of ethic, moral or even tangible values, and the perception that such qualities as compassion, justice and humility do not directly serve one's personal bottom line and are therefore weaknesses to be exploited rather than strengths to be encouraged. It is a bumper sticker that just this morning I realized the current president has affixed unashamedly to the ship of state. It reads:

DRIVE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT

That is precisely what he is doing. And it is why we who are Americans must regain control of our nation.

Thursday, June 28, 2007 : We had a great interview with the reporters from the Kokomo paper this morning in downtown Peru and had planned to make it at least to Wabash today, so we began the walk. Then it started drizzling. Then it stopped. Then it started again. After a while of trying to decide whether the elements were going to cooperate, we finally elected to scratch the day and motored ahead to Wabash to take a look at the terrain and get something to eat. We parked ourselves early and discovered that we both needed a day off more than we thought. Jonna was completely worn out, and we're in a good cell phone recpetion area which gave me a chance to catch up on emails a bit.

I found the piece done by the Logansport paper online and thought they did a very nice job. More people are finding the website all the time - the number of visitors this month has already far surpassed that of any other month of the walk so far. Not only that, but we're beginning to get steady offers of places to park Nessie for the evening which will help cut our costs tremendously. A number of contributors - old friends and new friends - have come forward over the past few days, and that is absolutely wonderful news.

According to the weather forecasts we should see a period of decent (non-rainy) weather beginning tomorrow and lasting for several days. Let's hope they're right - and that the humidity will go down just as bit as well.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007: The day began with good company and ended in rain and silence. The silence is because we're sitting in a state park this evening where there is no cell phone coverage, which means neither the phone nor the internet are working for me. I'll try connecting one more time when I'm done with this to see if I can get it through to Duncan, but chances are we won't be able to get this out until tomorrow.

Eric from Logansport joined me on the first leg of my walk this morning. He's been following my progress for a while and often gives me weather reports. He saved us from a night of leaks in western Missouri when Nessie still required her bonnet and the night seemed clear. He called all the way from Logansport to tell us there was a front moving in and we got Nessie's bonnet on. By early morning, though we didn't get a full blown storm, it was raining steadily. Eric walked with me through the east end of Logansport, a city with which he is very familiar, and out into the very narrowly shouldered countryside. We were joined by a reporter and photographer for the Logansport paper, so there should be another article out by the time you read this.

Me and Eric

As we took a break at the end of our leg, we were joined by Janet from the rural area near Monticello. She walked the next leg with me while Jonna took Eric back into Logansport. It's always nice to have such good company - besides the enjoyable conversation it makes the miles seem to go much faster. We returned Janet to her car after the second leg and finally got on a broad shouldered four lane stretch of route 24 which lasted all the way into Peru. We were keeping a close watch on the skies - Eric even called once to say that a storm was about to hit Logansport - but it managed to hold off where we were until I made it into downtown Peru, which was my minimum goal for the day. We decided we had pressed our luck far enough at that point and bent south to a nearby state park to hole up for the evening. We weren't here long before the rains finally did hit us - not hard, but steadily. It had been another very humid - though not quite as hot - day, which took it out of both of us, so we settled in for a nap while the rain moistened Nessie. And speaking of naps:

Once upon a time, turning in at night was a simple procedure for us, just like it is for most people. We went to the bedroom, disrobed, turned down the sheets, slid into bed and turned off the lights. Jonna suggested I should tell you about our present bedtime procedure. It's a bit more complex now, and I first need to give you just a bit of background information before I can describe the procedure.

First, of course, is the rather vexing fact that we don't have a bedroom. While we have the option of three different places to sleep, the greatest room is afforded by the front living area, where the couch folds down into a bed. However, the couch/bed is exceedingly uncomfortable, so while we were in Hannibal we bought an air matteress to lay over the couch/bed. It's one of those self-inflating deals, which is nice, but it's also a full size mattress and the couch/bed is about nine inches short of full size, but we'll get to that later.

So here we go. It's a step-by step process:

1. Chase dogs off couch.

2. Remove arms from couch (couch will not fold down with arms in place).

3. Store arms in driver's seat.

4. Chase dogs off couch.

5. Fold couch down into bed.

6. Fetch foam padding from storage place in bathtub (Jonna insists the side of the couch toward the window is lower than the rest, so we have foam padding that bolsters that side. Princess and pea syndrome).

7. Chase dogs off bed.

8. Put foam padding in place.

9. Chase dogs off bed.

10. Fetch three storage bins from upper berth and place on floor alongside bed. These are the first in a series of items that will make the outer nine inches of floorspace the same height as the bed.

11. Chase dogs off bed.

12. Place three living room storage boxes atop previously positioned bins. This brings everything to about two inches from bed level.

13. Chase dogs off bed.

14. Fetch three big towels from bathtub and place them, folded, atop the three storage boxes. We now have bed level.

15. Fetch air mattress from bathtub.

16. Chase dogs off bed.

17. Place air mattress on bed and inflate.

18. If batteries are dead, check upper bin to see if the spares are there. If they aren't, disassemble everything and start over, because the batteries are under the bed.

19. Air mattress is successfully inflated. Good news - dogs will no longer jump on bed because it is now too high off the floor for them.

20. Wait a minute, then re-inflate air mattress (it stretches).

21. Fetch thick blanket from bathtub. This is used as a pad over the air mattress, otherwise you're sleeping on a sheet over plastic - and if you've ever done it, you know why we put the pad in place).

