Day 44 to 56

12/9 to 12/21

I told myself when I started this trip that I needed to be real flexible on what can and does happen from day to day.  I was planning on being close to the Louisiana border by now, however I am still between Anson and Abilene at the ranch of the family that adopted me.  They are so far out in the country that there is only sporadic cell service and no internet.  I am in Abilene right now to pickup some lumber for a building project I am doing for these nice people.  I have had a few people contact me that are worried that I will be spending Christmas alone in some cold windy place.  This family are making sure that doesn't happen.  They are so good to me.  The following is a shot gun summary of some of things that have been happening:  Have had two newspaper interviews.  Might being doing a TV thing next week.  Spoke at a church and it went very well.  My host, who thought she was a Christian for the last 60 years, accepted Christ into her life for reals after reading my book. I am so jazzed about this, I can't express it words.  My son Chris sent me a box of 45 books.  Tiffany at the Anson newspaper is going sell some and the church I spoke is going to sell the rest.  Tiffiany is also going to writing a weekly diddy on the journey.  Have established a real friendship with several people, but especially little Noah.  We spend a lot of time together. Going to spend part of Christmas with another family that takes care of five very disabled kids.  All it has been an amazing unscheduled stop and I know there is much more to come.  God is so wonderful and I pray that you and your family have a wonder Christmas.  Please cherish each other. One picture is of my wonderful little camper and the other is of Noah being part of the worship team at Coyboy Church. Dave

Days 42 & 43

Wednesday, Thursday  12/7 & 8/11  Walked six miles out of Anson to the little town of Funston, pop. 7.  Was looking for a place to pitch my tent when a man came over to me with a pop and some cookies.  I asked him if it was alright to pitch my tent behind a old barn about 100 yards away.  It wasn't his but he said he would call the owner and see if it was OK.  he came back a few minutes later and told me his wife insisted that I stay with them as it was suppose to get cold that night.  Ended up staying with Rusty and Jaynell for two days.  Great people who didn't have much but were more than happy to share it with me.  Picture with flags is a cemetery that I spent over an hour exploring.  Also picture of Rusty.  Took a picture of both him and Jaynell but my finger covered half the lens. 

Update

I wanted to let you know that I am OK and well.  I met a family a few days ago that has kind of adopted me.  It is a mother and her two daughters and a six old grandson.  They are very nice people and we have had a real good time together.  Before anyone thinks otherwise, let me say that I stay in a camper and everything is on the up and up.  These are Christian people who have simply reached out to me and I am able to return their kindness by helping around their small little ranch.  It is about 15 miles from the nearest town with horses, dogs, cats, pigs, chickens and the whole nine yards.  They are very self reliant people who would do fine without my help.  However, there is a lot of ranch stuff for me to do and they appreciate it.  Anyway, that's what I am doing for a few days.  The little boy is six years old and his name is Noah and we have become real cowboy buds.  I don't know how long I will be here.  I do speak at a church in Abilene Wednesday and maybe again next Sunday.  God Bless all of you and thank you for reading this.  Dave

Out of contact

A nice family has asked me to stay with them for a few days.  I decided to take them up on it as they have a lot of wood to cut, so I can earn my keep.  Will get back up to date when I get back on the road. God Bless all of you.  Dave

Day 41

Tuesday, 12/06/11:                 61 miles  2,843  total

I went back to the same spot I spent hours at the day before, and John, a truck driver for a company that makes platforms for oil rigs, picked me up after only 20 minutes, and gave me a ride to Roby, TX.  It’s amazing the difference another day can make!  I got a corn dog at a gas station and went back on the road to try to get a ride to Anson.  Before I could even put some mustard on my corn dog, Virgil, a pilot car driver, picked me up and gave me a ride me to Anson.  I went to the only RV Park in town and they didn't have a place to put my tent up.  I came across a very cheap motel, so since the wind was blowing again and it was in the 20's, I got a room.  As I was walking to a grocery store I came across The Western Observer Newspaper.  I went in, and was greeted by a gal who I thought was the owner’s teenage daughter.  It turned out that Tiffany is the owner.  She, and her husband, who is in the military and served in Iraq, bought the paper when she was 25, five years ago.  We had a real good time interviewing each other and this little gal, who is 4 1/2 months pregnant with their second child, will get considerable amount of space in book 2.  This young woman has a very interesting story, and I am looking forward to writing about her.

This is a picture of the court house in Anson and of Tiffany.  It is pretty easy to see that they are very patriotic.

Day 40

Monday, 12/5/11:              3 miles    2,782 total

I left Snyder this morning, with a goal of making it to Roby or Anson, Texas, but only made my way to a truck stop about three miles out of town.  The temp was in the high 20's, with horizontal snow, because the wind was blowing 15 to 20 mph.  I got the thumb out in a very good location, but after several hours I, literally, had to give up.  I was so sure I would get a ride here!  It is so cold; why wouldn't someone stop and give a old man a ride?  I don't know, but it didn't come to pass today.  I was determined to get a ride, but gave up when I couldn't stop shivering and started to show signs of hypothermia.  I decided to dip into the savings account and get a room and thaw out.  I’m not going to do anyone any good if I get real sick.  Tomorrow will be a better day!  The sign behind the tree says "Git-R-Done".  That didn't happen for me today.

Days 37, 38, 39

Fri., Sat., Sun., 12/2 - 12/4/2011:             zero miles

I wanted to stay in Snyder to get some writing and internet work done, and hopefully beat some colder weather.  The writing and internet stuff worked, but it looks like I will be going into some weather when I leave here tomorrow.  I would like to thank all of you who have been sending me very encouraging emails and blog  comments.  They really make a difference and I appreciate it.

These pictures are of a Christmas program they had here Saturday night at their court house.

