12/24/2015

My legs felt like they had been running for over a year. I had aches in my joints and I knew I was in desperate need of new footwear. I filled my stomach with all the usual items hotels offer for breakfast and I hit the road. The moment I stepped foot outside, I knew I was in for a rough one. Despite having a straight road with light miles, the winds pushed me with violent force. Rain pelted my face and the side of the road was a muddy slope. I didn’t get a moment of silence on this day. While the blue plastic poncho from Niagara Falls shielded me from rain, it also thundered in my ear. The whipping and flapping sound restricted me from hearing the sound of my own thoughts.

The cold was only a factor if I chose to stop running...

12/21/2015

I found myself enjoying one final buffet breakfast before hitting the road. Sweet cinnamon rolls and veggie omelets filled my stomach. With so many colorful choices the result could have been gluttonous. My mouth seemed to be drier than usual so I downed glass after glass of mixed juices. When I could no longer nourish my body I said good bye to my mother and Crystal. At that time I got an earful about the cold and rainy weather. There wasn’t much I could do about the whims of nature. I just had to remember that nothing was permanent and that the sun had to come out eventually.

Running in the rain wasn’t too bad. The mist stopped shortly after I hit the road. I was reunited with the old 99 and I didn’t need to look at my map for directions...

12/18/2015

Our day off in Redding found us indoor for most of the day. Constant drops of water fell from the sky. We did leave our habitat for a bite of the always delicious and always nutritious Chipotle. Other than that we were fine having a sedentary day. We slept an ample amount. It was as if we were bears hibernating for the winter. The weather had been unpredictable and we were just glad to be staying in the comforts of the Red Lion Hotel.

The next morning I woke up to yet another cold and wet day. It progressed from bad to worse when I went to the trailer to grab something to eat and I discovered that the support truck had been burglarized. The front seat had papers strewn everywhere. Some of our books had been tossed about and in a search for valuable items...