22. Fetch sheet from bathtub, place on bed.

23. Fetch blanket from bathtub, place on bed. Apologize to dog for stepping on him, then shoo him away.

24. Fetch pillows from bathtub and place on bed.

25. Fetch additional pillows from overhead storage and place on bed. I like lots of pillows.

The bed is now ready for occupation. The trouble is that it is about ten inches higher than a normal bed and occupies most of the front of Nessie. So we have to kind of climb into it from the dinette area. This means we have to decide who wants to sleep nearest the window so they can climb in first. The guys are consigned for the rest of the night to the area from the dinette on back. Spoof, however, will sometimes crawl under the bed in the space between the bed and the storage bins. Shelties are denning dogs - and apparently like to live dangerously.

26. Person choosing to be nearest window (Jonna) climbs in first.

27. Person occupying outside (me) climbs in last.

28. Person occupying outside climbs back out to shut off water pump.

29. Person occupying outside climbs back in.

30. Person occupying outside climbs back out to shut off dinette light.

31. Person occupying outside climbs back in.

32. Person occupying outside climbs back out to get person occupying inside glass of water.

33. Person occupying outide apologizes to Finn for stepping on him.

34. Person occupying outside climbs back in with glass of water for person occupying inside.

35. Person occupying outside realizes why person occupying inside has elected to be person occupying inside.

36. Person occupying inside turns on book light and reads.

37. Person occupying outside goes to sleep.

38. Person occupying outside wakes up, removes glasses from person occupying inside (who has fallen asleep), turns off book light, and places glasses, book light and book on chair.

39. Person occupying outside goes to sleep.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007: Another incredibly humid day. By the end of the morning there was not a dry spot on me anywhere, so we decided to take a midday break from the walk and motor the few remaining miles to Logansport and do a bit of laundry. I pulled out a camp chair and sat in the shade in front of the laundromat with the guys while Jonna did the laundry - and enjoyed the air conditioning inside. As she did the clothes, she had a chance to meet the half dozen other folks who were in the laundromat at the time and talk to them about what we're doing. Every last one of them expressed their fond wish that this war would come to an end and were supportive of what we're trying to do. When I get to D.C. I think this will be chief among my talking points - that wherever we have gone, whatever state we've been in, whatever group of people or individuals we meet, this has been our nearly universal reception. Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal, people want it to end and are disgusted with everyone who refuses to end it.

While I sat there a great big mothership of a cloud came roiling by and cooled things down for just a little bit, but refrained from dropping its cargo on us. When the laundry was done we returned to where I had left off and made it the rest of the way to Logansport's east side before calling it a day. Our Woodall's guide said the France Park, which we had passed a few miles west of town, had RV hookups so back we went again - and found a very nice park at less than two-thirds what last night's dump had cost us.

We no more than got settled in before the skies finally did make good on the threat they had been holding over us all day and the rains came down, complete with lightning and thunder which scared the bejeezus out of the guys. Finn crawled under the dinette and huddled around our feet as we played a game of canasta while Spoof curled up in the corner. It's a good thing we weren't looking for watchdogs when we brought these two on board. I'm genuinely concerned, though: we've been invited to a party on the 30th that will include considerable fireworks (this is Indiana, after all) and I'm afraid it's going to scare the guys out of their fuzzy little gourds. We'll have to see what we can do.

The people of Indiana are generous, caring, intelligent people...but they are time challenged. I'm certain this arises from the fact that they straddle the line between the eastern and central time zones, but it is problematic. For the past two days we've not been sure whether we're in the central or the eastern time zone. The cell phone now shows eastern time, but a lady in Logansport told Jonna they're on central time. However, the concession shop at France Park, which is west of Logansport, closes at 6 p.m. - according to its sign - and I went there at 5:25 central and they were closed. I think the whole time change thing has the entire state hopelessly befuddled. As proof, I offer this sign I encountered at the Route 24 Speedway:

I'm guessing their motto is, "The hour you call is the hour we're closed."

That wasn't my only encounter today. Not long before I found the sign, I met this gentleman:

He said he was looking for a Mr. Tyson. I pointed him in the approximate direction. He thanked me and went on his way.

I made a major break from tradition on today's walk. Since the beginning, I have been wearing a standard issue red bandana. For a few days I wore a white one given to me by Rocky and Boo outsidee of Tucson, and once in a while I wear one with a flag design. But this morning, for no particular reason, I decided to wear a purple bandana. That's right, purple. I must confess that I trod cautiously all day, expecting at any moment that Jerry Falwell's ghost would rise up from his grave and condemn me for all eternity, but I am relieved to report that he didn't appear. Perhaps he's still busy chastizing God.

Thank heavens Nessie's air conditioning is working properly. It's such a relief to get connected in the evening and step out of what must be 99% humidity into the cool. It would make for some very restless and oppressive nights if that particular luxury was not available to us. During the day we don't get any relief save for a small fan that cools Jonna a bit as she works in Nessie and waits for me to catch up. But the evenings are comfortable.

I understand that I should be meeting a reporter from the Kokomo newspaper somewhere around Peru, which should be toward the end of tomorrow's walk if the weather permits. The thunderstorm has passed now, but this is the midwest and, like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get.

Monday, June 25, 2007: I made it just a bit past Monticello today for an average walking day. The 30% chance of thunderstorms didn't materilaize, but it was incredibly humid. Every time I caught up with Jonna I looked and felt like I had been drenched - even without the rain. So I was happy to get in just an average day.

We're in a tourist area now - a bunch of lakes around here - which means that camping costs are way up and quality is way down. The place we're at tonight is pretty much of a dump and way overpriced. The place we thought we were going to stay - one of the Passport America campgrounds - informed us they were no longer accepting Passport America when we arrived, and their prices were even higher than this, so here we are. Oh well, so it goes.

I have a confession to make. I am the prototypical optimist. I have an innate tendency to assume things will work out OK, and thus I very seldom worry about things. While this may be good for my blood pressure, I can assure you that it sometimes drives people around me bonkers - especially my wife. So there are times I must drag myself out of the laissez faire groove and actually deal with contingencies. This is one of those times.