Day 36

Thursday, 12/01/11:               63 miles  2,779 total

I only had to wait about 20 minutes in the same spot I tried for four hours the day before, when Eddy, who is from Mission, TX, stopped and I got my first ride in a big rig.  Eddy owns his own truck, was headed for Abilene, and dropped me off on the outskirts of Snyder.  We had a really good ride, as he is pumped about sharing the Good News, and he gave me his # if I ever need anything.  As I walked into town, I saw a hardware store, Snyder Lumber Co., so I stopped by.  The rubber had come off of one of my cart wheels and it was kind of hard to pull, so I thought I would try fixing it.  With a lot of help from some employees we got both wheels replaced and it's amazing how much easier it pulls.  I went to pay for everything and Manuel, the store manager, wouldn't let me.  Everyone in that store was so nice to me and I really appreciate their help!  I saw a First Baptist Church, so decided to ask for help in finding a RV park to set up the tent.  After talking to RV parks, and the police, I ended up with a free room for the night from the ministerial association.  RV parks did not have tent spaces and the police would not allow me set up any other place, legally.  I had lunch in a very cool deli called Big Apple Deli.  Bill, the owner, was very nice guy, and was interested in our journey.  I met Eric DeLeon, an administrator at the local high school, who is a stand up comic and does gigs all over West Texas.  He introduced me to Freddy who teaches ESL and adult GED programs.  Freddy made me take some money for the kids.  My first day in Snyder was pretty awesome.  Between Peter, yesterday, and Freddy today we have enough to send out another $100 to “Make Way Partners.” 

The photo is from the inside of Eddy's truck, halfway between Lemesa and Snyder

Day 35

Wednesday, 11/30/11:             41 miles 2,716 total

I walked a few miles east from Mary and Josh's place, and Peter, a Mennonite cotton and peanut farmer, picked me up.  I really liked Peter and we had a very nice conversation about his church, farm, and family.  He took me all the way to Lemesa, which ended up being 24 miles out of his way.  I unloaded my gear and we said our goodbyes.  He turned around and pulled up next to me and said he wanted me to take some money.  I told him any money I get goes to kids and he was fine with that.  He gave me enough to feed, cloth, and educate a little guy for two whole months.  I stood there for several minutes after he pulled away, as it blew me away.   I called the local paper and told the lady, who answered the phone, what I was doing.  In less than 15 minutes, a very nice lady by the name of Regina from the Lamesa Press Reporter, met me where I was at and did an interview.  As she was finishing up the interview, another lady pulled up.  I thought she was a friend of Regina's, but apparently she saw the sign on my little cart and wanted to know if she could donate some money.  She gave me $10 and drove away.  In less than thirty minutes God blessed me with these three people and their generosity.  I walked for several miles out of Lemesa without getting a ride, so I set up my tent behind a tree.  Being able to set up the tent was nice because of the wind.  Awesome day!!!!

This picture is of my cart, on the road between Seminole and Lamesa, TX.

Day 34

Tuesday, 11/29/11:            25 miles  2,675  total

Chris, an oil industry salesman, gave me a ride from Stateline to Seminole, TX.  He gave me his card and told me to call him if I ever needed anything.  I walked into town and saw a library sign.  I wanted to see if I could find an RV park and if they would let me set up my tent.  I found one that looked good on the internet, and asked a library employee if she knew where it was.  She saw my Bible in my pocket and said, “You are a Christian aren't you?”  Ten minutes later, she had talked to her husband, and I ended up staying at their place for the night.  Mary and Josh fed me and gave me a warm place to sleep.  The next morning Josh brought me coffee, breakfast burritos, and a sandwich for the road.  They are very nice people and you will have to buy book 2 to read about their family and the church they have built on their property. I might not be selling too many books, but I am sure meeting a lot of nice people.  West Texas is wide open and flat; big oil, cotton, and peanut country.

This is not a great picture, but gives you an idea of how flat it is.

Day 33

Monday, 11/28/11:       10 miles  2,110 total

I went to the Chamber of Commerce to pick up my Kindle and meds, but because of Thanksgiving, the meds didn't get delivered until after 3 PM.  It worked out fine, as I was able to do an interview with the Hobbs News-Sun, while I waited.  I walked, and thumbed, my way east, out of town, where I was picked up be an old hippie who took me to the state line.  I tried to get a ride until after dark, then ended up crashing under the canopy of an abandoned gas station.  The wind made it kind of rough all night.  I am out of Hobbs and in Texas!!!!!  I wonder what Texas has in store for me.  Everyone tells me there's a storm a comin’...

This picture was actually taken Tuesday morning, but you will have to take my word for it that it says "Welcome to Texas."  It was too early in the morning to see the sign very well.  The sunrise is cooler than the sign anyway.

Day 32

Sunday, 11/27/11:    Zero miles

I went to a very upbeat church this morning, called Choose Life Church.  This is a very exciting church that tells it like it is, and they have a ton of programs for all ages.  I enjoyed the worship and the sermon.  Hopefully, I get to leave Hobbs tomorrow.

Day 31

Saturday 11/26/11:   zero miles

I have a four day layover in Hobbs, NM.  Monday, at Hobbs Chamber of Commerce, I am picking up medications my son sent me and a replacement Kindle, as I broke mine.  Then, after a newspaper interview, I'm headed for Seminole, TX.  The winds are really blowing hard here today.  What makes it difficult is the dust factor, as visibility is less than a 1/2 mile, and it is hard to breathe when you walk against it.  I don't know if the picture shows how dusty it is.  That makes for tough conditions for people who have to work outdoors in this very barren country.  The best thing about today is that I was able to send $100 each to Make Way Partners, Harvesters, and Cookston Hills Children's Home.  What these groups do to help kids in need is amazing, and their dedication and sacrifice blows me away.  This was made possible by donations from people like Tarrin, Ryan, Pidd, Lura, Pat, Tom, Shirley, Jim, a Navajo lady, and some Native American kids.  We have not yet had enough book sales to send any from that fund.  I pray that you are all doing well.  Thanks for reading this.  Dave

Day 28

Wednesday, 11/23/11:  382 miles  2,640 total

I wrote, and sent off, the first article to my local newspaper, and a few others that might pick it up.  I got the thumb out, as it is against the law to walk on freeways.  After about two hours, a car pulled up about 75 feet away and two young girls, Danielle and Jessica, brought me a restaurant prepared Thanksgiving dinner.  How cool is that?  I gave them a card, and hope they keep contact with me down the road.  45 minutes later, Josh pulls up in a very small car.  He tells me he is headed for Dallas, so we cram all my gear in and head out.  He 25 and works on a off-shore rig in the Gulf.  Josh lives in Texas, but was from Louisiana, and has the accent to prove it.  He tells me he has been on vacation in California and is running short on cash, so I give him a few bucks and he takes me all the way to Hobbs, NM.  His brakes on this old car are so bad he has to use his emergency brake several times to get us stopped.  What a ride!  We went through a mountain range and got to see snow, deer, and Josh's first elk.  He is a nice guy and we had a good ride.  This is a picture of him at about 9,000 feet.

