Cody Walks

Georgia!

2009-03-28T17:47:00.001-07:00

76-year old biker in Geneva. He bikes across Georgia every year in the "Ride Across Georgia."

Friendly Georgia guy.

Bright red Georgia clay!

Great name for a road!

Cody isn't sure if these were business or residential, but they were railroad cars that were hooked up to water and electric.

Jerry Moncrief, Reynolds, GA. Jerry left a comment on Cody's blog one night after he'd talked to Cody so we'd know he was all right!

Peach cobbler with peach ice cream on top.

"This is what Georgia is supposed to be about," says Cody.

Yummy!

I wish I could hear the story Amy was telling!

Tiny and Teensy (?). Not sure if that's their exact names, but their names definitely have the same irony as the ones I've assigned them!

Cecil with the dogs.

Cecil and Amy, good friends of Cody's. They run a great guest house, too! Besides Cody staying there for a weekend, they housed Mom and Dad a night on their trip.

Craft family of Dublin, GA. These are the folks who had mercy on Cody on a cold, snowy night and opened up their church center so Cody would have a warm place to sleep! I don't know what he would have done if they hadn't stopped and helped him out!

Well, folks, that sort of exhausts the pictures of Cody's trek. This is the Official Last Post. Cody is heading to Minnesota mid-April to work on a friend's farm, and who knows where after that? (If I decide he's doing something real exciting, I might have to post a quick note on here!) Anyway, thanks to all the folks who gave Cody food, shelter and encouragement on his odyssey. As his older sister, it reassured me every time Cody told me of some further kindness from strangers and friends alike. He had an experience that most of us can only imagine, and it was fun to write about it as it happened.

Thanks, also, to those who contributed to Cody's fundraising page for Doctors Without Borders. Your donations totaled an impressive total of over $2700. The page will stay active until November 2009, so feel free to tell your friends about this blog and the fundraiser, and they can contribute if they like.

Hope you all enjoyed meeting Cody, either as he walked along or as you sat in front of your computer. I'm sure you can all agree he's a one-of-a-kind guy!

Or, as Scott Porter would say, "Giver!"

Alabama

2009-03-22T17:37:00.000-07:00

Welcome Center for Alabama, where Cody camped for the night. The sunset the next morning.

Gorgeous!

Historic bridge.

J. R. and Cody.

J. R. checked in on Cody over the course of three days and insisted on giving him money for dinner one night. Cody said the people of Alabama were all very generous.

Walking on the railroad tracks.

Frank Rogers, owner of Frank Roger's Country Store in Marion Junction, Alabama.

Crossing a river. Since Cody was walking on the tracks, there weren't any signs to tell him which river, but he said it was a fairly major one.

Train! Glad Cody's a little off the tracks to take this picture.

Donna-- she gave Cody a soda and directed him to a library in Thelma.

Old Live Oak Cemetery in Thelma.

Cody says this cemetery is historically significant, but he couldn't remember the exact story and I'm too lazy to go look it up. Pretty trees, though.

Cody walked this whole trail.

Theodis Williams, Army Corps of Engineers.

Cody met these friends for lunch in Montgomery one Sunday.

Alicia, a shy store clerk.

Pretty little road. Cody says there were many intriguing roads in Alabama. This was in Tuskogee National Forest.

Grand southern house.

Mississippi

2009-03-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

We're now flashing back to the state of Mississippi. In the current-time news, Cody is working with Justin doing carpentry work this week. I'm not sure if it's for longer than a week, but it's work! Cody's going out to Minnesota in mid-April to work on a farm there for a while.

Big barge on the Mighty Mississipp.

Bridges across the Mississippi.

Site of the Battle of Vicksburg.

And, in history closer to home, the site of the Cage Fight between the Old Alpha Stroller and the Brash Backpack.

Alpha Stroller seems to be on top...

but Backpack has got some moves, too.

Vicious!

The carnage afterwards. (Or, more mundanely, Cody repacking the stroller contents into the backpack.)

Joey White.

This owner of a lumberyard in Morton, MS let Cody borrow a hacksaw to cut down his backpack frame.

Ricardo, Cody's colleague in the Chicken Coop Construction Company.

The house Cody worked on for a few days in Morton, Mississippi.

Willy Poe, owner of said house.

Don and Debbie Oldham, who gave Cody a ride to meeting and a bed for a few nights.

Their dog.

Cody setting out again.

Some estate Cody walked by.

Louisiana

2009-03-16T12:58:00.001-07:00

Here's the rest of Cody's pictures from Louisiana. He sent a batch of pictures when he was mid-way through Louisiana-- you can see the first pictures from Louisiana in the post, People #1-- the Paul family.

Shreveport, LA

Bayous of Louisiana.

Luke and Noah. "Hope of a new generation," says Cody (who was rather into mud-bogging for several years). Cody gave Noah a slingshot, since he looked like the kind of kid that needed a slingshot.

Mike Thompson-- Mike wants to bike across America in a few years. He saw Cody and wondered if he was crossing America. He bought Cody dinner in Vicksburg.

Think you're a little lost, Cody. Quebec is close to home, not your southern route of travel.

A live oak in Tallulah, Louisiana-- a beautiful little town with friendly postal employees.

Another scene from Tallulah, LA.

Approaching the mighty Mississippi!

The Big Finish, Pictorially

2009-03-10T12:31:00.000-07:00

Scene of Cody's momentous finish.

The day Cody first met up with Mom and Dad, and gave them his pack.

Scarfing some food.

Dad and Cody.

Tori and Cody.

Strange face, and the little backpack he used from there on out-- he had found it in the ditch that morning.

Some pictures Dad took of beautiful Tybee Island while he waited for Cody.

Lots of tankers off the coast!

Cody, the little red dot there in the middle!

Mom was up at the road, calling him on a cell phone, so she missed the initial sighting!

Closer...

And closer... He wasn't running by this point. He ran about 10 miles of that day-- after two nights with no sleep to speak of.

Posing with the Tybee Island water tower in the background.

Removing his shoes...

And his shirt...

For the plunge!! (This is a video, click on the arrow in the middle.)

Sitting, finally.

Then lying!

The poor, tormented feet!

Leaving Tybee. Cody bought a Tybee Island T-shirt that said, "Tybee Island: So Near, Yet So Far!" Quite appropriate!

Cody's welcoming committee at my cousin's house.

Celebratory cake.

The hero poses.

After sleeping...

(Not sure if he slept on the floor or not!)...

Cody was en route home, to his flock of sheep.

And the people who'd cared for his sheep while he was gone.

This weekend, all of the siblings, excepting the Alaska branch, were able to be together on the farm. Cody enjoyed checking out the cows with Dad and Owen, and seeing all the lambs-- four were born on Saturday. He got to wear different clothes, after wearing the same skimpy wardrobe for a long time. (We all wondered at his choice of acid-washed jeans from the 80s, but they were different!) I hope Cody is enjoying being home for now, we all sure enjoyed seeing him! His five nieces and nephews that were present were properly excited about having him back!

I have lots more pictures to post of Cody's final month in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. I'll be posting them over the next week or so, and keeping you informed of Cody's latest plans. Thanks so much for all the blog comments, it amazed Cody how many people had been rooting for him through this whole adventure! It's also exciting that he raised $2500 through his fundraising page.

Swimming IN the Atlantic!!!

2009-03-05T13:18:00.000-08:00

Cody Vaughan has made it!!! Over 2300 miles later, he is swimming in the Atlantic (there were porpoises and dolphins there a few minutes before he made it). He is cheering and waving his bandana, and looking forward to eating in a minute. Wow!!!

Exclamation points are called for here.

Running to the Atlantic

2009-03-05T11:42:00.000-08:00

Cody stashed his backpack somewhere behind a filling station earlier this morning so he could walk faster. Now, Mom and Dad have met him, and he has handed everything over to them so he can run the rest of the way! That includes his cell phone and spare change-- it's just him and his sneakers! (And clothing, of course!) He has crossed over to one of the islands east of Savannah-- I'm not sure exactly where in the route he is, but it's about 13 miles from the bridge until the beach on Tybee island. So definitely less than 13 miles! That seems so short, until you stop and consider how many of us run a half-marathon every day. Cody is pretty amazing in that he tosses off 50 miles a day without making it look hard! Mom says he's pretty sunburned at the moment, his lips are cracked and bleeding, and he looks tired, but he's still going!