When I mentioned in yesterday's journal that we should be OK through Indiana, I should have explained what I meant. It means we have enough to pay the bills, buy food, get gas for Nessie, and enough left after that for Jonna to drive Nessie back to Hannibal. But that is it. And the eastern border of Indiana isn't that far away. So we need your help. Yes, I'm talking to you - every one who is following along my journey and wondering when I'm going to get hit by that Greyhound bus or picked up by the Gmen in dark sunglasses. There are several specific things you can do to help, and believe me, your solitary action means the world to us. Here are the options I can think of:

1. A contribution. It doesn't have to be a lot (though we won't turn down any big donors!). We've had over 3,500 visitors to the website this month. If each of those gave just a buck it would float us the rest of the way to Washington. I know that's not going to happen, but I can dream, can't I? We continue to get occasional donations, and celebrate every time we do. But once again, we're down to the last turkey.

2. Public Relations. I'm going to try to remember to run this one weekly. If you would simply send an email to a few places telling them about us - and if everyone would do the same, perhaps the volume of emails will cause people to become curious enough to check us out. If that happens, and we can get some national exposure, I think our funding problems will be over. But we haven't gotten that kind of exposure yet, so I'd like you to help light a fire for us. This week, I would like to to email Keith Olbermann, Larry King, Steven Colbert and Time magazine. I'd provide links here if I could, but we're in a lousy connection location tonight and I'm going to be lucky just to get this journal entry to Duncan. If you found us, you can certainly find them. Use your own words. Help get us noticed.

3. For folks in Indiana and Ohio in particular: Every night we have to stay in one of these campgrounds costs us somewhere between twenty and thirty bucks. All we really need is a place to park Nessie and a place to plug in an electrical cord. A water hose would be nice too, but we can do without it. If we can find people along the way who are willing to do that for us, it can save us a bunch of money - and we can meet some very nice folks at the same time. So first, Indiana folks - note where we are and project that we'll be 15-25 miles down the road at the end of the next day. For tomorrow that will put us in Logansport. Do you know of someone in or near Logansport who can loan us a parking spot and some amperage? Call them. Call us. Ask them to call us. Send up a flare...whatever. The next day should put us somewhere between Peru and Wabash. You get the idea. A spot to park for the evening is every bit as good as a 25 dollar donation.

I really, really, really want to have Jonna by my side all the way to Washington. I believe the wonderful people who have been following our progress would like that, too. But we simply won't be able to do it without you. As I've said before, I'm a lousy salesman, but if you truly believe what I'm trying to do is worthwhile, please do at least one of the things I mentioned above. I will be your feet and your voice - I will not let you down.

Sunday, June 24, 2007: We woke up in T.J. and Theresa's driveway this morning to the sound of light rain and were afraid we were facing another scratched day, but the rain soon stopped and we decided we should at least give it a shot. I wound up making good miles, but it was one of those days when it could have decided to pour at any time. The worst I got, though, was an occasional very light misting. The humidity was tremendous - every time I caught up with Jonna and got inside Nessie my glasses would fog up.

Jonna got off to a rocky start. She was congested and feeling lousy and continued to get worse until about noon. Then she started pulling out of it and by about 3 or 4 she was pretty much on top of things again. I think it had a lot to do with today's weather.

I walked through Goodland early enough to avoid whatever crowds they get for their 5th annual Grand Prix, a go-cart race that apparently goes on right in the middle of town. Fortunately, route 24 passes through the north side of town so the only effect it had on me was the feeling that I was passing way too close to a hive of very angry bees as the carts took their practice laps.

I had neglected to mention - but had been lamenting recently - missing one feature of the Illinois prairies that had pretty much disappeared when I crossed the Indiana border, and that is the prolific, bright orange clusters of wild tiger lilies you see growing along the hedgerows of so many farms and fields in Illinois. Just as I was thinking this, I came upon an old abandoned farmhouse awash in them. What a beautiful sight! Despite the low, threatening clouds, the day suddenly brightened considerably.

Tiger Lillies

After reaching Wolcott, we turned around and headed back to the intersection of Interstate 65 and route 24, and the Caboose Lake RV park where we're nestled in for the evening. We joined a little thing called Passport America back in Kansas which gives us up to three nights at any of their member RV parks across the country at a 50% discount, and Caboose Lake is one of them. There's another in Monticello we'll probably stop at tomorrow. It helps the budget considerably when we can stay somewhere at half price.

Speaking of the budget, we continue to receive occasional donations which we appreciate more than we can say, and which continue to make it possible for us to keep Nessie, Jonna and the guys on the road with me. Right now we should be good through Indiana. Just to toss the thought out there - and in case there are any angels with hefty wallets checking in on us - one thing that could make life much, much easier for us would be a new computer. I'm thinking big, of course. But it is extremely frustrating to me to spend as much time as I have to trying to get journal updates out to Duncan and answering email and making contacts when often we can get online for 4 or 5 minutes at a time before we're shut down again. There are nights when I spend four or five hours in front of the computer just to get that accomplished - and other nights when I just have to let it wait for a day when I can get a decent connection. This evening has been the rare exception - I've had a stable connection for as much as twenty or thirty minutes at a time and have at least been able to catch up on five days worth of email. We'll see if I can get a good connection again when I try to send this, along with a route update and some pictures, to Duncan.

With all the rain of yesterday we discovered that Nessie does still have one small leak at the forward roof vent. It's not bad, and we'll put a bowl under it in case it rains again tonight. The first time I get a chance I should be able to get up there and seal it. I can't tell you what a relief it's been since having the work done in Hannibal to not have the major leaks we had - and not have to bother with Nessie's offensive blue bonnet. That means that the only systems that still need attention in Nessie are her furnace, which of course we're not worried about for the balance of the trip to D.C., and the hot water heater, which we've gotten used to being without. We just heat water for doing dishes on the stove and use the tub/shower for storage space, cleaning up at RV parks as we go. No big deal.