Days 26 & 27

Monday & Tuesday,  11/21 & 11/22:  47 miles   2,258  total

I helped Rebekah (big horn sheep researcher) put the slide in on a govt. travel trailer.  They wanted her to get it ready for moving, but she didn't have any tools, so we did it with a little crescent wrench I carry in my pack.  I ended up getting a ride from Ben, a guy I met the day before.  I gave him a few bucks and he took me to Lordsburg, NM.  I tried for a ride out of Lordsburg, for several hours and gave up, and found this very economical motel.  The front window was held together with duck tape and the train tracks were only 50 yards away but it was like a palace compared to my tent.  I got a lot of writing done.

Day 25

Sunday  11/20/11:  zero miles
Today is my son Joseph's 21st BD.  Happy day son.  I went to a little Baptist church this morning, where the Pastor gave a good message on prayer.  He is my age and has the weathered face of a cowboy.  He pastors two different churches, so preaches at 11am in one and 2pm at the other.  I was lucky in that they were having a potluck and invited me to join them.  I got to eat some very good food.  I got some more writing done and will head out tomorrow.  This pic. is of a little wood burning stove and the grain that I am cooking.  Works real well and only weights 6.5 oz.

Day 24

Saturday  11/19/11:  zero miles
I went to a crafts fair today and met more interesting people. Beatriz gave me $7.00 worth of homemade protein bars for $3.00.  Di Ann, owner of RV park, was able to get internet service fixed, so I can get some things done.  I met a interesting couple by the name of Lynne and Shadow, who are hard core bikers, that just moved out here from Florida to retire.  Crazy, but nice people.  They bought me dinner.  This is a pic. of  the sunset from street in Rodeo.

Day 23




Friday 11/18/11:  zero miles

If the internet was better, I could justify hanging around here.  I have been writing in book 2 so, it is not all bad.  I need to be in Hobbs, NM next week.  This picture is an area that Rebekah is doing reserach in, about 15 miles from Rodeo.  (I met with a local guy to try and get a handle on getting pictures from my phone to here.  It took him a long time to get it done.  You'll know if I learned how if there is a pic. on next blog)





Day 22

Thursday 11/17/11, Day 22:  zero miles          

Rodeo is a very small “cow town” on the western border of New Mexico.  It is the type of town, that if you were traveling, you would pass through without noticing it at all.  One store/cafe, one tavern, and one gas station that is only open on weekends, a small Catholic Church and an even smaller Baptist Church.  For some reason I have been very attracted to this little town and will spend a few days here.  Today, I met a nice young lady who is staying in a cabin at the place I have my tent set up.  She is working in a program with big horn sheep that is amazing.  Rebekah is her name and she ended up taking me out to one of the areas she is studying and told me all about the project.  Fascinating, but you will have to get book 2 to read the whole story.  Di Ann, the owner of the place I am staying, is also a nice character.  She wants to sell her place and bicycle across the United States.  If you’re interested in owning a business in a place where life is a little slower and people know your name, Google Mt. Valley RV and Cabin in Rodeo, NM.  I’m having real trouble with the Internet here, but getting a lot of writing done. 

Day 21

Wednesday 11/16/11, Day 21:  50 miles  2,211 total
It was pretty cold during the night, but the skies were nothing short of amazing.  It was a great star watching night.  My water bottle froze and everything had frost on it.  After the sun came up enough for me to dry everything out, I started walking with my thumb out at the same time.  I was headed for Las Cruces, NM, or anything in between.  After several miles of walking, I finally got a ride about 1:30 PM.  This ride will probably go down as one of the worst.  I needed the ride and am grateful for it, but this man was completely nuts.  He hated everything and everyone.  He went on a tirade for 40 minutes about everything from Vietnam to Pres. Obama to border patrol to everything else he could think of.  He was big into talking about killing people, so I just let him vent.  He drove me into Rodeo, NM.  He offered for me to come out to his place in the boonies; I told him thanks but Rodeo was just right for me.  He hated everyone in Rodeo too.  I had lunch/dinner at a little cafe that was the other half of an even smaller grocery store.  I walked down the road to a RV/Cabin place and the lady who owned it gave a me a spot to put up my tent for $5.00.  After the first night, when she found out what I was doing, she told me if I wanted to stay, the next night was free.  More about Rodeo tomorrow...

Day 20

Tuesday 11/15/11 Day 20:  51 miles   2,161 total
(I am in Rodeo, NM.  I just got service back, so I will catch up on blogging.)

Jim gave me a ride all the way to Bisbee, AZ.  It's a very interesting old mining town. Pic. is of an open pit that was closed in the 70's. However, the mining is pretty much gone, and has been replaced with tourism and a lot of old hippies.  I saw a lot of characters running around.  The reason I came to Bisbee, was because a local guy who has a talk radio program wanted to do an interview.  He ended up calling me, and said he has been real sick and that they were not going to be able to do it for a few days.  Since I needed to be in Douglas he said he wanted me to start sending him pictures and he would do a phone interview now and then.  Nice guy, hope we can do something in the future.  I caught a couple rides into Douglas and did a newspaper interview with the Douglas Dispatch.  It will be on their web page on Wed. of next week.  I walked a few miles out of town and found some bushes and cactus and set up camp without the tent for the night.

Days 16, 17, 18, 19

Friday through Monday 11/11 to 11/14 2011:  0 miles, total 2,110
I have had the luxury of a warm bed, great food and company, and even got to see Oregon beat Stanford.  I went over the 6,000 word mark on book 2 and 2,000 page views on the blog.  I got rid of the little red bike trailer on Thursday, along with some gear, in order to "go lighter" and be more mobile.  I saw a women's golf cart in a thrift store and bought it for $5.00.  Jim and I tore it apart and put it back together, and now I am back in the cart business.  I can carry more cooking and "be more comfortable" stuff.  So, now, instead of going down the road looking like I lost my bike as I pulled a bike trailer, I look like a bag man pulling all of his worldly possessions, which is sort of true. Shirley and Jim Belamy have been so gracious to help me out for four days. The pic. is of there beautiful home. They fed me outstanding meals and drove me all over the place.  They are very nice people and this time with them was very beneficial to me.  Thanks, Shirley and Jim.  Bisbee and Douglas tomorrow.... hopefully.