Today, hopefully!

2009-03-05T07:01:00.000-08:00

Cody is walking on Augusta Ave. in northern Savannah. About 20 miles to go! He had another long, cold night-- he says being without a sleeping bag definitely makes you more ambitious! The only rest stop he made was at a laundromat. After stepping in a puddle of icy water, he stopped at the laundromat, washed his socks out with soap in the restroom, and rested while they dried in the dryer for 45 minutes. As he was leaving the laundromat, he found a token that exactly expressed his thoughts at the moment. It was a Lewis and Clark nickel, and on the back was an inscription from Captain William Clark's journal on the day they thought they had reached the Pacific: "Ocean in view! O! The joy!" Such are Cody's thoughts right now!

Another Long Cold Night

2009-03-04T18:54:00.000-08:00

Cody is at the intersection of 280 and 16, just east of Pembroke, GA. About 50 miles more to go! He is tired after his night of walking and a full day today, but he lacks the equipment to stop and sleep now-- the folks have his big frame back pack and sleeping back, and they're visiting relatives four hours north while they wait for Cody to finish. His feet are glad he doesn't have the big backpack anymore-- it was around 40-50 pounds, and it made a big difference in his feet and legs hurting. Cody's going to stop and sleep if he finds an opportunity, otherwise he's just slogging on through the night, and hoping to reach Tybee Island (and the Atlantic Ocean!) tomorrow evening!

I was thinking it would be great if Cody finished with all the folks who've been following along and cheering him on. Since we can't all be in Georgia, it would be great if anyone who likes could post a comment to this blog, and Cody could read them all when he wakes up from his week-long nap next week! You can also make your presence known in a meaningful way by donating to Doctors Without Borders through Cody's fundraising page!

All-Nighter Planned

2009-03-03T17:47:00.000-08:00

Cody finally met up with Mom and Dad today in Vidalia, Georgia! They took his big frame backpack and left him with just his essentials. He was going to take a nap in the afternoon, since it was warm, and then walk all night through the cold time. He still has about a hundred miles to go, but he should be able to do better mileage without those extra pounds on his back! Mom and Dad are visiting Cecil and Amy while he trudges on, and then they'll be there for the big finish!

So Close! (Thankfully!)

2009-03-02T18:18:00.000-08:00

Cody has had some pretty yucky weather the last few days! Thankfully, he was given shelter Sunday night-- read about it in this comment. I haven't been able to talk to Cody, but I've heard from others that he had a discouraging day in some ways. He was walking in the ditch on Highway 16 (my sister Bethaney had told him it was more direct-- tsk, tsk, Bethaney!) when a patrol officer stopped him and drove him back an exit. He then had to recover several miles on a less-direct route!

I'm hoping he's still riding on the strength of Saturday night's supper, warm bed and fellowship! Here's a couple pictures from that visit--

Cody when Cecil picked him up.

Cody signing the guest book as interested dogs keep watch. He's wearing his dress pants-- he's hoping he'll be finished his trek before he needs to wear them again! They're his only pair of long pants now, so he needed them for this snowy weather!

I'm hoping it's just a few more days until I can write about his triumphal finale!

Warm Bed and Spaghetti!

2009-02-28T19:05:00.000-08:00

Cody is settled in Cecil and Amy's place for tonight and tomorrow in Louisville, GA. They've been friends of our family ever since Cody was a baby, and Cody has been looking forward to getting to their neck of the woods. He hadn't quite got to their stretch of the road today, but Cecil rode out on an errand of mercy and picked him up-- it was a very rainy and cold day there. Since Dad and Mom are heading down to Florida right now for a funeral, they are planning on picking Cody up Monday from Cecil and Amy's and taking him back to start walking where he left off today.

Amy said Cody tucked into the spaghetti dinner she made for him, but he graciously declined use of their treadmill! It was a cold and rainy day's walk for him today. Last night he slept in a horse trailer, which got him out of the rain but didn't do a lot for heat! It's wonderful to know he's in a warm and dry place tonight!

Walking Through Georgia

2009-02-26T07:08:00.000-08:00

I talked to Cody this morning, when he was four miles west of Butler, Georgia. He is moving along, but Georgia is a fairly wide state! He has about 200 miles to go!

I removed the scanned images of the newspaper article I had posted yesterday-- I realized that's probably copyright infringement. Cody also wanted to clarify a few points in the article, for those of you who DID read it. While Cody does support the mission of Doctors Without Borders, he has no plans to volunteer abroad with them at this point. Cody always has several ideas of what he's doing next, and he has been talking about visiting South Africa to see a friend there. At this point, though, it's just a nebulous plan!

Thanks so much to those who donated to Cody's fundraising site-- he's over the $2000 mark! It's for a great cause!

The Final State-- Georgia!

2009-02-24T18:04:00.001-08:00

Cody is in Georgia, and on the last leg of his journey! I never doubted that Cody would give up-- I have never met a person who came close to Cody in sheer amount of determination. I did worry, though, that events or injuries would force him to stop. He's not finished yet, but I'm pretty impressed.

Cody was on the front page of Mom and Dad's hometown newspaper, the Malone Telegram. (I had posted a scanned copy of the article, but have since removed it due to worries over copyright infringement.) Anyway, Cody is famous now!

Saved the Prettiest for Last...

2009-02-23T17:54:00.000-08:00

Cody is nearing the home stretch! He spent last night in Tuskeegee, Alabama. I don't think he slept much, but he passed the night there. It was a pretty shady section of town, complete with barking dog most of the night-- it will make him appreciate his quiet bedroom on the farm all the more in a few weeks! (Although there has been barking dogs on the farm before.)

I talked to Cody Sunday afternoon, and he wasn't feeling very good. He was congested, and told me he has been fighting an earache since New Mexico. He thinks most of it is just from sleeping out in the elements. He thought he would be in warmer country now, but it's getting down to 25° at night, so he's cold a lot. The sunburn he got Saturday was also contributing to some shakes and chills. All in all, I think he is eager to finish!

Cody's walk from Selma to Montgomery was pretty desolate. It was the loneliest stretch of road since West Texas. The only gas station in a 30-mile stretch was closed due to a recent murder. Cody said it didn't look like a dangerous section, but he was glad to get that behind him. He had lunch with some friends in Montgomery on Sunday.

According to Google, Cody has a little less than 300 miles to go! One of the plans floating around right now is that Mom will go down to visit an elderly aunt in Florida and pick Cody up on the way home. Another option is finding a car that needs driven North-- there are websites out there that match a vehicle needing to be moved and a willing driver. Cody did that to get home from the West Coast last spring. Lots of options, anyway!

These are the rest of Cody's pictures. They are mostly of scenery, which can speak for itself, so I'll be (mostly) quiet now and let you enjoy the trip East, vicariously!

This was a cave right off the road that Cody climbed up in.

Scott says, "This was transition spot in texas... going down out of the plains and this one shows the cactus and tree together."

Pretty little town of Baird.

Old train depot.

Wow, these pictures make me want to go on a road trip. We sure live in a beautiful, amazing country! To help out those who may not enjoy all the wealth we do in this land, contribute to Doctors Without Borders at Cody's fundraising page.

Changes to Blog Format

2009-02-20T18:46:00.000-08:00

I've had different people wonder how to go back and read Cody's story, right from the beginning (which was the first week in November, 2008-- I would have to check with Cody or Scott Smith for the exact date.) To facilitate easier reading, I've changed the archive format over on the right hand side. It now is in chronological order, starting with November. Just click on the date to start reading! Once you read that day's post, you can click on the next date at the bottom of the page. This format isn't as attractive, but it is easier to use! Hope that helps folks out!

P.S. Scott confirms it was November 3rd that they started out.