We'll toss a bunch of karma out there for a rainless day tomorrow and keep on moseying eastward.

Saturday, June 23, 2007: Midwesterners will tell you that, with the near-constant winds across the prairie, rain usually falls sideways out here. Today was the rare exception, and the kind of rain the farmers love - a nice, gentle, nearly continuous soak. Of course, that precluded any chance of walking, so T.J. and Theresa were kind enough to let us hog their driveway and mooch their electricity and water for another day.

TJ, Theresa and Bob

Jonna and I never seem to realize how much the process takes out of us until we have the occasion to sit through a day off...and then we completely collapse. I feel more than a bit embarrassed at the lousy company we've proven to be for T.J. and Theresa and can only hope they understand. We spent most of the day sleeping, and the rest of it dozing, with an occasional nap thrown in for good measure.

Friday, June 22, 2007: A little bit of leftover from yesterday. As we were sitting by the lakeshore enjoying the sunny afternoon, I mentioned to Jonna that I had heard Michael Moore was in town and it's too bad we couldn't make arrangements to meet him - I'd just like to thank him for featuring us on his website and the traffic it's brought our way. She mentioned that there was someone else in town she really wished we could meet. "Who is that?" I asked. She replied, "Mikhael Barishnikov." Understand that my wife made it very clear to me many years ago that, should Mikhael Barishnikov ever show up on our doorstep with flowers and chocolate for her, I would suddenly find myself a bachelor. Actually, he wouldn't even have needed the flowers and chocolate.

Jonna and Guys at the Lakeshore

I looked thoughtful for a moment. Then I said, "Didn't I read recently that he's modified his dance routine to include the use of a walker?" I would have really gotten whapped for that one (I knew I was taking my life in my hands the moment I said it), but she was too busy laughing to do me any bodily injury. All she could do was cry, "Ohhh, that was cruel!" Having escaped certain death once, I pressed my luck again. "As a matter of fact, I believe I recall reading that he actually fell during a pirouette recently, but fortunately he was wearing his Life Alert necklace so help was there for him right away." "You are mean!" she shouted, but was still laughing to hard to beat on me. One of these days - before too long - I'm going to get whapped for those comments. It will come out of the blue...no warning, no connection with anything else that's going on, just Whap! "That was for Mikhael Barishnikov." But it will have been worth it.

I finally made it out of Illinois today and just a few miles east of Kentland, Indiana. Coming in to Kentland, we were greeted by T.J., Theresa and their son Robert, who had been in touch with us by email and are letting us use their electricity and water in their driveway for the evening. When we drove back into Kentland after finishing the walk today they treated us to a picnic dinner at the local park. It was a great day for it, but I was really exhausted today. They have a high speed, stable internet connection and I really want to get some pictures to Duncan for the journal, but I'm afraid I don't have the energy to get it done tonight - they're just going to have to wait a bit longer. Sorry.

I caught a piece of news that the latest polls have Bush's approval rating the lowest of any president other than Nixon shortly before his resignation. And the polls also show that the approval rating for Congress is even lower. I don't expect any of our politicians to be rocket scientists, but they certainly ought to be able to figure this one out. If any politicians happen to read this, I'll interpret these polls for you: the people are saying, "Mr. President, you refuse to end this war and we are extremely unhappy with you. And Congress, we told you quite clearly that we wanted you to do what the president refuses to do and you haven't done it, so we like you even less." When is it going to sink in?

One last thing for tonight. Jonna just finished reading "Garden of Beasts", a mystery novel by Jeffery Deaver. The novel is set in Germany just prior to World War II. Near the end of the book she read this paragraph:

"Yet, it was not the thought of the effort and the uncertainty awaiting him that made him choke quietly and that drew tears from his eyes, which he averted from the young SS troopers. No, the tears were for what he was now looking at as they swept around a turn en route to Berlin: the plains of Prussia. And, though they were dusty and wan on this dry summer evening, they still exuded a grandeur and palpable significance, for they were the plains of his Germany, a great nation at heart, whose truths and ideals had somehow been tragically stolen by thieves."

Thursday, June 21, 2007: We set the alarm for way-too-early o'clock and flogged ourselves into something resembling semi-consciousness long before the sun ever thought about sliding over the horizon this morning. Not only did we have to get ready for the trip to Chicago, but we also had to make sure we had all of Katelyn's stuff gathered up, since she'd be returning to Hannibal with Becky today. The rental car was reasonable and the business (Reliable Rental Cars, on the outskirts of Bourbonnais) was cooperative - we parked Nessie in their lot while we trotted on up to Chicago.

We arrived in plenty of time and pulled into the underground parking off Randolph Street (which charges WAY too much!) and were just getting out of the car when the March of the People van pulled in right behind us. Introductions all around, and we headed up to Millennium Park at the Cloud Gate. The Cloud Gate is so named for the central sculpture there, which the artist declares is a cloud, but which everyone in Chicago calls the Big Bean because it looks (to everyone other than the sculptor, I suppose) like, well, a giant, chrome bean. What can I say? I have pictures when I get a good enough connection to send them to Duncan - you can judge for yourself.

The Big Bean

The first thing we discovered upon entering the park was that dogs are not allowed in the park. Hmmph. I suppose they fear some wandering cur will pee on their giant bean and they'll have a huge beanstalk on their hands. Anyway, this meant that Jonna had to miss most of the goings-on as she took the guys out to the corner of Michigan and Randolph. That worked out OK, though, because there were a bunch of Chicago's finest out there who took an immediate liking to Finn and Spoof and, between them and the tourists and regulars admiring the guys, I guess they pretty well stopped foot traffic on the east side of Michigan Avenue for a while. The guys are like that - they produce smiles wherever they go.