A Tentative Route

I thought if I gave anyone interested a route to work with, they might be more inclined to contact people they know on, or near, this route to help us somehow.  This route is leaving Sierra Vista 11/14 or 11/15 and taking anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks to complete it. If you are interested and have a map you can see my tentative route.  Please let me know if you have any suggestions.  Arizona = Sierra Vista to Bisbee to Douglas to Las Cruces, New Mexico to Alamogordo to Artesia to Hobbs.  From Hobbs we go into Texas. Seminole to Lamesa to Snyder to Roby to Anson to Albany to Coleman to Early to Goldthwaite to Evant to McGregor to Waco to Mart to Groesbeck to Buffalo to Centerville to Crocket to Lufkin to Milam to Many, Louisiana.  Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Day 15

Thursday 11/10:
Last night I stayed in Patrick and Mary's travel trailer.  Before they went into their home, I asked them if they wanted my bike trailer.  I spent the next two hours down-sizing.  This morning I caught a ride with Mary and Rosie as they were going to take Joshua to school in Casa Grande.  That little thing that has been following me for over 2,000 miles got left behind.  It saved my knees and I was able to bring along more comforts, but the bottom line was, it cost me too many rides and restricted where I could go.  It looked a little lonely as we pulled away.  Mary dropped me off at a gas station right beside hwy 10.  However, 10 minutes before we got there, Tarrin called.  He is the guy who gave me a ride from "freezeville" to Camp Verde on Tuesday.  His co-worker was headed for Sierra Vista from Camp Verde, and if I got into a jam, she would give me a ride.  After Mary dropped me off I dragged my still way-too-much stuff over to a nice little table in a protective cove.  I went in and got some food and coffee.  Sitting there, at that table, I decided to take Tarrin's friend up on her offer.  She was a long ways up the road, but this would give me a chance to actually start book 2.  After several hours of writing, and a few phone calls, I got to meet Teri.  I have had a lot of great rides, and some not so great, but it is going to take some doing to top this ride with this wonderful, compassionate lady.  Before Teri stopped to pick me up, I had decided to use her as a guinea pig for what I had written in book 2.  If she asked what prompted me to do such a wacko thing, as I am doing, I would ask her to listen to what I had written that morning, and then she could tell me what she thought, etc.  Being totally gracious, Teri said she would like that.  What is she going to say?  "No I don't want to hear any of you ramblings."  What I didn't plan on was how, what I had written that very day, would effect me.  I am telling you, for some reason what I wrote concerning the reason for this journey, literally tore me up.  I had a real tough time before I was able to buck up and finish.  Poor Teri, one minute she is cruising down the road, rocking out to something, and the next she has this guy choking up about his own writings.  I am so lucky she didn't pull over to the side of the road and eject this sappo. I am so glad she didn't!  Not only did she get me to Sierra Vista, she did a lot of other things for me, too.  Without a doubt I am a better person for having spent a short time with Teri.  She said she would keep in touch and I truly hope she does.  Shirley picked me up at the Herbert post office where Teri dropped me off.  Shirley is a good friend of Pidd, who I had met her earlier this year up in Oregon.  Any friend of Pidd is a friend of mine.  Pidd has and continues to help me along the way.  Shirley took me to her home, where I got to meet her husband, Jim.  They have a beautiful place out in the country, and I have my own bedroom and my own bathroom.  I feel like a king or prince, or something.  They took me to the Golden Corral for dinner and I ended up sleeping very good last night.  It is not easy hosting a stranger in your home, but these two sure have made me feel comfortable.  I will stay here a few days, writing in book 2, and try to get a game plan for New Mexico and Texas.  169 miles today, 2,110 total.  Remember to be kind to each other.

Day 14

Wednesday 11/9:
I got up to a very nice morning, and I was warm, thanks to Tarrin and Turner last night.  I got out to the freeway and got a ride, after about 45 minutes, from David.  He's a very nice man who is living back in the USA after teaching in Germany for 10 years.  David was headed for a doctor's appointment in Phoenix.  We had a nice conversation all the way in.  He was going to try to get me through Phoenix a ways, and on to interstate 10, but before we knew it we were stopped on the freeway.  There had been an accident, so they were diverting traffic north on 60 and then on through streets.  The problem was, all the exits off of 60 were jammed, and David was running out of time for his appointment.  He ended up dropping off me 8 miles from hwy 10.  Ugh... stuck in a city again.  I started making my way toward 10, but ended up getting some wrong info from a city worker.  By three o'clock I still had a long way to go, I am tired, the knees hurt, and I have a flat tire on my cart.  Whine, whine, whine.... I decided to go into an Army recruiting office to see if they would help an old vet out.  There was only one guy there and he was swamped, so I borrowed a phone book and tried to find a church to help get me down to 10.  At 3:30 PM, I talked to gal at a church a few miles away and she was busy, but said she would work on getting me a ride, and call me right back, one way or the other.  I waited until about 5:15 PM and gave up and started dragging that red thing behind me toward 10.  The sidewalks were in very good condition, I was making some decent time, and I figured I would be there before midnight if I kept after it.  Around 7 PM, I called my friend and pastor to pray for me as it was obviously going to be a long night.  Fifteen minutes later, I came to St. Mathews Methodist Church.  I saw some people in back and decided to be bolder than normal, and ask for some help.  It was great.  They were having a practice/meeting.  It was a group of people practicing their sign language for concerts they do during Christmas.  I got the pleasure of watching them practice and really enjoyed it.  Patrick and Mary ended giving me a ride to a motel on 10, but before I could even go in the door they called to me back, and I ended up staying at their place, in their travel trailer.  I got to meet their son Josuha, and Mary's sister Rosie.  All very nice people.  They drive for over an hour just to practice with this ministry.  That's pretty dedicated.  123 miles today 1,941 total

Another plea...