"Cody's Legs Must Hurt" Pictures

2009-02-20T17:33:00.000-08:00

Cody texted me today that he had crossed the Edmund Pettus bridge (scene of a bloody attack against civil rights protesters marching from Selma to Montgomery). He is now doing the 54 mile trek that the civil rights marchers eventually made. They only averaged 10 miles a day, due to their large numbers, so let's hope Cody does better mileage than that!

The pictures I'm posting tonight are pictures that made me think, "Ouch!" There was some major climbing there at one point, as well as daily trudging along.

This sign had to be a little discouraging!

Beautiful scenery, though!

This is when he still had his stroller. I'm sure glad a semi didn't come around that curve!

Starting at sea level, here he is now at 8,650 ft.

Mountain Mercantile in Cloudcroft! (Site of some pretty good pies, I've been told!)

I can imagine these stretches were no fun on the knees.

Shredded sneakers!

Cody and Scott with their new walking machines.

Intriguing Shots

2009-02-18T18:42:00.000-08:00

Before we move on to the pictures, I just want to congratulate Cody on the birth of his first two lambs. His stalwart sisters, Olivia and Tori, have been busy checking on them today and checking for more new births. Olivia sent some pics-- it's hard to get good pictures in a dark barn in February in Northern New York, but you can see that the lambs are adorable. Not such a good photo op as when they are gamboling about in green pastures, but still cute.

Awww, huh?

I'm sure that sure set Cody's mind at rest, knowing how far from Michigan he was.

Not sure if this sign was interesting BEFORE Cody and Scott passed it by.

A REALLY big house.

Warning seems a LITTLE like overkill.

I want to know the history behind this telephone pole.

Scott Porter e-mailed me the other day to let me know that he had posted pictures of his leg of the trip on his smugmug page. He's also heard from Cody that Cody is now in Alabama. Only one more state to go!

News, and a Slew of Pictures

2009-02-16T11:01:00.000-08:00

Cody spent Saturday and Sunday night at Dan and Debra Oldham's place in Meridian, Mississippi. This morning, he headed out on Highway 80 towards Savannah, Georgia. He's wearing new shoes, the same kind he wore in between Pheonix, AZ and Abilene, TX. They worked well for him then, but he's not sure how they'll do now-- there's such different wear on shoes now that he's carrying a backpack.

The Oldhams picked up Cody there in Meridian Saturday, and then they drove back to Morton, where Cody had worked for a couple of days earlier last week, for a Sunday morning meeting. Cody is famous in Morton-- a waitress named Megan asked Willy (of the chicken coop house fame) for Cody's number because, "Cody is too cute!" Cody didn't give out his number, but he did feel important!

Cody had another "incident" with a lawman in Pelahatchie, Mississippi. Yet again, a sheriff pulled up beside Cody as he was walking down the road and demanded to see Cody's license. This time, Cody even graciously complied without an argument about the legality of such a request. When the sheriff then asked him to provide his Social Security number, though, Cody balked. Even I, his extremely law-abiding sister, am with him on that one! When Cody refused, the sheriff told him, "That's a good way to get on my bad side!" (imagine all this in a DEEP Southern accent!) He then told Cody he could take him to jail, "and wouldn't that be a shame, this close to the end of your trip?". Cody replied that he didn't particularly want to go to jail, but he wasn't giving out his SSN, so he had the time for jail if the sheriff thought it was necessary! After about 5 minutes in handcuffs, the sheriff gave up and released him. Cody said he was covered in tattoos and looked like he had a steroid habit. I'm glad a couple minutes cuffed was as far as this idiot was prepared to go! Cody had his "legal counsel" (Scott Porter) look up the law, and an officer is only allowed to ask for ID if there is probable cause to believe someone is breaking the law. Nowhere does it cover an officer asking for a Social Security number!

Cody's thoughts this morning are with another wanderer of the road. Bob Skelding built a trailer last year and started traveling around the country, pulled by his four-horse team of Percherons. On his website, Wagonteamster, he says, "About half the people in the world want to be free of bills and a daily grind, I’m one of them. My dream is to travel freely about the country, seeing new places and meeting new people. It’s hard to take the steps necessary to live a freedom type lifestyle. It’s hard to separate yourself from your security and material belongings and move completely out of your comfort zone. However, if you’re determined enough it can be done." Sounds like Cody's philosophy! I think he and Cody (remember his teen obsession with draft horses?) would sure enjoy meeting up on the road and talking. Unfortunately, Bob's trailer was rear-ended by a tractor trailer last Tuesday, killing two of the horses and placing Bob in the hospital in Meridian, MS with severe injuries. I'm not the type to get too emotional over such things, but I couldn't help crying over the story as I read it this morning, imagining the pain he's in and the trauma of losing those horses. It also made me glad Cody ditched the stroller-- Bob had commented just a few days earlier that the shoulders were pretty narrow in those parts, and the traffic was moving fast. Glad Cody can get right off the road now, so we don't read about him in the hospital soon!

I've decided to post pictures of Cody and his traveling companions today-- Scott and the stroller!

Fueling up on pizza for the trip!

Loaded down with two people's stuff.

Scott, then Cody, looking "as homeless as possible."

Very arty shots-- Cody said they were feeling like Clint Eastwood. Not sure what that means, but I've never tried to understand everything Cody says.

With improved tire.

Fanny Pack Pride.

New Year's Eve festivities.

Lots of sparkling grape juice and Diet Pepsi were consumed.

The stroller even got some time indoors.

Scott and that miracle, Peanut Butter.

Scott looking all smug with his PB and his $11 shoes. (This is before they started hopelessly shredding.)

Cody had climbed up a water tower-- here's Scott on the ground.

Lots of Cactus.

Technical Difficulties.

Scott and Cody before Scott headed out on the bus in Waxahachie.

I received a few new pictures in my e-mail yesterday from Debi Potter, one of the kind souls who took Cody and Scott in while they were in Texas (Walking Solo). Her description of the morning Cody and Scott left their place made me shiver! She said, "I cannot tell you how very cold and wet it was this day the guys took off. It was all this mom could do to let them go....but, hey, they had left home already, many times, so....I let them go, and prayed they literally wouldn't freeze to death. It's one thing to be cold and from the cold country etc., but, to have wet levi's on and be cold, w/ no heater...that's cold!@!!!!!"

Scott and Cody chowing down during a trip to a restaurant that weekend.

(Nice cheeks, Scott!)

Scott Potter (not Porter!) and Laura, the Potter's kids. These are the niece and nephew of Ed and Colleen Johnson, the folks the guys stayed with in Lubbock ("Day of Rest").

Heading out!

The Ls Come to Visit

2009-02-14T17:28:00.000-08:00

Tonight's post is of the visit Lindsey and LaRae paid to Cody back in December. For Lindsey's post on the visit, click on over to "Lindsey Checks In." LaRae just sent Cody a "Rock of Gibraltar" birthday cake with rainbow chip frosting! ("Rock of Gibraltar" is Cody's phrase to describe something huge and awesome.) I don't know how she packed it that it survived the trip, but Cody picked it up at the post office this week and enjoyed it hugely.

Lindsey and LaRae at White Sands.

Slogging up the hill.

Cody poses with the girls.

Cody and Lindsey with the heavily burdened stroller. Cody and Lindsey have been roomates before, and they get along swimmingly. I'm glad Lindsey got to share some of his journey, even if she was a wimp and didn't actually WALK with him!

LaRae and Lindsey.

And that's all for tonight... Thanks for bearing with the slow speed at which I am posting pictures. There was such an overwhelming number, my little librarian brain just feels more comfortable slotting the pictures into rather arbitrary sub-groups and posting them at a steady pace. Have a lovely Saturday night, I hope Cody is enjoying his night!

Signs

2009-02-13T19:10:00.000-08:00

I talked to Cody this morning as he was heading out of Morton, Mississippi. He had spent a couple of days working-- he met a guy, Willy, at a Chevron station who was dismantling a chicken coop and using the lumber to build a house. Cody stayed in his trailer for two days and helped with the construction. It was about 15 miles off the main road, and Cody couldn't get cell service. Guess it was quite an interesting experience! He was glad to have some more money in his pocket and be on the road again.