Mario - the central figure of the March of the People - is a very sincere, pleasant young man and it was a pleasure to meet him. Things did not go exactly as planned - some folks were a bit late, etc. - so the walk didn't actually get underway until about 10:30 instead of the 9 a.m. that Mario had planned.

Mario

March of the People

I'm about to step on some toes here. Mario put a lot of work into this and had made a number of contacts, especially in the Chicago area. He had representatives there from Progressive Democrats for America, Impeach Bush, World Can't Wait and a few other organizations. Yet my best count of those in attendance came out at eighteen. It is well past time when the various peace organizations - particularly in a city such as Chicago - should be turning people out in droves for something like Mario's walk. When someone such as Mario makes the sort of commitment it takes to do something like this, can't all of us who resonate with his effort drop our own personal agendas for a morning and turn out to support such courage and conviction? It's about time we got our act together folks.

With the small turnout I tried to stay in the background - Mario did ask me to speak and I took what I hope was a very few short minutes - but I didn't pass my petition around. This was Mario's day and I just wanted to be there for him in any way I could. As far as I could make out, there are three or four other people who have committed to walking the entire distance to D.C. with him and a number of others who plan on meeting him and joining in at various points along the way. Becky, Katelyn and I joined the initial walk, then Becky and Katelyn went with Jonna and Dietrich after about a dozen blocks. I stayed with Mario and the group down State Street and onto Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. I had planned to go farther, but with the late start I said my goodbyes and Jonna came by to pick me up. After all, we needed just a bit of time for Chicago.

Lord, how we miss Chicago! Neither Jonna nor I could precisely identify what it is about Chicago that we love so dearly, but it is certainly our favorite city. It was early afternoon and Becky and Katelyn had to be at Union Station to catch the train back to Hannibal at 5 p.m., so we had just a few hours. We drove up Lakeshore Drive to Belmont Avenue, watching along the way to see where people had dogs so we knew we'd be able to stop with the guys. We spied some people walking their dogs just short of Belmont Avenue so we pulled off there into the marina parking lot.

The weather was great and Lake Michigan was stunning today. The deep, dark blue of the lake water gave way at the horizon to the pale blue of the skies and sailboats skimmed along the waves. A flock of snow geese bobbed majestically by and a mallard couple explored the rocky shore. At one point I collapsed onto the grass and watched the rays of the sun shimmering through the leaves of a small tree overhead while Jonna taught Katelyn how to make clover chains which she used to crown Finn and Spoof. Spoof would have none of his, shaking it off immediately each time Katelyn placed it on his head, but Finn suffered the ceremony with aplomb, looking like some sort of bewildered elf-dog under his clover halo. If I had a pillow I could have taken a much-needed and very relaxing nap right there. And I wasn't the only one. The Chicago lakeshore is festooned with all manner of sunbathers in a wide array of dress - and undress - any time the sun is shining. Combine that with hordes of bicyclists and roller bladers mere feet away from the frenetic traffic of Lakeshore Drive...all set against the jaw-dropping skyline of Chicago to the west and the cool blue expanse of Lake Michigan to the east and you pretty much have the essence of Chicago.

After exploring the lakeshore for a while we headed back down to Michigan and Randolph where Becky had spotted a Jamba Juice (to which she is hopelessly addicted) and we circled the block while she dashed in to satisfy her jones. Then on to Union Station where we kissed Becky and Katelyn goodbye and jumped into outbound rush-hour traffic to head back to Bourbonnais.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007: A fairly short entry tonight - we're in a lousy signal area tonight and I don't even know if I'll be able to get it to Duncan anyway. The day was shortened severely by logistics. First, we had two nine year olds to deal with, who got in a last swim before we lef the motel. Then we had to take Rikki home, so I didn't even get started walking until very late morning. We had to cut the day short on the other end as well in order to get up to Kankakee, find a rental car and a place to camp for tonight. So I settled for not quite seven miles into Watseka and we headed north. We didn't have too much trouble finding a car, and we're camped at Kankakee State Park and the lightning bugs are out floating all over the place and the aroma of the campfires is wonderful. But I'm completely wiped out and need to get some sleep because we're going to have to leave here around 5 in the a.m. in order to make sure we get into downtown Chicago in time. So that's it for tonight - on to Chicago tomorrow.

Tuesday, June19, 2007: By late morning the humidity produced by yesterday's rains dissipated and the steady breeze and about a ten degree drop in temperature all combined to make an ideal walking day - and I took advantage of it. I was only planning to make it as far as Gilman, but trekked on to Crescent City before calling it a day. I haven't said enough about the particular beauty of the prairies - and haven't even tried to take any pictures because I already know it is impossible to capture the depth and breadth of the fields and skies and do it anything resembling justice. Jonna particularly enjoyed the breeze rustling the corn as she parked and waited for me amid a number of different fields today. The old saying for corn was "knee high by the Fourth of July" but that hasn't applied for a couple of generations - even with about a month without rain (until yesterday) the corn is already chest high. I'm not an expert on wildflowers, but I've been enjoying immensly the omnipresent light lavender blossoms of what I think are cornflowers along the roadway. There are also dainty little yellow flowers that produce seed globes that resemble dandelion puffs on steroids, and when I come upon a stretch of thistles in bloom they are downright stunning - huge pink-purple blooms on tall, dark green stalks. But it's the sweeping vistas that blow you away. When you encounter a field of wheat and watch the wind ripple over it just like ocean waves you suddenly realize why they called covered wagons Prairie Schooners. Now the expanse is dotted here and there by a silo or a farmhouse, but it is easy to mentally erase them and the occasional tree from your mind's eye and see the undulating prairie grass sea the pioneers trod through on their relentless trek westward.