Several of you have sent kind comments on the book.  It really makes my day when someone tells me they enjoyed it.  It would be great if you would write your comments on the book in an email to walking4kids@gmail.com and I will forward them to Marilou and she can put them in the web page.  If you would do this, I would sure appreciate it.  Thanks, Dave

Plea for assistance

For the last 13 days, I have been sending out blogs to let you know where I am at and how I got there.  I hope the blogs are interesting; however, they have just been about me and my travels.  The time has come for me get past the ups and downs of getting from one place to another.  I need to focus on what our real goal is and that is to help some very needy kids.  God has used this journey for many different, and positive, events in my life and the lives of the people I meet, and He will continue to do that.  With that said, I need help.  In the last few days I have contacted many newspapers, TV stations,  churches, and Christian schools.  Not one of them has called me back.  People are extremely busy, but for this program to work successfully it is going to take patience and persistence.  This is my thought and to explain it I am going to give the following example:  I am going to be going east from Arizona to Florida for the next four months.  Let's say Henry from anywhere, America is following this project, and he believes in what we are doing.  Henry has a friend in a small East Texas town of 5,000 people.  So, Henry contacts his friend, and his friend also feels that this project is worthwhile, and agrees to help with it.  The friend coordinates speaking engagements with different groups in his community.  It could be his church, a public or private school, a civic group, nursing home, library, etc. Henry might spend one or two hours on this, and his friend might spend as much 10 hours on it.  I come into town on a Wednesday, and leave on a Monday morning and we sell 100 books, which generates $600. That $ can feed, clothe, and educate two kids for a whole year. The question we have to ask ourselves, is it worth it for Henry to spend a hour or two and his friend to spend 10 hours to change two little kids lives forever?  This is not even mentioning all the other positive things that happen out of this process.  What if Henry's friend lived close to a large city, and not only did he line up speaking engagements, he also got the media involved.  The friend can do this because he has several weeks lead time to put it all together. I think you can see the potential power of many people spending very little time to make something very successful for the simple goal of helping some very needy kids.  What I am asking you to do, is to be a Henry.  If you would like to explore this thought further, please email me at walking4kids@gmail.com.  Thank you for considering being a part if this.  Dave

Day 13

Tuesday 11/8:  I worry about boring you with posts that are too long, so I am going to try and make this brief.  My thumb was out for close to 7 hours, with no takers.  I was packing it in, to go to the bus depot, when Rene picked me up and took me to Kachina.  I got there right at dark and I thumbed for almost 2 hours with no luck.  I went to a gas station to thaw out, as it had dropped below freezing.  I had a sandwich and told the clerks what I was doing, and asked if they knew of anyone heading south, to let them know about my need for a ride.  While I was standing outside, looking pretty miserable without acting, a little Native American girl brought me a hot chocolate and said,  "I hope this will help keep you warm."  A minute later her brother insisted I take $2.00.  I figured their dad or the clerk said something.  Neither had, they just did it because they saw me standing in the cold.  It almost made me cry, because before this happened I was feeling pretty sorry for myself.  I was very cold and was loosing my voice and it looked like I would be hiding behind a fence for the night in 8" of snow.  Those two little kids made my day.  About 20 minutes later a man and his son said they could get me to Camp Verde if I wanted a ride.  I felt like God just threw me a life preserver in a very rough sea.  Tarrin, and his son, not only gave me a ride to Camp Verde, they insisted on getting me a room.  How cool is that?  I don't know if those two little kids, the clerk at the station, Tarrin and his son, and the clerk at this motel, will ever realize how much their kindness meant to me when I really needed it the most.  I pray that God will bless them in very special ways.  Just a little side note:  The wild bunch from my church called me right after I got into this room and it just so happens that I got my ride at the same time they were praying for me.  They didn't know my need, but God did.  Finally out of Flagstaff; hopefully Sierra Vista tomorrow.  Thank you everyone!  58 miles today with a total 1,848.

Day 12

Monday 11/7:  I started this day with great expectations.  It was snowing pretty hard, so I decided to contact a bunch of media sources in Flagstaff, Phoenix, and Tucson.  I will know more tomorrow.  I put in about 7 hours with the thumb out and came up with a big zero.  I'm going to hit it again in the morning, and if I don't get a ride I am catching a bus to Phoenix.  The last thing I wanted to do was be dropped off in the downtown area of a big city right before dark with a little red wagon following me around.  I left messages at some churches to see if  I can get someone to get me out of town when I get there.  Hopefully I will have some interviews.  I don't have real high expectations with that though, as they like a lot more lead time. One day at a time.  I am looking forward to what tomorrow brings!

Day 11

Sunday 11/6:   Instead of a granola bar, I went to IHOP and had a nice breakfast.  I wanted to get on the road and headed south, because Flagstaff is right at 7,000' in elevation, so it stays pretty cold here.  I kept my thumb out at three different locations for several hours.  When the wind came up and wind chill dropped to around zero and my hands were hurting, I gave up and got another motel room.  This was not part of the plan, but that's OK,  I will get out of here someday.  Keep the chin up, right?  This is nothing compared to what the kids we are trying help are going through.

Day 10

Saturday 11/5:  The wind was still blowing, and with it a pretty good rain, when I decided to break camp.  I tried to get a ride for over two hours when a Navajo family stopped; a pretty amazing family.  A man, his wife, her two sisters, and their mother were on their way to a wedding in Monument Valley.  They talked me into going through Tuba City, and then to Flagstaff, and from there to Phoenix, Tuscon, and Sierra Vista.  They were adamant about the fact that I would have a terrible time catching a ride by going south on 191.  I took their advice. They also made me take some money, and one of the sisters gave me a beautiful necklace for my daughter. The wind was blowing like crazy at Monument Valley and after about an hour two young guys, in a way too small of car, gave me a ride to Kayenta.  This was one white knuckle ride!  The speed limit is not a real issue with these guys.  My next ride was in the back of a pickup heading toward Tuba City.  It was only about 30 minutes, but I was pretty sure I was going to freeze to death.  I got two more short rides front elderly gentlemen before my last ride into Tuba City.  This ride was from five young people in a small king cab pickup. They literally squeezed me in.  They were nice kids, but I think they wanted me to party with them.  I had only been out of their pickup a couple minutes, when Barbara offered me a ride all the way to Flagstaff.  Barbara works with people who are dealing with STDs.  She's a very nice lady, whom I am sure does a lot of nice things for a lot of people.  Every ride I got this day was from Navajos.  All of them were nice to me and treated with kindness and respect.  I got into Flagstaff with less than an hour of daylight left.  They had about 6 inches of snow on the ground and it was supposed to get down to around 14 degrees.  I decided to violate my "no motels" rule.  I justified it because I was going to pay for it out of my savings and I was dead dog tired.  That cheap motel room was wonderful with it's hot shower and warmth.  All that warmth.  Hopefully, Sierra Vista tomorrow.   223 miles  1,790 total