Cody was glad to get to here to get some water.

This is the travel center where Catfish and the crew welcomed Cody so nicely.
New Mexico and Nice People

Cody says he could have just about eaten the sign at that point.

Missile at White Sand Missile Range. (I'm assuming it's not an active missile.)

White Sands Missile Range. (This was where Cody was standing for the "Feeling Rocky" shot in yesterday's post.)

Hobbs, New Mexico

Scott posing.

Cody's turn.

Entering the State of Texas!

Then, several weeks and hundreds of miles later... Louisiana.

Animals

2009-02-12T17:33:00.000-08:00

I don't know if the wildlife has been real plentiful in the areas Cody has traveled, but he has pictures of animals, domestic and otherwise.

For some reason, Cody took a picture of goats.

(Cody likes goats, especially pygmy goats.)

Cody's not sure if these were wild pigs, or just unfenced pigs...

but they were definitely fat pigs.

Shetland ponies.

Hard to think of something that tiny being a mother!

Armadillo!

This was a "beast" of a dump body being transported down the road, so I threw it in this posting.

Some kind of animal, all right. Cody said he was "feeling Rocky."

And, depending on your point of view, you can either consider this a beast, or the customary closing shot of gorgeous scenery.

People #2

2009-02-11T18:54:00.000-08:00

This post is all the people Cody met while just walking down the road. It's a pretty friendly country out there! *All the usual disclaimers that all the mistakes in identification and spelling are all mine, Cody is thousands of miles away from this computer at the moment!*

This guy, Richard Hobbins, gave Cody the heads-up on the pies at Mountain Mercantile in Cloudcroft. He also gave Cody some sausages!

"Christmas Day"

This is Officer Ralph Baker, who checked in with Cody a couple times throughout the day, then brought him a muchly-appreciated pizza for supper.

"Two in Texas"

Bill, a store owner in Mayhill.

John Barzeal, who loaned Cody the use of a cabin on one of the worst nights of Cody's trip, and gave him a TV dinner. I don't believe I chronicled that experience, but I think Cody was pretty cold and desperate that night, and the kindness sure was appreciated!

Barbara, owner of the Lost Texas Cafe in LaMesa. She gave Cody and Scott some free BBQ, cobbler and drinks. Yum!

Thomas Fetting, of St. Louis, MO.

He was heading to NM, via every back road he could find!

This is Oscar. He seems to be another person who slipped through the cracks in this blog. Cody had told me about him (he talked to Cody one evening, then found him the next morning to give him a breakfast burrito and some hot chocolate). I sure thought I had written about him, but now I can't find him anywhere in the archives. That sure sounded like one good breakfast burrito, whether or not it was recorded for posterity at an earlier time.

Some folks who invited the guys in-- Scott was desperate for a shower, and got one here.

Three Sheriffs Cody met in a store near Roby.

Danny Guthrie here is a wanderer like Cody. He was walking to another town where a friend of his was giving him a job selling cars.

Billy Ray and his bike. Billy did an 8000-mile bike trip, looping around the U.S. in 2001.

Sunshine Donuts in Glen Rose

"Stroller Blues"

Bill Davis, owner of J&B Mini Storage in Brownsboro. He and Cody talked for a long time. He gave Cody a loaf of bread-- Pepperidge Farms rents one of the storage units, and they had given him some bread!

Phew! This uploading pictures every night is some serious work! I'm thinking tomorrow's post will be about Animals... stay in touch! Cody's fundraising page is always happy for visitors...

People #1

2009-02-10T17:25:00.000-08:00

Because I am too lazy tonight to post ALL the pictures Cody took of people, I decided to split the pictures into two posts. The pictures I took tonight will be of people Cody stayed with or was given an introduction to by another friend. Tomorrow will be all the delightful people Cody met while walking down the road!

I'll preface this post with saying that I asked Cody people's names over the phone, so if they're mislabeled or misspelled, it's not that Cody has forgotten you, it's just that I didn't hear him or didn't write it down right! If I know I mentioned folks in a previous post, I will put a link after that picture to the post in which they are mentioned.

Ken and Betty from Las Cruces. Cody was in their home for a Wednesday night Bible study, and they invited him for the night.

Ed and Colleen Johnson and their friend, Danny. (This is one I guessed before calling Cody-- we know Ed's brother up here in NY, and there sure is a family resemblance!)

Ed and Danny again.
"Day of Rest"

Yvonne Stephens and Emmy Nelson, two of the ministers that gave Cody a ride.

Emmy, unable to believe how full that little Prius is!
"Abilene..." , "Halfway There!"

The Sandon family from Lubbock.

Richard Sandon with his Jet-Ski? (I think that's what's under that wrap!)

The Wyatt family from Abilene. They met Cody in Hawley for breakfast one morning.

"Halfway There!"

The folks Cody and Scott met with in Glen Rose for a Sunday morning Bible study. They all went out to eat together afterwards!

"Stroller Blues"

The Potters from Mountain Peak, who put up with Scott and Cody for several days!

"Walking Solo"

Terry Erickson, whom Cody met while at Potters'. Mom and Dad actually knew him when he was a little boy in Fairbanks, Alaska!

"Walking Solo"

Delsie and Jean Paul, Cody's hosts in Shreveport.

Jean's mother, Mary

Jean and Delsie's grandson. (I think Cody is looking forward to seeing his neices and nephews again!)

"Hewing to An Arbitrary Deadline"

Now for something completely different... Not that the preceding folks weren't all beautiful, but I just had to include a scenery shot (or two.)

Sure is gorgeous therabouts! (I believe it was around the NM/TX border).

Stay tuned tomorrow for more pictures of the folks Cody has met!

Happy Birthday, Cody!

2009-02-09T18:41:00.001-08:00

Today is Cody's 24th birthday. I hope he gets a cake somewhere!

Cody has "stashed" the stroller and is backpacking from here on out. While out West, the stroller was a necessity because Cody had to pack several gallons of water at once. There was also broad roads to push a stroller. The further East he goes, he's finding that water is becoming more plentiful and the road shoulders are disappearing. He was finding it hard to push the stroller without being dangerously close to traffic. This is going to slow him down, though. He's found that he can average about 17 minutes per mile with the stroller, and 23 minutes with the backpack. (I was thinking to myself, "I can do a mile faster than that," and then I remembered that I rarely DO a mile, let alone a couple thousand miles...) There's a real difference between taking a brisk walk around the neighborhood and putting in the steady miles to walk long distances.

Cody's post office tragedy has a happy ending. Tallulah is a friendly little town, so an obliging mail carrier went in the P.O. and sorted through the mail to find Cody's packages-- his backpack Dad had sent down, and a package from his brother Owen, and his wife, Ashley. Cody had homemade banana bread this morning, compliments of Ashley.

Saturday evening Cody found a small gas station/truck stop. They let him take a shower and do some wash. By the time he was done his wash, it was almost midnight, so he walked a little ways and found a place to sleep on a bluff overlooking the Mighty Mississippi! So he walked the whole way width of Louisiana in exactly a week.

Tonight's photos are of Cody's Christmas visitors.

Scott

George

Tanner

I don't know if this post needs any caption. I think your reaction will determined by your sex and/or age. I thought, "Oh, gross!" and my husband said, "Awesome!"

The four guys before Cody and Scott set out, and Tanner and George headed back to Alaska!

A Small Helping of Pictures

2009-02-08T20:00:00.000-08:00

The last time I got a CD from Cody, I spent hours uploading all the pictures at once-- 40-some pictures. Scrolling through the old posts, it is sort of like someone not eating for two weeks and then going to an all-you-can eat buffet. This time around, I'm going for the moderate 3-meals-a-day approach. I have over a hundred pictures from Cody that I will be posting in the next week. Hope everyone looks forward to their daily meal!

The subject of the pictures included in today's post is...