Returning from Crescent City, we stopped at the Dollar General in Gilman to pick up some ant spray and bait (we've been battling a mini-infestation of teeny-tiny ants in Nessie for about a week now), and ran into Bobbi, the mother of Katelyn's friend Rikki from the Evening Star RV Park back in Havana. Turns out they live right outside of Gilman. Since this will be Katelyn's last day on the road with us for a while (she'll be returning to Hannibal with Becky when we get to Chicago on Thursday) we decided to splurge just a bit and stay at the Travel Inn in Gilman tonight, which has an indoor pool. Bobbi asked if Rikki could come over to visit Katelyn, and we told her that not only could she come over, but Jonna had been cooking a pork roast while she waited for me today and we invited them both over for dinner. There was more than enough to go around and Katelyn and Rikki were delighted to see each other, so we invited Rikki to stay at the motel with us overnight. So what we thought was going to be a reasonably relaxing evening has turned into a flurry of running back and forth to the pool, playing every board and card game in our inventory and generally trying to ride herd on a couple of house apes intent on climbing the walls. Ah, for the energy of a nine year old - or the patience of a parent of a nine year old.

We'll be engaging in one more splurge tomorrow as well. Jonna is loathe to be driving Nessie through the streets of downtown Chicago - and I don't blame her - so we've decided to rent a car for the day to drive in to the March of the People kickoff. I'm hoping we can work it so we'll be able to get a car late tomorrow afternoon and return it late afternoon on Thursday so we only have to pay for one day. Actually, if we can do that, it won't cost us any more than it would have for gas to get Nessie up there and back. We'll be going through Watseka tomorrow on the walk, so I can check there to see if they have rental cars. If not, we can head up to Kankakee in the afternoon and get a car there. Becky is coming into Chicago by train and we'll meet her at Dietrich's place. Katelyn will be returning to Hannibal with Becky for a summer swim camp and may rejoin us in early August. Becky is also hoping to come out and be with us on the walk for a while, but she and Joey are in the middle of the process of buying a house which, as is usually the case, is not going at all as planned - and it may wind up precluding her joining us on the walk, which would be a shame.

We have now managed to actually get both girls in bed - the first step in the long, convulted process of actually getting them to sleep. The prayer for the balance of the night will be for patience.

Katelyn and Rikki

Monday, June 18, 2007: The early walk today was refreshing - the trademark Illinois prairie winds that had been absent for the last several days had returned to cool things down a bit and there was a uniform cloud cover that was also helping to keep the heat at bay...and then the skies opened up and dumped Niagra Falls on me. Jonna had turned around to come to my rescue when the first drops began hitting Nessie's windshield, but by the time she got to me I was soaked to the bone and then some. Believe it or not, that's a first for the walk - getting caught out in a rainstorm like that. It was just as well, as it was time to spend an afternoon at a laundromat anyway.

I peeled off my sodden clothes, dried off and got comfortable and we headed into Gilman where we discovered there are no laundromats. So we chugged on down to Onarga where we found one directly across the freeway from the RV park where we're staying. The rain went in fits and starts the rest of the day, so seven and a half miles was it for today.

Just as we were finishing up laundry I got a call from Andy, who had called yesterday from the Chicago area and wanted to drive down to meet us. Turns out he was in Gilman when he called, so by the time we pulled back into the RV park he and his wife Corrine were right behind us. We sat down in Nessie and had a good conversation, after which Andy and Corrine took us out to dinner at the fanciest restaurant in the area - which happens to be the K&H Truckstop in Gilman. It was a very good meal actually, and even better company. Andy and Corrine are in their late seventies and just as ticked off at the current situation in the country as the rest of us.

Andy and Corrine

Me and Andy

During the visit with Andy and Corrine I got a call from the CBS affiliate radio station in Chicago and did an interview on tape with the gentleman. He said he would be at the kickoff of the March of the People in Chicago on the 21st and was looking forward to meeting me. I'm guessing the interview aired this evening because we've seen another little spike in the website traffic, which is always good news.

I've been meeting a number of people lately who feel that until the politicians come to their senses there isn't much we can do. I disagree emphatically. And I have history on my side. Women's suffrage, civil rights and many other significant, fundamental changes in how our country operates were brought about by the insistent, relentless movement of the people, forcing the hands of politicians. And if the politicians continue to ignore us - continue to abandon their mandate and act in direct opposition to the clear will of the people, there is a significant quote we all need to remember:

"Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness...when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security."

For those who don't recognize it immediately, that's a good chunk of the beginning of our Declaration of Independence. It is the spirit upon which this country is founded, and it is there not only to serve as justification for forming our grand republic, but as a stern reminder to citizens of the absolute necessity for vigilance over those we place in positions of power. When our politicians turn a deaf ear to the will of the people, when they fold like a deck of cards or choose political expediency over responsible and responsive governance, we are not afforded the luxury of throwing up our hands in despair or hoping that it will all work out somehow eventually. We are reminded clearly by the words inked onto parchment by our Founders, that it is not only our right, but our solemn duty to take the helm to whatever extent necessary and right the ship of state. This is the hallmark of the true patriot. It is the essence of democracy. We must not forget or abandon it - now or ever.

Sunday, June 17, 2007: Alright, I lived most of my life in central Illinois so I can tell you this is not typical June weather. August maybe, but not June. Shorter walking legs and longer breaks allowed me to make some reasonable mileage today, but if this weather keeps up I'm sure the miles-per-day is going to start suffering. I did manage to get to Forrest today. I had been hoping to make it out of Illinois before we bend north to go to Chicago for the March of the People on the 21st, but since we'll probably head up there on the 20th it looks like I may not be out of Illinois yet at that time. It will take a bit more than another full day's walk just to get us to where we've holed up for this evening - in a little RV park just outside of Onarga.