Day 9

Little red at Church Rock near Monticello, Utah

Friday, 11/4:  I left the Lazy Lizard Hostel and walked until the road got too narrow for my little trailer to be safe.  After about one hour, I got a ride from Dave and Ryan; what a ride this turned out to be.  Both of these men have gone down a pretty rocky road.  They were headed for Monticello, Utah, and before we got half way there, we had established a real good bond.  They are both born again Christians and very zealous.  I won't write everything that happened in the time I was with these guys, but will highlight a little.  Ryan is leaving in the fall of 2012, with his five huskies and a specially built wagon, to walk all the way to Alaska. I hope I am writing more about that in the future.  Ryan also bought me lunch, gave me a blanket, and insisted I take some money.  Dave, besides giving me the ride, introduced me to local newspaper owner, and drove me all the way to Bluff, Utah.  This ended up being over 100 miles out of his way.  They are two special men, and I hope to be able to keep in contact with them in the future.  The owner of a little store in Bluff, UT let me set up my tent behind his place.  It was quiet and protected by trees.  One of the reasons Dave drove me all the way to Bluff, was because it is warmer.  It was real nice to not be cold!  However, about midnight, the wind started and with it came the rain.  It blew real hard for three or four hours, and my little tent survived it's first real test.  I was very pleased with the fact that I had no leaks, even with the high winds.  If it weren't for my pudgy bod and 100 pounds of gear holding it down, that good ol' tent would have joined Dorothy and Toto in Kansas.  Continue south tomorrow. (Sat.)   100 miles  1,567 total

Day 8

Thursday, 11/3/2011:  I decided to stay in Moab for the day.  I stayed at a hostel called the Lazy Lizard.  It's a cheap place, where a lot of outdoor nuts stay so they can play in this amazing country. I needed a shower, to wash clothes, and to charge batteries, including mine.  The only problem is, that it is so darn cold here at night.  I either need some warmer gear or to head south.  I will be heading south, toward Arizona, tomorrow (Friday).

Day 7

Wednesday, 11-2-2011:  It was cold, so I was a little slow getting on the road, and I'm still having trouble with my tires.  I got a short ride from two rock climbers from the bay area.  They took me to Crane Flat, CA, which put me in a good place to get to other side of the mountains.  After about an hour, Scott gave me a ride.  It is a over fifty miles to get to hwy 395 which would take me into Bishop.  He is a very interesting guy and we hit it off right away.  I was very interested in what he does for a living and he was interested in my journey.  He works the summers for Yosemite as a search and rescue guy.  He said that they had 22 fatalities this year alone, so you can imagine the amount of rescue work they do.  Scott was headed for Ellensberg, Wash. to work on inspecting wind towers.  OSHA requires a certified rope rescue person on site when they inspect them and he's their guy.  He wanted to go see a friend in Moab, Utah, but was apprehensive about driving there and then up to WA, without some help.  After weighing the pros and cons, I decided to go with him to Moab.  We shared the driving, and 700+ miles later we were in Moab.  I like that part of Utah and it gives me the opportunity to see the rest of eastern Utah and eastern Arizona, which I had never seen before.  Hwy 191 runs from Moab all the way down into southern AZ, which is one of my destination points; that's how I ended up in Moab.  We were a couple guys, just helping each other out and it turned out real well.  Today completes my first week on the road.  I am learning a lot, meeting some real fascinating people, and always looking forward to the next day.  I really want to thank all of you who have been following me, and for the messages of encouragement.  I think I might stay at a hostel near Moab tomorrow.  I need a shower and all of my clothes are dirty.  I, also, need to charge some batteries, including mine!  769 miles  1,467 total

Day 6

Tuesday, 11-1-2011:  I had my thumb out early this morning, as I had two flat tires on my trailer.  I stood beside the road  for over six hours and I couldn't figure out why I couldn't get a ride.  Finally, Randy picked me up and told me the reason I couldn't get a ride.  About a mile before my intersection was a sign posted by the state telling drivers not to pickup hitchhikers because of a prison near by.  That was funny to me.  It is hard enough to get a ride.  Randy took me to a auto parts store to get patch kit.  He then took me to his house where he had a compressor to fix the tires.  He gave me water, a marine knife, and a ax handle.  He said he wanted me to have these weapons because I was going to be camping in bear country, and the bears were pretty aggressive this time of year.  After that, Randy took me into town and bought me a wonderful Mexican dinner.  After dinner, he drove me 20+ miles into the Sierras.  He is one nice guy and really went out of his way to help me.  I set up camp for the first time in the daylight and it was great!  I saw no bears, however, I learned not to set my tent up in dry leaves as little critters make a racket messing around half the night.  I had a few deer check me out also.  It was a very clear, and cold night.  Six days in and it is going well.  44 miles  698 total

Day 5

Monday, 10/31/2011:  Peggy gave me a ride to a good intersection.  I did not have to wait too long before a man named Christopher stopped.  His rig was too small for my contraption, but he was determined to make it fit and we did.  He gave me a ride to Nice, CA, and he was indeed nice himself.  He is battling cancer and has a very interesting story that will probably make it to my next book.  He gave me two persimmons, which I had never eaten before, a pomegranate, and some walnuts.  Walnuts are real big in this area.  Peggy, also, gave some food for the road.  Anyway, Christopher was a good guy going thru some tough times.  I had a tough time getting a ride in the Nice area, and I walked a long way and was getting pretty beat.  This was probably the day when I really grabbed ahold of the fact that if I am patient, I will get a good ride.  The road that lay before was the part of Cal. that I least wanted to go through.  It has a tremendous amount of people, traffic, and congestion.  But God sent me a angel in the form of a 71 year old grandmother.  Gaile drove by me and ended turning around, because she said she could not leave me sitting on the side of that lonely old road.  Gaile took me all the way through the Sacramento - Stockton area.  The area I most dreaded was a piece of cake because of my little angel.  We had a good time and she got me all the way to the foothills of the Sierras.  It was kind of funny, in that, we had a such smooth sailing, but when she was dropping me off at the intersection I needed to take the next day, her back door on her Ford Escape would not open.  We ended up taking all of her stuff out and taking my cart apart in the back of her rig in order to get it out.  It was humorous to see two old people in the middle of nowhere trying to unload a cart. Thanks Gaile!   243 miles 654 total

Day 4

I'm writing this on Thursday, 11/03/2001:  Time to catch up.  I am in Moab, Utah, considerably off the scheduled path.  To find out how I ended up here, you will have to read the days in order.  No skipping ahead!