Ditch Finds

While this is technically an animal, and could therefore be included in one of my planned posts on Animals, this poor little dog was a real ditch find. Cody found it cold and wet, with a wound in it's stomach. He called the tags in, and was told that it had been called in repeatedly, and to just take the animal to a shelter. Cody let it hang out in his sleeping bag to warm up. He was planning on keeping it (I think this was after Scott had left and he was feeling the need of companionship) but the fickle little mutt ran away with another dog.

This solved all the stroller problems-- two strollers! The little one felt like the red-headed stepchild of strollers after this picture, though, and didn't continue on with the guys.

A new uniform for Cross-Country Trekkers, as well as a new name!

A half-empty bottle of ArmorAll led to...

Tire cleaning time!

This outhouse was used for the first time in about 15 years, Cody guessed.

I talked to Cody for a long time last night-- he had almost crossed the state of Louisiana, earning his own walking record-- 60 miles in one day! I think he's just wanting to get done now, but there was a real impetus to trying to get to Tallulah, LA by Saturday. Cody feels that the stroller is a "crutch" (#7 on Cody's List of Bad Things), so he had had Dad mail him one of his backpacks to Tallulah. As I was chatting with him Friday night, he was about 18 miles west of Tallulah, and planning on walking most of the night to get to Tallulah for the Saturday post office hours, so he didn't have to wait until Monday. Alas, I had to be the one to break it to Cody that there WEREN'T any Saturday P.O. hours in Tallulah! There are lots of different scenarios to how Cody could deal with this, I'm not sure which one he choose. I'm pretty confident we had voted down the calling-in-a-bomb-scare-and-slipping-in-with-the-S.W.A.T.-team scenario. (It was a relief not seeing Tallulah in the newspaper this morning.) Anyway, for tomorrow's post I hope to have more information on Cody's whereabouts, more pictures, and Birthday Wishes for Cody!

Hewing to an Arbitrary Deadline

2009-02-03T10:03:00.000-08:00

Hewing to an arbitrary deadline is something Cody is good at. Around Christmas time, he decided he was going to be out of Texas before February. Thanks to walking 18-19 hours a day for several days straight, he suceeded. He crossed the state line into Louisiana at 10:57 p.m. on January 31st-- 63 minutes to spare!

Those 18-hour days were through some pretty discouraging weather. First, there was an ice storm (seems to have hit the whole South) that left about an inch of ice on the ground and made walking slippery and dangerous. The next day was an ice fog that left hoarfrost over every inch of Cody's stroller, and left Cody soaking wet. He actually turned in at 10 p.m. that night when he found a gravel screener with a utility room door open. His accomodations another night were even stranger-- he climbed up to a billboard platform and slept there! I guess this has always been on his personal "to-do" list, so another checkmark! I've seen guys standing on those little narrow billboard platforms while they change the sign, and it never occured to me to think of it as a bed. That's probably why I'm stuck in suburbia, though, and Cody is trekking across the country! (For ease of picturing this scenario, it was a billboard advertising a travel plaza.)

This grueling pace took its toll in sore feet and exhaustion-- and a funny tan line. Cody said he had such bags under his eyes that it made a tan line on his face! By the time he got to a meeting Sunday morning, he was done in. He was invited back to someone's house, and he had a three hour nap Sunday afternoon. Then, off to someone else's house for a Superbowl party and Cody's first taste of Cajun gumbo. (He was quite the fan of the gumbo.) After eight hours sleep that night, he felt much better! He stayed at his friends' house until after noon, then took care of some errands before he started walking through Shreveport. He made a photo CD at Wal-Mart, so I'm hoping to have some pictures to post next week! When he was talking to me, he was sitting at a McDonald's, writing some postcards and catching up in his journal.

Having crossed Texas seems like a huge accomplishment, in my book! There's still quite a few miles between Shreveport and the Atlantic ocean, though. Cody is once again weighing the pros and cons of ditching the stroller and just backpacking. The stroller's rubber tire is gone, now, so it would require money to fix it. From my armchair quarterback perspective, it would be money well spent. Cody carried a backpack most of the time he was walking with Porter, and it really cut down on the miles he could walk every day. Those extra 40-50 pounds really make walking more difficult!

Thanks for the recent donations to Cody's fundraising site for Doctor's without Borders. I'm hoping more people will learn about Cody's cause as he keeps on walking!

Walking Solo

2009-01-27T07:10:00.000-08:00

Cody just called from Waxahachie, TX. He and Scott went to the bus station last night for Scott to catch a bus to San Antonio, where Scott is going to visit his grandparents. Scott's not real sure when/if he's rejoining Cody. I think there's a Panama visit planned-- lots on his plate now, but Cody sure enjoyed having a month with Scott. In Cody's own words, "I salute noble men of valor and honor like dear Porter."

I don't think the stroller is missing Scott, though! Cody says it's driving like a Cadillac with just one person's stuff on board! Despite my dire forecast about the stroller in the last post, it continues to roll on. Last Tuesday, Scott and Cody stopped to watch the inauguration and found a Tractor Supply Company where they bought a rim for the stroller. It's heavy duty, and drives great now, but Cody's worried that the rubber on the tires is coming off in chunks!

Cody had a great break for several days in Mountain Peak, TX. He was at a friend's house for a Wednesday night Bible study, and they prevailed on him to stay at least until Friday, when several of their friends were arriving. Thursday and Friday, Scott and Cody got to laze around a bit. They did a little honest labor, pulling out some fence posts and clearing wire, for which they were amply repaid by a great meal at a steakhouse Saturday night! Friday night, there was a hymn sing and the guys got to meet lots of interesting people. There were quite a few with connections to different people Cody knows-- always interesting how many overlaps there are in friendships! Sunday, they stayed for a Sunday morning meeting and gospel meeting. They didn't really get on the road until about noon Monday! Not so great for mileage, but a nice time!

Friday was National Pie Day, which probably is second only to Thanksgiving in Cody's personal calendar. He got text messages from lots of his buddies around the country, as they made pies! (Julie and Gail, Bethaney B. and Sue, and others-- I couldn't hear their names as the trucks roared by!) While he didn't eat pie on Friday, he made up for it on Monday with an individual peach pie from Wal-Mart. Last year, he was working in Cle Elum, WA when I called to remind him about the date. That night, he went home and baked a pie for him and his roomate-- half peach, half cherry, to accomodate their different tastes!

Today marks a countdown from the 1000-miles-left marker! The mileage from Waxahachie to Savannah, GA is 995 miles. While the route will probably vary enough that it's hard to know exactly how much is left, it's an exciting milestone. Today is raining and in the 30s, so Cody is hoping he finds a good place for the night. At least he has a tent now, and it will probably be easier for one person to fit in their "Junior" tent! Cody is planning on walking far, far from the road if it actually starts snowing-- he figures all those drivers who aren't used to snow are going to be joining him on the shoulder or in the ditch pretty frequently!

Cody's next goal is to get out of Texas by the end of January. It's about 177 miles, so a pretty ambitious goal!

Stroller Blues

2009-01-19T18:12:00.000-08:00

Well, I think the stroller is truly on it's last legs this time. Scott and Cody are walking from Glen Rose to Cleburne today, and the stroller is barely wobbling it's way there. One tire is holding together with some hydraulic hose (not sure where they found that!) and the other rim looks, "about as stable as water" as Cody says. As my aunt Barbara pointed out, though, 1600 miles is pretty impressive for a stroller mileage. Especially since many of those miles were not on perfectly clean surfaces-- and probably Cody's gear weighs a little more than the average toddler. The guys plan on hitting the Cleburne Wal-Mart to find their new travel system! I asked Cody if he wanted me to do a business search online so they could plan their route in Cleburne, and he said "Someone already told us where the Wal-Mart was." I asked if he needed to go anywhere else, and he said, "Why, when there's a Wal-Mart?" So maybe Wal-Mart is the company that needs to sponsor Cody!