Lots of new signers and some new contributors in the past few days - thank you all! Sometimes in with the petition signers I get someone who thinks they're cute and will record some sort of obscenity on the petition signing page. I do check every signer, so those get thrown out in the process. I got a different one on Friday, though - someone who signed the petition "Faker" (Fakerfaker, actually). I assume this was meant to reflect that this person thinks I'm comfortably ensconced at home - or maybe in a series of Holiday Inns across the country - and making this up as I go along. I'm not really surprised. I've had people accuse me of doing this for the money (right!) and for an ego trip (imagine that - a three thousand mile ego trip...hmmm), but this is the first time someone's had the temerity to suggest that I'm not actually doing it.

But like I said, I'm not really surprised. In fact, I expected from the very beginning that some people would try to dismiss me in that fashion. And that's why I set out from the start to make this as open and accessible as possible. So, if you have any doubts about whether I'm actually walking all the way from California to Washington, D.C., there are several ways you can put me to the test. First, I publish GPS coordinates of where I stop each day, which will be where I start the next day. You can meet me there if you like. I also publish my intended route as well as talk about it in the journal, so you're welcome to drive by and see if I'm there. I also have my cell phone number on the Contact page - you can call to see where I am at any given moment, then meet me there if you like. Or you can trace my route if you prefer, and ask the thousands of people who have seen me along the highways or the hundreds upon hundreds of people we've met and talked to if I was actually there. Or you could talk to the newspaper and TV journalists who have searched me out along the road and interviewed me as I've walked; or the people who have joined me for a few miles or a few days along the way. If you're convinced I'm faking it, I'm making it as easy as I possibly can for you to verify your conviction. I'm amazed - and a bit amused - at the number of ways people can come up with to try to dismiss someone they don't want to hear. You can dismiss me if that's what you want to do, but if you're going to try to do it by claiming that I'm some sort of charlatan I'm afraid it's going to be pretty tough to make your case. Oh yes, I almost forgot - I'll even let you check out my weird tan if you like...but you'll have to ask real nice to get me to take off my shirt for you.

As usual, Katelyn has ferreted out some new friends within the first five minutes of stopping at an RV park for the evening, and they're now out chasing each other around with water balloons - and trying earnestly to get me and Jonna involved. I think I'll save it for the shower. Over the past several days I can literally wring out my shirt and bandana at the end of the day - yuck. Thank heavens Nessie's air conditioner has been humming along smoothly. The guys have been weathering the heat well. We make sure they have a full bowl of water at all times, and I'm certain that replacing the carpet with vinyl tile has helped them tremendously. Spoof in particular uses it to his best advantage - he assumes what we call the "frogdog" position, with his hind legs jutting out completely perpendicular to his body, affording maximum contact of his undercarriage with the floor. We've been told that his ability to do that is a sign of either very good or very bad hips. We've come to the conclusion that it's very good hips, as he's had no problems of any kind in that area.

I'm going to have to break it off for now. We have to get back to our luxury suite at the Carlsbad Four Seasons Aviara where Michael Moore is waiting to pick up our game of canasta that was so inconveniently interrupted by his little jaunt to Cannes...oops...I mean I have to go rip out the rest of Nessie's carpet and get the last few pieces of tile laid. Maybe I'll actually get that done some day real soon before Jonna goes into hairy eyeball mode.

Katelyn confessed - surprisingly - this morning that even though the RV park we stayed at last night didn't have a swimming pool it was her favorite so far. What it did have was several families of snow geese complete with goslings wandering all over, trails through the woods, a river complete with overhanging bluffs and lots of large trees and open, grassy meadows. A very nice place.

Early this morning I was delighted to get a call from a gentleman who had found our website and simply wanted to thank me for what I'm doing. The thing that made this call special to me was that he was calling from the UK! Now, if only I could figure out a way to get folks around here to find out what I'm trying to do. But every once in a while...

I was just a few miles west of Chenoa when a car pulled off the road in front of me. A lady and her husband got out and approached me. She said, "I'll bet I know who you are - you're the man walking across the country trying to stop the wars, aren't you?" I confessed that I was. They both had seen the news report on the Peoria station and just wanted to stop to shake my hand. We talked briefly, and they left me with wishes for good luck and many blessings along the way. They had also noticed Nessie waiting for me in Chenoa and stopped to meet Jonna and Katelyn. That kind of thing really makes for a good day - even if it is a hundred degrees.

We knew from our guidebooks that the RV pickin's in the upcoming neck of the woods (or cornfields, to be more precise) were mighty slim. A couple of people told us there might be some electric hookups in Fairbury, so when I finished for the day we motored another eight miles ahead to see what we could find. It seems we landed smack in the middle of Fairbury's Sesquicentennial celebration, but were having a hard time finding anyone who knew where there might be electrical hookups. We can do fine without a water connection, as we have a fresh water tank for at least a day or two worth of water. But without electric we can't run the rooftop air conditioner - and right now we really need it. We were contemplating heading down to Normal where there's a Motel 6, but that's awfully far out of our way now. I stopped in the local Casey's to see if anyone there knew anything about places to park an RV for the evening. There was a sandy-haired gentleman waiting in line who overheard my inquiry. He asked me, "Are you a veteran?" I said, "Yes, sir - Vietnam era." He said, "Follow me - I've got a place you can park."

Friday, June 15, 2007: Well, chalk up tires number 14 and 15. We had been wanting to take a small detour today and visit some dear friends in Lostant, Illinois - just south of LaSalle/Peru: Hope, who will be 98 years young this fall, her daughter Jo, and friend Leta. We tried calling Hope early in the morning but got no answer, so I began my walk along route 24 heading out from El Paso. Later in the morning we managed to get in touch with Hope and headed north toward Lostant. About halfway there, part of the tread peeled off the left front tire - the same thing that's happened to several others. To be truthful, I wasn't terribly surprised. Nessie has been feeling a little funny on the road the past several days and I've been checking the tires every time we stopped but wasn't able to identify anything out of the ordinary.