Back to Day 4, Sunday 10/30/2011:  I packed my gear and was on the road fairly early this beautiful Sunday morning.  I had a very large, intimidating hill in my path and put the ol' thumb out fairly early.  I only had to wait about a half hour before a man, by the name of Malachi, picked me up and took me all the way to Laytonville, CA, which is only about 45 miles from my destination.  Malachi would have a very good chance of winning the most talkative man in the world contest.  He had a very strong opinion on everything and only stopped talking to take a breath or light a cigerette.  He's a very nice man and I really appreciated the ride, however, I was only moments away from losing my mind by the time we got to Laytonville.  I had a bite in this nice little town that is surrounded by pot growers.  After about an hour, I got a ride with two guys hauling some lumber for their barn building project on their small cattle ranch in the bay area.  They dropped me off at the Redwood Valley exit and I called Peggy and she came and picked me up.  Peggy is this charming women with a wagon load of degrees and kindness.  Peggy is the my first experience with "couchsurfing," and it proved to be very pleseant.  She had some of her friends over for a dinner party and they all were very nice to me and we had a fun evening.  Thanks to her, I got to enjoy a very nice shower, dinner, conversation, and a comfortable bed.  Thanks Peggy.  234 miles  411 total

Day 3

Sat. 10-29-11:  This, by and large, was a pretty tough day.  I walked uphill to the outskirts of Brookings, OR, and after four hours of trying, I got a ride from a Indian named Wally.  (He called himself an Indian, not a native American).  Very nice man.  We had a good conversation about family, and he ended up taking me all the way into Cresent City, CA which was about 16 miles out of his way.  I walked through Cresent City and after 3 or 4 hours of trying to get a ride, I found a secluded spot and layed up for the night.  I couldn't set up my tent, but the sky was grand.  I will try to make it to Redwood Valley tomorrow.  Isn't God amazing?
26 miles  177 total

Day 2

Friday, 10/1/2011:  I left my very pleasant beach front property and head south with my new friend....  a little red bike trailer.  The first three miles was all up hill.  I just knew that around the next bend the road would start going downhill or at least be level.  It seems like that first three miles was going to take forever.  I walked another 3 or 4 miles, most of which was downhill, and by this time the knees and my feet were talking to me, so I decided to put the thumb out.  After about forty minutes, a big, burly guy by the name of Bart offered me a ride to within a couple of miles of Brookings, where I had a appointment with a reporter from The Pilot newspaper.  Instead of dropping me off at his turnoff, he took me to the front door of The Pilot.  When he was helping me unload the little bike trailer, it shifted on us and he ended up putting a nice little gash in his hand and broke his watch.  I felt really bad about that, but it didn't bother him any.  Had a nice interview with Lorna and when I asked her if she could point me toward a place to camp, and maybe a place to grab a bite, she said she was new to the area and took me up to ask some other reporters.  Ten minutes later, Jeff lined me up with dinner at Zola's and Steve had me a place to camp at a RV park right on the beach, with hot showers and the everything.  To top it off, Steve drove me down to the RV Park and the restaurant.  Before he would let me leave he gave me the last $11 he had in his wallet and then went back to his office to write a story.  It is almost 6 PM on a Friday night and these wonderful people are going to all of this trouble for me.  God is so good for putting all of these great folks in my path.  I will hopefully catch up with day 3 and 4 tomorrow, as on day 5 I head east.  God bless all of you.  28 miles  151 total

Day 1

It has been said that the start of a journey always starts with the first step.  My first step was somewhat shaky.  It is Thursday 10-27-2011 and I have packed and repacked my backpack three times to try and get the weight down so that it is feasible to carry it around for a couple of years.  After leaving behind many things that I had classified as important for this trip, it was still very heavy.  I decided to give it a go and get on with this long-awaited first step, I was getting ready to lock up the door to this wonderful place that I had called home for the last 14 months, but who should pull into the driveway but my trusty friend and landlord, Lura.  She was killing time before a doctors appointment and had stop to see how much of a mess I left.  To her surprise, I was still there.  Lura ended up giving me a ride all the way to Bandon.  We said our second good byes and I started my little walk.  1/2 mile later I took that way-too-heavy of a backpack off and called my friend, Pidd, to offer her lunch and ask her for a favor.  Pidd came to my rescue and we had lunch and then ended up driving north to Coos Bay, where I purchased a little trailer that is normally used to pull behind a bicycle, and a different tent as I had jettisoned my other tent to lighten my load.  Pidd then took me back to her place in Bandon where we put the new bike trailer together and then she drove me all the way to Gold Beach.  I camped on the beach there with the stars shining overhead and the sound of the waves crashing on the beach.  That was my first day.  I am writing this from a friend's house in Redwood Valley, Ca. on my fourth day, as it was not in the cards to post before now.  123 miles today which includes some detours.

All the makings of a very good week.

Sunday I got to spend some incredible time with some very special people from my church.  They gave me an amazing send off.  Monday did an interview with local paper and besides doing a story the owner has asked me to do a weekly column while I am on the road.  Tuesday got to have lunch with two very special co-workers.  Did an interview with Coos Bay paper (The World) for a story that will probably come out Wed. Had dinner with a wonderful family that have been so kind to me it hurts sometimes. With a lot of help the book is now available on this web site.  Wednesday I will finish packing my way to heavy  backpack and clean up my soon to be former home.  Thursday I will take my first physical steps on a journey that I pray will be most amazing.  The next blog will be from somewhere on the Oregon Coast.  You are great for reading this. 

Goodbyes and Patience

I am in Portland saying goodbye to my kids.  It is so good to see them, however, I find myself feeling sad that I don't know when I will see them again.  Thanks to to blogs, emails, texting, and phone calls I will be able stay close to them, even if the physical distance will be far.  I found out a few days ago that my printed books will not arrive around the 20th.  They won't be delivered until the week after.  Another delay in the departure date.  My patience is taxed less when I simply give it over to God and remain flexible and go with His flow and not mine.  Hope to take my first big step around the 27th or 28th.  Thanks for reading this.  Dave

Shooting for the 22nd

I ended up going with two printers for the book for some boring reasons.  Today I ordered final proof from one and first proof from the other. Should have both back in less than a week.  After I approve the first one I am ordering books and should have them approximately 10-20-11.  I say all of that to just to say I can't wait till they get here and then I am hitting the road.  Headed south for a few hundred miles then east through the Sierras.  Hope to be in Bishop, Ca. by 10-29 and through Death Valley by the first week of Nov. If you have anyone you would like me say hi to on the way, e-mail me at walking4kids  at  gmail.com.  Thanks for reading this.  Dave

Closer

Sunday I had the honor and pleasure of speaking at my churches Sunday morning service.  I would be very pleased if those present were a tenth as blesseed as I was.  God lead me to a very Godly bunch of encouragers.  I didn't know how much I needed them.  These people have taken me under their wing and I am so glad.  To think I was going to go out there without them behind me is crazy.   Thank you Mrytle Point Fousquare!!!!  Thank you Pastor Dave Robinson for all you have done for me and what ever God has planned for our future.  If  any of you get a chance, check out Light Snow Falling by Pastor Dave.  Goggle it and you will find it free.  Be strong and be kind, Dave 

Big day - big week....