They have been walking a LOT lately-- and not getting much sleep. Saturday night was about the worst-- they walked until almost three in the morning, then just slept beside the road until 6:15. After someone picked them up for meeting, they went out to eat with all the friends. (I thought Cody said they went to the Big and Tough Eatery, and I was really scratching my head over that name! I did a search of Glen Rose restaurants, though, and it must have been the Big Cup Eatery. A little more palatable title! That's why I need to talk to Cody sometime when semis aren't rumbling past-- I already ask him to repeat everything twice, and I obviously still don't get it sometimes!) They had a great lunch, and then they slept all afternoon! Sunday night they slept in the stadium of the school. It was one of the warmer nights. It has been getting down below freezing at night, but Sunday was around the 40s. Cody was thinking it was balmy, but the couple who owned the doughnut bakery (Sunshine Donuts) nearby felt sorry for them-- they invited them to come over for coffee and doughnuts in the morning! The guys ended up talking to the couple that owns the place for an hour and a half. They were originally from South Korea, and were there during that war. Cody sure has heard lots of interesting stories on this trip!

When I was talking to Cody this morning, he had to go because a reporter pulled up by them on the road and wanted to talk to them. I don't think this interview was prompted by the Abilene news story, they had just received a call from someone who had stopped and talked to Cody the other day. I would sure love to hear what Cody and Scott tell them-- it was fun to get a little glimpse in that interview in Abilene. Neither of them is a real publicity hound, so it's a little hard to picture them going the media rounds!

Cody and Scott have raised over a $1000 on their fundraising page for Doctors Without Borders. Thanks so much to all who have contributed!

Halfway There

2009-01-15T16:44:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Emmy, one of the ladies who drove Scott and Cody back to their starting place after their weekend in Lubbock, we have pictures!That is some impressive packing job. According to Emmy, the back of this Prius contained "2 young men, a baby stroller, sleeping bags, tent, backpacks, huge plastic bag of food, American flag, plastic flowers, coats, old shoes, Yvonne’s suitcase & my backpack."

The two young men in question... or is it the two questionable young men?
All packed up and heading down the road again.

I talked to Cody Tuesday, after their day in Abilene. They had quite a tour of Abilene-- they came in on the northeast corner, and by the time they had visited a Wal-Mart and a shoe store (site of the news interview!), and got on the road out of town, Cody had figured they walked about 24 "non-progress" miles-- almost a complete circumference of the city. I asked if it was cheating to take the city bus on errands, and Cody said no, but it was too complicated to figure it all out. I guess he's just more energetic than me. Maybe the next time he's heading into a city I'll look up the bus routes and call him with some information!

Cody and Scott were unable to get to a Sunday morning meeting on Sunday, so some folks met them for breakfast Monday morning at a cafe in Hawley. They took them back to their house so Scott could take a shower (Cody had already bathed in a cold horse trough that morning!) and so they could press food on them! I guess they loaded them up with pudding cups and other non-perishable food. Always appreciated by the guys!

Speaking of food, I think Scott and Cody have sunk to abysmal depths in the culinary field. When I was talking with Cody, he told me that Scott had just bought a propane can so that they could use Scott's little stove for "hot Ramen." That seemed like an oxymoron, so I probed a little further and discovered that Scott and Cody have been eating Ramen noodles COLD! They add water to their cups and dump the noodles in, and after about 40 minutes of being jounced around in the stroller cup holder they are edible. Not good, but edible. Since they've figured out that Ramen is cheaper than PB&J, they've been having a LOT of cold Ramen. I don't know whether to beat them over the head until they come to their senses or airlift them in a 20 oz. T-bone! Either way, I'm sure they have appreciated the meals that have been served to them!

The 24-mile trek in Abilene ate up a whole day, so the boys were determined that they were going to up their daily mileage. Before Cody and Scott met up, Cody was able to average about 32-33 miles a day. With the increased luggage on the stroller for the two of them, though, Cody has been carrying a backpack, which cuts down on the miles. Now that Scott's more into the rhythm, Cody has decided to really abuse the stroller and just heap his backpack on the stroller and see how far they get before the stroller breaks down and they have to figure out a new strategy. Their goal, as of Tuesday, was to get to Glen Rose for Sunday morning meeting. That's an insane average of about 36 miles a day, so we'll see how well they do with that.

The trip really is about halfway behind them now. Since Cody started in the beginning of November, it's taken him about two and a half months to get halfway. Between working and visiting friends, though, Cody figures he lost about 3 weeks. Their goal now is to reach the Atlantic by the end of March. His long range (for Cody) plans are to spend the month of April on Mom and Dad's farm, then go to Minnesota for a few months to help out some farming friends there who are going through some difficulties. At this point, barring an accident or injury, the real limiting factor on how fast they can walk is finances-- Cody's going to have to find a job at some point to give him enough money to reach the coast.

The news interview that I linked in my last post has a print counterpart (for folks to access Cody's blog (here!) and fundraising site). It doesn't cover any really different ground, but if you have dial-up, it might load quicker! So here's the print component of that news story...
http://bigcountryhomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=91471&shr=addthis

Lights, Camera, Video!

2009-01-14T18:36:00.000-08:00

Cody and Scott had their first encounter with the media. While they were in a shoe store in Abilene, the manager got talking to them and found out what they were doing. The next thing they knew, there was a news van pulling up! Cody said he had contemplated throwing his jeans in the trash that morning, they were so dirty-- they were definitely not camera-ready! (As Scott pointed out, it could of been worse-- he could have been wearing sweat pants!) The reporter, Maria, talked to them for quite a while, and they were on the evening news! Cody made a plug for his fundraising efforts for Doctors Without Borders-- hopefully the folks in Abilene will help him raise money for that worthy cause. I'm not sure how long this link will work, but here is a link to the segment about Scott and Cody!

http://bigcountryhomepage.com/media_player.php?media_id=126091#

I have many more stories to write, and even some pictures, but I also have three sick little kids, so I will let this be all for tonight!

"Abilene, Abilene... Sweetest Town That I've Ever Seen"

2009-01-11T18:00:00.000-08:00

Not that Cody and Scott are actually in Abilene yet... but Cody was talking about going there, so now I have that old country song in my head! They are actually in Anson, TX (about 24 miles north of Abilene), where they just had dinner at a Sonic hamburger joint. Cody was saying they hadn't done very well with their mileage this week, but I was impressed-- 124 miles since Tuesday evening. They are in line to go straight through Fort Worth-Dallas, but I think Cody has decided to go through Abilene and cut over through Hillsboro and Corsicana.

I think I need to embarass Cody a bit and tell the story of their accomodations one night this week. Finding a semi trailer with an open door the other evening, they crawled in-- it had bunk beds and all, so they settled in. Around 5:30 in the morning, Cody woke up to the sound of a diesel, so he alerted Scott. "No, that's just on the road," Scott said. The next sound they heard was backup beeps! Realizing they better get out of there, they leaped out of their sleeping bags and started tossing their belonging out their door. Cody was comforting himself with the thought, "Well, at least they will still have to crank the jacks up," when he heard the sound of the jacks being electronically hoisted up! They did jump out and make it with all their belongings intact, but if they had been sleeping any deeper, they may have had a morning chat with the Border Patrol on their way into Mexico! Thankfully for my peace of mind, they have bought a tent, so they've slept in that a few nights, too. They didn't want to spend the money or the luggage space on a huge tent, so they bought a "juniors" size, 5'x6'. Cody doesn't think it's a true six feet, since he can't stretch out in it. Whatever size it is, they are in rather close quarters!

Cody and Scott sure enjoyed their time in Lubbock. I hadn't looked at a map before I posted the entry last Sunday, so I was wrong in envisioning that Lubbock was a town they'd be going through again-- Lubbock was actually quite a bit north of their route. They were dropped back off in LaMesa by two of our ministers-- they were driving a Prius, so I guess there was quite some packing to fit the stroller, tent, clothes and two guys in the back seat! I think it is the times they get to meet people and enjoy fellowship like that that makes this trip extra special for Cody and Scott.

Scott's $11 sneakers don't seem to be helping him out a lot. (Cody's bragging on his $20 pair still going strong after walking from Pheonix.) Scott thought that Crocs might be more comfortable, so he had his mom ship down his Crocs from Alaska. Cody, not a fan of Crocs, said he'd give Scott $100 if Scott wore them the rest of the trip. The stories about why Scott only wore them for 1/2 a mile vary-- Cody says it's because Scott realized they weren't working, Scott says it's just because he didn't want to wear them out before the Crocs got to see the Atlantic Ocean! Either way, Scott is still searching for something more comfortable for his feet.