The left front tire that had peeled was one of the two we still had from Kansas City - the other was the right front, and before I got to Streator I already expected it was going to be in about the same shape. Sure enough, when we got to the garage, even though the right front had not given up on us yet I could see from a noticeable bulge in the tread that it had already separated from the plies and it would have been only a few more miles at the most before it went as well. I asked the guy at the shop why they would do that and he told me it was simply a matter of age. So the good news is that we have brand new, decent tires on both front wheels now and the rear tires all still seem to be in good shape. The bad news is that it is one more expense we really didn't need. Even so, we calculate that we still have enough to get us through until the middle of July - together. So on we go, and what will come will come.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007: Another hot, humid but beautiful day and some very good mileage. Almost made it as far as Pekin and will walk through Peoria tomorrow. I mentioned before that this is some old familiar stomping ground for me. I think that the stretch of road I've been walking for the past couple of days is some of the most beautiful in the country - especially in the spring. From east of Lewistown to Banner Marsh you encounter some really lush greenery, and there are several bluffs you climb up and down - from the top you have this view of fields and farmlands down below you to the south that are nothing short of idyllic.

After having been spoiled by a couple of weeks of cable internet I'm back to fighting tooth and nail to get on long enough to send Duncan the Journal updates. Took two hours last night - hope it goes better tonight. I did get on finally last night long enough to read excerpts from Ms. Rice's appearance on (I think) Hardball. It is truly a wonder. One does not even know where to begin except to wonder what planet this woman currently inhabits. Perhaps she should change her named to Cleopatra Rice - Queen of Denial. She postulates that history will vindicate her boss...and goes on to talk about how much better and safer the world is today than it was in 2000. I would write a lengthy rebuttal to what she had to say, but decided on second thought to just let it go. Anyone who buys a single word of what she had to say has simply lost all touch with reality. Ms. Rice - in case you haven't noticed - your boss has managed to divide this country more virulently than it has been since the Civil War (although it admittedly is now beginning to come back together...in opposition to the insanity your boss has wrought); our Constitution is currently in shreds; the administration you serve is guilty of more criminal acts, more lies and more blatant deception of the American public than any other in history; acts of terrorism have increased dramatically; foreign countries whose support we once had have now concluded we have lost our minds; nearly 3,500 of our sons and daughters - and who knows how many thousand Iraqis - are dead; your boss is intent on leaving his mess for someone else to clean up...I could go on and on and on. If history ever judges this president as anything other than the most incompetent, immoral, dangerous and destructive in history, then history - to borrow a phrase - is an ass. You're not just backing a longshot, Ms. Rice, but I'm afraid the horse to which you've hitched your wagon has been ground into dog meat, put on the market, caused kidney failure in household pets, been recalled, and now sits fouling a landfill where even the rats won't touch him. Maybe in some alternate universe where ignorance really is bliss, where you really have won an international internet lottery, where the widow of Nigerian Colonel Mumbuda really does want to send you twenty-five million dollars because you're a good Christian, where Paris Hilton is considered a wholesome role model your boss may one day be considered a national hero. But in this world - the one in which you are sadly consigned to actually live and breath, you will go to your grave - as will your descendants for eons to come - still waiting for the travesty in which you so wholeheartedly participated to be vindicated.

We've been unable to run Nessie's roof air conditioner because the condensation water it produces has leaked right down through the roof and given us a bit of a shower every time we tried. When we first arrived in Hannibal Joey and I worked on it and thought we had the problem fixed. Alas, this was not the case. When we tried it out this morning the problem was not as bad as it had been, but we still wound up with water dripping inside. So it was off to a local RV dealer this morning, who took the A/C unit off and found there were a couple of places where the roof hadn't been sealed underneath it. Several hours, some sealer and a new gasket later, I believe we finally will be able to use the air conditioner without getting soggy.

But that shot a good portion of the day, so we waited for Joey to get home from work, went to dinner together then - finally - hit the road. Tonight we're in a very nice (and very cheap!) park outside of Rushville - Schuy-Rush Park. It's about ten miles beyond where I've walked so we'll back track in the morning and this is probably where we'll be tomorrow night as well.

We've had some reports of a variety of problems with the Music page - pauses during play, very low volume during play, no play at all. Please let me know if you've had problems - or for that matter if you've had success with the page. It has worked alright for us and for Duncan, but if a number of people are having problems we'll see what we can do to tweak it for everyone.

Munchkin Church

Thanks to those of you who have inquired about my mother. She made it through surgery OK and was transferred today to an intermediate care facility. The long term prognosis is still up in the air.

This is the most active park we've stayed at yet - of course we're now into the season and it's a weekend, but the smell of campfires going is wonderful and should make for a very pleasant rest tonight. The Grand Adventure continues in the morning.

As I've been writing this the last of the music files successfuly uploaded - hooray! So I'm going to wrap up and get some sleep. Tomorrow, if at all possible, we forge deeper into the wilds of Illinois

Friday, June 1, 2007: I crossed the Big Muddy today, so I'm now into Illinois. I hadn't necessarily planned on resuming the walk yet today, but the LaSalle Illinois paper, the News Tribune, published an article this morning saying that I'd be walking into Illinois today, so I figured I might as well. It looked iffy early on, as rain began falling this morning, but it didn't last long. Even so, it left me with a shortened day and I only put in a bit less than nine miles. That's alright - after several days off I didn't want to push it.

One last item before I fold it up for tonight. The administration is now beginning to talk about their plans for Iraq by evoking images of South Korea. I really don't want to say I told you so, but take a good look at my old journal entries. Sigh.