Of oranges, wheat fields and chance encounters….

So I crest a short hill near the intersection of 730/12 in Washington….now I am kinda dying for some fruit as the salty beef jerky provided by my hosts is oh so good but needs to be topped off with something….ahaaa a guy selling bags of oranges out of the back of his truck. Kevin tosses me a couple and we have a little chit chat and I head down the road. At 80 degrees a cold orange is pretty damn good in fact probably the best orange I ever had. The rolling countryside opens up to even more rolling fields of wheat and the greenness of it all is intoxicating. I drift back in my thoughts to my last view of the Columbia as it turned north. It had been a secure source of comfort for me….always there each day stretching out with periodic steps in its flow created by the dams and now we had parted company. In the small town of Touchet I roll into a Chevron in search of a cold Starbucks Mocha and have a chance meeting with Arnaud, a young frenchman riding across the country to New York. For 2 days he had followed a trail of flags not knowing their meaning until I told him. Travelers…one on foot, one on bike, 2 different countries, one gas station. The day ends well in Walla Walla and my hosts, the Pluckers treat me to a fine dinner of steak/potatoes/pasta salad/ strawberries/cake and ice cream. They clearly love their community. Their family goes back 150 years in this area….so obviously it must be love. Tomorrow new miles, new smells and sights and new faces and the tales build…….goodnight.

5 Comments

  1. Erika

    As always, our thoughts and prayers are with you and those you are honoring. Hugs, Erika

    Reply
  2. David Tapey

    Hi Mike. I think what you are doing is absolutely fabulous. I am a teacher assistant for a local school here in Anchorage, Alaska. I was excited about what you are doing so I introduced the idea of tracking your movement in our Geography class. Everyday we look forward to and guess your progress. Keep up the great work and God Bless our troops.

    David -

    Reply
  3. Donna Gaudet

    Hi, Mike! What a neat story and love those chance encounters AND those tasty oranges. Keep up the good work!

    Reply
  4. Ellie Lizotte

    “Ask and you shall receive”…..I think it is amazing how things appear when you put yourself out there, being vulnerable. You are tapping into nature’s energy, it’s “intoxicating,” you say. Everything is in Divine order, you have the gift of seeing beauty wherever you are and sharing your light with others. This will sustain you, my firend…May your light shine on !!!!! Ellie

    Reply
  5. Peggy

    You are doing awesome!!

    Reply

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