Another week down, and they're getting awful close to halfway!

"And, as always, we thank for shopping at our friendly Massena Wal-Mart" Wait, wrong tag line... (I still can do the Wal-Mart voice twelve years after I worked there while in college.) And, as always, donations to Doctors Without Borders can be made at Scott and Cody's fundraising page.

Day of Rest

2009-01-04T19:08:00.000-08:00

Scott and Cody are sitting in the lap of luxury in Lubbock, Texas. Ed and Colleen Johnson picked up the guys Saturday so they could be in a meeting this morning. They're related to some friends of ours up here in NY, and are all around nice folks. Cody reports he had pumpkin pie after supper last night (and for breakfast the next morning, and for snack later... Cody does love pumpkin pie.) They had lots of fellowship today, with a gospel meeting and hymn sing this evening. Cody and Scott are going to stick around tomorrow and help rake pecans off the lawn, and then some other friends are taking them back to their point of departure Saturday. Cody sure is a stickler about that-- I'm impressed he doesn't get discouraged about starting to walk Tuesday so he can maybe hit Lubbock again Thursday or so.

I've been advised by legal counsel not to mention where Cody and Scott spent their New Year's Eve, but they had a good time, including hot baths. They drank sparkling grape juice and played poker until four in the morning, then they found a mound of peanuts out in a field somewhere for a bed. They burrowed into the peanuts (he claims this was safe!) and slept a bit. Their sleeping bags still smell like peanuts. There are lots of other crops that probably wouldn't have been as comfortable!

I don't know if it's because they're getting into more inhabited country, but they've been offered meals several times. They slept in the field of some Mennonite farmers the other day, and were awakened by the people there offering them breakfast-- coffee and some cookies. A guy named Oscar met them somewhere west of Hobbs, TX, and returned the next morning with breakfast burritos and hot chocolate.

I ran some mileage estimates this evening, and Cody's been over a thousand miles, with about 1300 to go. Getting awful close to the halfway mark! It would be interesting to sit down with him sometime and plot his exact route and calculate more exact mileage.

I was informed by FactChecker.Org (i.e. my brother Owen) that I totally screwed up the horse pictures the other post. The pictures I posted were of another Belgian horse Owen owned, Mary, with her foal Heidi. That definitely is Cody in the picture, just not Molly, the recently deceased horse. I did think the pictures didn't really look like Molly (who, I've been informed, was also half Owen's horse) but the details of who foaled who were lost in the mists of my mind. Anyway, here is a genuine picture of Molly, with Cody riding her bareback. (Don't tell Owen, who owned Mary, but Molly was much prettier than Mary).

I wonder if it would be more or less comfortable to try to ride a Belgian mare coast to coast bareback than to walk it...? I better not pose the question to Cody, or he will have to take up that challenge!

Two in Texas!

2008-12-31T17:20:00.000-08:00

Cody has officially been joined by Mr. Scott Porter on his walk-- welcome aboard, Porter! When I talked to them this evening, they were investigating a peanut processing plant in western Texas as the site for their New Year's Eve festivities (mainly consisting of sparkling grape juice picked up at a Wal-Mart this afternoon). They wanted to turn in early so that they would be off the road before the drunks were on the road! They had found an unlocked, heated trailer, but were calling the numbers for the company to ask permission before they crashed. Not a fun day to sit in jail for trespassing-- too many drunks puking in the holding cell! They were in negotiations when I talked to them, so Cody had to go to exert his personal charm on the person on the other end of Scott's cell phone line.

Scott is holding up to the walking well. Thanks to moleskin, and the cooler temperatures, he hasn't had a real problem with blisters, but his feet are sore. I can only imagine-- from the luxury of Tanner's truck to walking 20+ miles a day has got to be a shock to the system.

Scott, Tanner, and George Allen (a cousin of Tanner's and a friend of ours from AK!) found Cody Christmas day. They had told Cody they were in Mississippi the last time he had talked to them, so Cody wasn't even thinking they were anywhere near him. He was walking in Artesia, NM, when he heard honking, and turned around to see the Truck With Trailer! They even cooked him a meal for Christmas. Sounds like they had quite the Christmas, and Boxing Day. They played Monopoly (one of Cody's stronger obsessions) until 4:00 in the morning, and never left the Wal-Mart parking lot all the next day. Cody says trailers take being lazy to a whole new level-- you can sit on the couch and never have to stand up to reach all the amenities. I believe the only time they DID stand up was to walk into Wal-Mart for potty breaks and more snacks. Quite a change from the empty road and the continuous hunger.

Cody had another run-in with the law-- but this time, in a good way! A New Mexico state trooper stopped to ask Cody if he was all right one day, then stopped by again on his way home to check on him. He then saw Cody as he drove his wife back into town for dinner. They stopped and offered to take Cody in with them, but Cody told them he had to keep walking. So they returned after dinner with a whole pizza and a couple of Diet Pepsis for him! Despite a few exceptions, the people Cody have met have been so generous and excited to help Cody.

One of the hard parts of being on the road thousands of miles away from home came up on Monday. Molly, Cody's beautiful Belgian draft horse, had to be put down. She was extremely old for a draft horse-- around 26, though no one knows for sure. She had been failing this summer, but had seemed better the last couple of months. On Monday, though, she couldn't even stand up with assistance. Here's a picture of a much younger Cody with her on the day her filly, Heidi, was born. This was back in the day when horses were everything to Cody. While his older brother Tyler worked on old trucks and schemed ways to drive places, Cody subscribed to draft horse magazines and planned to use horses for everything his whole life . Within a few years, Broncos (of the mechanical sort) had captured his imagination, and the harnesses were set aside. He always loved Molly, though, and she had many happy years grazing along side the various animals on Dad and Mom's farm.Happy New Years to All, and here's hoping for Scott and Cody to have a great 2009 as they continue across the country! And if you want to think about those who are in less fortunate places in the world, contribute to Doctors Without Borders through their fundraising site.

Lindsey Checks In

2008-12-28T21:56:00.000-08:00

Hello all, this is Lindsey, one of Cody's other sisters, finally posting a bit about my trip to see Cody last weekend. First of all, I would like to say it is a good thing that Clover updates the blog as obviously I am not very prompt. Also I am trying to upload some pictures but I am at Mom and Dad's which is still in dial-up world. (Not their fault really, somehow there are no DSL or cable internet options available to them out here on the farm) So I waited forever for the pictures to load and some of them did but some didn't and I really don't get it. It said they loaded but I can't see them so... A few pictures seem to have worked but they really weren't the interesting ones.

So just a few weeks ago my friend, Larae and I decided we should go find Cody and take him some cookies. Obviously we could have mailed them but the hand delivery sounded like more fun from our end. So we decided to meet up in Las Vegas and take a little road trip. It was a spur of the moment decision and perhaps not very well thought out since we had not idea where Cody would be by the time we got there.

Larae grew up in Alaska and lived there when I first moved up. She later moved to Bend, OR and Cody hung out with her a bit when he was working in the area. She is always up for a good time and she has been following Cody's walk closely.

So I flew to Las Vegas on Thursday night and did some hiking at Red Rock Canyon on Friday and LaRae arrived in Las Vegas Saturday morning. We had a 760 mile drive ahead of us. After getting out of the city and getting some breakfast we were ready to hit the road around 11:00. That meant with pretty steady driving, we got to Alamogordo just a little after midnight. Driving that far through the southwestern landscape definitely gives you some perspective on just how big a job Cody is undertaking. Even with only a 75 MPH speed limit to slow you down, the scenery seems fairly monotonous and unchanging. It is beautiful and impressive but also stark and inhospitable. At least with the two of us we could talk to pass the time. It would have been pretty lonely by yourself. I am sure in the wide open areas, at 3-4 miles per hour you could walk for several hours and still see essentially all the same landmarks in most directions. It would be hard to convince yourself you were really making progress.

