8/18/2015
Snap, crackle, pop! I wasn’t eating rice krispies for breakfast. That was the sound of my muscles and bones snapping into place. Every morning my body aligned itself after waking. With the luxury of a deep soak everything felt brand new. I continued to be surprised at the resilience of the human body. Perhaps I was doing the right thing by making nutrition a priority in my regimen.
Sweet strawberries topped two waffles for breakfast. I included an omelet in my morning meal but I had to meticulously pick out the tiny pieces of ham inside. That was fine by me. I enjoyed my hearty breakfast and drank a copious amount of peach cocktail. It was not a juice commonly found in the selection provided during hotel breakfasts.
When I hit the Lake Wobegone trail, something in the air was very different. It was as if Mother Nature had a switch that controlled the temperature and weather. The sweltering heat from the previous day had vanished. Did summer end abruptly? I felt chilly on the trail and asked Crystal to meet me at the next town. I wasn’t sure if I was going to need thicker gear.
I worked up a sweat on the trail but, when the motion ended, goosebumps crept up my arms. I jumped into the trailer where the scent of chili paste, garlic, and soysauce filled our tiny living quarters. They were the spices Crystal had used to season the wonderful vegetables given to us by our friend May Seng. Lunch left me heavy and I fell asleep on the couch. The cool breezes blew through our trailer and I found myself searching for a blanket while I napped. Cold air always put me into deep slumber. I hibernated like a bear and I woke up with little time to reach the town of Melrose. Luckily for me, I had no turns or traffic lights to obscure my path. I did however run into a giant tree that had fallen. I couldn’t believe so many trees just fell over on these trails. As the sun began to set, I found myself in a tiny town. Crystal and I decided to take our chances and park at a fast food restaurant parking lot which had spaces for large semi-trucks.
Our trailer felt like an ice box. Crystal rescinded all the blasphemous comments about the hot weather. We had to pull out our large comforter and huddle together to keep warm. I fell into a deep coma and didn’t snap out of it until the sounds of engines and drive through operators found their way into my ears.
The following day was even colder and I put on a shirt that was a little heavier. I stayed in motion because I didn’t want to feel the chills. We were approaching North Dakota and that meant we would get a few days off at Crystal’s dad’s place. I welcomed the break as my body had begun to tell me it was time for a vacation. The mile markers continued to increase and I discovered the length of the trail was over two hundred miles long. What I enjoyed about the mile markers on the trail were the little words of inspiration to keep people moving. The communities in the area seemed very health conscious as many of the homes kept little gardens.
Our fortune continued when we received word from the Holiday Inn in Alexandria. We would have a comfortable room with a large bed and soft pillows to lay our heads. Shelter from the elements was a good thing. I didn’t know what the weather would be like but it seemed as if autumn was at our doorstep. 
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