Today is offically my day of retirerment.  As of 4:30 I am one of the multitude of baby boomers no longer employed.  Pretty jazzed about this new phase in my checkered life.  The best news for me however, is my book is now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.  Will be working the next two days on getting everything required to the printers.  Hope to start my journey in 3 or 4 weeks.  Dave

What do you think????

I am considering establishing a pledge program of some kind.  Something along the lines of pledging so much per mile for a certain period of time.  It could be used to raise funds for the orphanages, but also for schools and churches that I speak at.  If I did 12,000 miles in two years and someone pledged a penny a mile it would be a $120 or about $5 a month.  I could see people doing fractions of a cent.  This would be a good math exercise for students.  The pledger could even designate the charity to give it to.  I'm thinking this would be a good way to get more people interested in the whole project.  Please think about the concept and let me know the your thoughts.

Being Encouraged

Yesterday I had one of those glorious points in time that was amazing.  I was doing some back-hoe work in a forested area that is nothing short of beautiful.  At lunch time I was leaning against a tree stump, enjoying a delightful p&j sandwich, reading my kindle and totally enjoying the wonderful nature I was in.  I decided to see if I had cell reception and I did to my surprise.  I had a email from Ed Lewis  telling me that he had finished preparing my book for e publication.  I couldn't believe it.   I was going to have a book published.  A old hay seed from Idaho, go figure.  Today is Friday which I normally have off, but I have to work.  It is 3 in the morning and I can't sleep so I decided to come to work early and use the Internet and share my moment and thank a few people for getting me this far.  If I am going to do my little journey across America I better start blogging.  I often get lonely and down on myself.  Focusing on the negative instead of the positive.  This morning all I could think of was how wonderful God is and how blessed I am to have this small group of outstanding friends that keep me going.  I just want to briefly mention these people:  Marilou for believing in me and for all of the help she has given me.  Ed and Gail Lewis for their kindness and helping me finish the deal. Pidd, Lura, and Pat from work.  These are truly kind people and Pat has to be one of the best bosses to ever walk down the pike. Kathy and her husband Steve for adopting me and giving me tons of encouragement every Sunday morning.  Pastor Dave and everyone else at Mrytle Point Four Square.  My kids for always being there for me.  Brianne and Chelsea for cheering me on for years.  Valerie from Sprint for showing me that total strangers can do amazingly kind things for others. Laura who sent me a comment on my blog that makes it all worth while.  You are all great people and I am so lucky to know you.  I pray for you daily.  Dave

Big steps and birthdays

Ten minutes ago I sent a copy of the book via email to a a dear friend who is going to get it ready for the printers and for ebook.  I was pretty concerned on being able to master the techno stuff good enough to satisfy the printers and Ed graciously said it would help me.  Google E. G. Lewis and check out the wonderful series of books that Ed has written.  Today is also a very nice young women's birthday.  Her name is Valerie and she is the manager at the Sprint store in North Bend.  I will be writing more about Valerie in the future.  Happy birthday Valerie and keep letting that wonderful smile and your kindness shine. 

Bitter sweet......

A young man and his girl friend (who is from Sweden) came all the way from Corvallis today to buy my two kayaks.  Needed to sell them and a lot of other stuff, but sure hated to see them go.....  Now if I can sell the motor home I will be in good shape....  if I can just get this book finished.

Old but reliable....

I am writing these blogs thinking that there might be someone out there that reads them for what ever reason.  I tell myself that it is practice for when I am on the road.  However, I have this uneasy feeling that I am talking to myself and no one is out there in whatever space these words float into.  If there is someone out there, please drop me a comment to help perserve my sainity....   This afternoon I pick up a very used Buick for a very reasonable price that I hope will last me for a few months.  It is old, but I am pretty sure it will be reliable.  Dave

Is there a clunker out there somewhere for me...

Checking out some good old used cars after work today.  Hope to find something that will get me throught the next few months.  Do not like being without a car.  Sounds a littel strange coming from a guy who is going to walk around the U.S. for two years.

Reverse is gone....

After posting to this blog yesterday at the Coquille library I headed home and made it to my driveway without the transmission slipping to much.  However, when I went to back into my driveway I found out that I no longer had reverse.  I took this as positive in two ways. #1. I made it home, instead of breaking down on the highway. #2.  I have been spending to much of my life in reverse anyway and it is time too only consentrate on going forward.  Sounds good, don't you think.  We'll see. Dave

No one said it would be easy....

Yesterday will go down as not one of my better days.  I came across a fallen tree on a back road in the forest and made a back injury from two months ago, worse.  My trusty old van has decided to prematurely retire.  The transmission started slipping and I am quiet sure it only has a few more miles to live.  I also recently found out that my first novel is not as near to being finished as I had hoped.  All of these things can be treated as nothing more than a bumps in this road that I have decided to go down.  I knew there would be bumps, was just hoping they would be spread out a little more.  I just need to find a old clunker to get me through the next few months, take care of my back, and maybe leave on my journey a little later than planned.  I trying hard to leave everything to God and not get in the way so much.  This is difficult for me at times. Thank you for reading this and your prayers would be appreciated.  Dave

Blog testing...

Please bear with me as I am just posting to see if our new process for posting works.  Finished the second to last edit today, with high hopes of finishing the final by this time next week.  Writing is tough enough for a guy like me, editing is killer.

Getting Closer

9/10/11 is coming so fast and so much to do between now and then.  I didn’t have a clue how much is involved in getting a book into print.  I am glad God has this all in the right order as I sure don’t.  Hope to have the final editing completed by this Sunday.  Will then send the manusript off to a proofreader and if that goes well, we will get it to the printer after they are done.   For those of you who have taken the time to check out this web site and read this message please don’t hesitate to make a comment.  Would love to hear from you.  God Bless you and your family.  Dave