9/9/2015

We woke up early for a breakfast of yogurt, burritos, and pastries. The La Quinta Inn provided me with something salty, and something sweet for breakfast. It was plenty of fuel for my easy day. Despite rising early, Crystal and I somehow managed to use up all the time in the morning. Each time I looked at the clock another hour had passed. At noon time, we thanked Darren for the wonderful room and we headed out. With plenty of sunlight left in the day the running was delayed even more. We stopped into a community center and waited for the staff to return. We figured we would see if they had spare food in their pantry.

Around 1:30 Crystal contacted Kevin at Upin Thai. We couldn’t believe we found a Thai restaurant in the area...

9/7/2015

Four days of sleeping, lounging, and eating should have been sufficient to iron out the kinks in the body. I did nothing but take light and ginger steps any time I got on my feet. My movement was so slow, a snail could have outrun me. I let my body repair itself with little interruption. Over the course of the break, I organized a shipment of books we received from Capstone and dusted some parts of the trailer. I tried on each of my new shoes but didn’t take the time to break them in. The only footwear that hit the ground on my days or rest were sandals. But of course, I couldn’t lounge around forever. With the impending winter weather making cameo appearances I knew we had to rush along.

Was it possible to receive too much rest? The knees creaked at the outset of the morning...

9/3/2015

Breakfast was a simple affair. The little diner next to the motel served us two eggs, hash browns and toast. The familiar meal transported me to a time in my childhood. Funny how scent and taste can evoke memories of another time. The food slid right down my throat and filled my morning hunger. It was time to kick some rocks, polish off the day, and begin my much awaited days of rest.

The country roads remained naked. I could hear the sound of crunching rocks, the blowing air, and little else. I guessed most sounds didn’t like traveling the distance of the vast prairies. Occasionally large farm machinery would pass me like a tornado. They were hidden in large clouds of advancing light brown dust. In their wake I tasted powdered earth...