August 10, 2024 – The First Flat Road

    Last night as I was setting up camp at a church in the small village of Guilford, MO, a young boy kept driving around the church and the small town on his 50cc dirt bike. He finally turned off the engine and stopped to talk with me out of curiosity. He is very well spoken and quite intelligent for his age, considering he already knows how to carry a conversation with ease. His name is Marshall, and he is currently 9 years old. We talked about our lives and our interests for the most part. He told me he has two older brothers that are jerks; one is 14 and the other is 12. He's the youngest of three. He loves all kinds of sports (basketball, baseball, football, dirt bikes, etc.), but he's not too talented at playing music. I told him to follow his heart and passion. Do what you love, and once you find it, excel at it. He goes to church outside of Guilford. He also corrals cows with his dirt bike. He didn't tell me exactly what his folks do for a living, but they are homesteaders. We talked for about 30 minutes, and then Marshall had to go home as it was getting dark outside.

    I slept terribly. I've been laying out the canvas tarp as a ground mat. I put my foam mat and sleeping bag on top of the tarp. Unfortunately, with the drastic temperature change from day to night here in Missouri, the dew falls and forms like rain. Everything is wet/damp by morning...the ground mat, sleeping bag, pillow, and me. I've been waking up wet ever since I made it into Missouri. It's time to buy a tent for the rest of the journey.

    I left Guilford this morning and rode 20 miles to Maryville. Leaving Guilford, I had the privilege of riding the first flat road I've been on since before Marshall, MO. Just to ride on a flat road was great! It didn't last too long, but, oh boy, what a relief. I'm at Maryville dining at a Taco Bell right now.

    I just went shopping at Walmart, and I bought a one-man backpacking tent for $30. I also bought a lighter tarp, thermals, new bungees, and some other items. I refuse to wake up feeling like a damp dog again. From here on out, I'm sleeping in the tent. I re-sorted and packed all my gear up. A man entering into the garden section of Walmart was the recipient of my favorite canvas tarp. I went ahead and gave it away. It would cost way too much to mail back home. I hope he gets good use out of it.

    Now, I'm just charging up my gadgets, and I'll be heading towards the Missouri/Iowa border. The 1^st substantial town I will be going to is Shenandoah, IA. It's about 55 miles away. I should be able to make it there by tomorrow around noon or so. That's all for now folks. Go be with us all.