We called Cody as we were getting into town and I could hear sirens in the background. It seemed almost fitting considering his many previous encounters with the law. Anyway, the flashing lights were a nice help so we knew we were getting close. Of course, Cody was not in anyway involved in what ever was going on but they were just across the street from him.

It was really good to see Cody again. We can't help worrying a bit now and then so it was good to have living proof that he really was alive and well. He was looking rather tired and I felt bad having kept him up so late. For the record, we had offered to pick him up wherever he was on his way to Cloudcroft but he had assured me he could hitch a ride back to town no problem. When I heard he had walked back about 8 of the 13 miles he had covered that day I felt pretty sorry for him.

We stayed in a motel in town there and although Cody had insisted mightily that he would just sleep on the floor, after flopping down on the bed when he walked in the door it wasn't too hard to convince him he should take advantage of the situation and have a comfortable night. Cody says it is harder to get comfortable on the ground in the cold weather because you instinctively want to curl up to stay warm but it is very uncomfortable laying on your side on the hard ground. Having done a bit of cold weather camping in the southwest last spring myself I could commiserate a little bit. Of course since we were in a car we had piles of gear to make the camping more comfortable but I never had a good night sleep until I discovered how nice foot warmer and hand warmers were inside a cold sleeping bag. I bought Cody a bunch before I left him so I am hoping he will try it out.

On Sunday morning we drove up to Ruidoso for a meeting. It was nice to meet some great folks there. Cody's fame had preceded him as the people he had meet with Wednesday night had called the folks in Ruidoso and told them to expect him. Afterwards we were all invited to stay for Sunday dinner. It was a delectable ham dinner with all the fixings including quite possibly the best corn bread we had ever had. Cody was definitely enjoying good home cooking. Our hosts were Glenn and Becky and their children; a great family. They were very interested in Cody's unusual adventure and enjoyed hearing some of his stories from the road. Walking across country is a great conversation starter. No one passes up the chance to ask more questions once they hear what he is doing.

When we were ready to leave Becky packed up the leftovers and sent them along with us. Cody was had told me before we got there that he just wanted to feel full again and I think we achieved that goal. Between Clover's gingersnaps and peanut butter cookies and Larae's fudge and almond roca and generous amounts of assorted junk food and then a marvelous ham dinner and leftovers Cody was full to the gills.

When we first arrived in Alamogordo we told Cody that we really wanted to go for a hike Sunday afternoon and then maybe camp out! Although we tried to keep a straight face we just couldn't do it. For some reason that didn't sound like a relaxing day to Cody:)

Sunday afternoon we went to White Sands National Monument. When Cody had walked past the entrance to the park on Friday he had considered walking in the eight miles to the main attraction, the Heart of the Dunes area. However, I assured him we could go down there and visit it with a car. Somehow the side attractions lose their appeal a bit when they require 16 miles of extra walking. The sand dunes were really amazing. The landscape reminded us of the Yukon in the wintertime. They plow the roads there to get all the sand off the road and it looks just like plowed snow with white hills as far as you can see. It was a strange sensation to get out of the car to warm air. It was a beautiful afternoon with clear blue skies and we soaked it up. Having just come from Alaska, the sun was amazing, bright and warm. We played around a bit, sliding down the slopes and writing in the sand.

Then we headed back to Alamogordo for a lazy evening. Cody did some laundry and we drove around the town exploring a little bit. I think we likely had a lot more fun than it made sense to be having. Larae and I never seem to stop laughing when we get together and when you add Cody to the mix it just gets even more ridiculous. So it didn't take much to keep us entertained. It is usually hard to tell if we are laughing with or at each other but luckily we are good enough friends it doesn't even matter. I have a feeling Cody was usually laugh at us. I think he enjoyed some down time and some human companionship even if it was with his crazy sister and her friend.

Monday morning we drove up the road to Cloudcroft. Cody had stashed his stroller ten miles up the road which was really steep and curvy. We continued past the stroller and scouted out the road the rest of the 6 1/2 miles to the top of the hill. Neither Larae nor I were envying Cody that walk. In Cloudcroft, we mailed some postcards to all Cody's and my adorable nieces and nephews and then returned to the stroller.

Cody had hid the stroller well and the only vandals who had found it were rodents. Cody's loaf of bread and his candy bag were all chewed up. Cody had a whole bag of fireballs in the stroller and the mouse had chewed into several of the balls. The idea of mice getting a taste of red hot fireballs was a small comfort to Cody. Perhaps it taught the mouse that crime really doesn't pay.

We spent some time going through the contents of the stroller cleaning up all the chewed up bits of wrappers and twizzlers. (Cody was quite broke up about throwing away the entire bag of twizzlers but the mouse had made it pretty evident he had sampled each stick individually.) Cody was a bit embarrassed to have us going through the entire stroller. He said it was a bit like having company when your house is a mess! Although Cody really doesn't carry much extra in his stroller, it inevitably gets a bit untidy after a full day or so of walking with out a gas station or somewhere to dispose of the trash.

Also Cody was attempting to downsize a bit. He convinced me against my better judgment to take his lighter jacket and some shorts back home since he was convinced he wouldn't need them. I thought he should keep the extra jacket in case he needed to bundle up but he was certain that his winter coat he just got in a package from home along with all his other clothing was plenty and he wanted to lighten his load. He also sent home his first pair of sneakers. He hated to throw them away since they weren't completely worn out yet. They just weren't suitable for a full day of walking. They were responsible for some pretty horrendous blisters and he had given in and bought a new pair but continued to carry the old pair with him. I wonder how many more pairs of sneakers he will use to get to the east coast.

Larae and I had a loaf of bread in the car that we had got to make some sandwiches for our trip back to Las Vegas so we were more than happy to donate some of the loaf to Cody to replace his chewed up loaf and we also weighted him down with other assorted goodies including a couple diet Pepsis. Cody and I have always been pretty steady diet Pepsi drinkers but he has given it up on this trip since it doesn't fit in his budget and of course just plain water is healthier. I felt a bit bad being a supplier to his habit... But I figure just a drink or two couldn't hurt.... We both quit frequently but since neither of us like any other source of caffeine it is difficult to stay committed.

We were impressed with Cody's stroller system. He has a couple of bungees and a tarp and everything has its place. All his cargo is securely fastened and even somewhat organized. His rubber tires are in very bad repair but he just keeps replacing the tubes and manages to get along.

Once we were sure Cody was in good shape we left him. I think we were both feeling pretty sorry for him at that point; standing on the side of the road on a cold windy morning with 6 1/2 miles of steep hills ahead. We had to remind ourselves that he was there by choice and he was very upbeat about the whole thing so we really didn't need to feel too sorry. However once we had covered well over a hundred miles in our climate controlled, comfy rental car, we realized that he was still likely not finished with that little section of road and we had to remind ourselves yet again. The fact that we were both heading home for Christmas added to our guilt. We do have it pretty good,

We had a lot of snow around Flagstaff on our way back to Las Vegas and for a good while we were creeping along at 20 mph. We also encountered rain and hail and a thunder and lighting storm. We were very late getting to our hotel so we didn't check in with Cody again until the following day.

As it turned out he had had a pretty good day after we left him. Once he got back up to Cloudcroft the hard way, he hung out for a little while. We had seen the pie store he had been told about so I think maybe that was a stop. Cody has never seen a pie he didn't like. He said everyone in Cloudcroft was super friendly and helpful. Once he was refreshed, he started heading down the other side of the hill. (A bit easier than uphill but hard on your knees) Later that evening, two guys saw him and talked to him and then came back later with some warm soup for supper and about 10 miles downhill (16 1/2 miles for the day) a guy who was building some rental cabins stopped him and told him he was welcome to crash for the night in one of the cabins. He had planned to go a bit further but that was too good of an opportunity to pass up. The cabins weren't finished but they had heat and hot water so he had a very nice evening with a warm meal, a hot shower, and a warm and dry spot on the floor. It really is amazing the generosity of random strangers. It definitely reaffirms my faith in our fellow human beings.

Well I guess I have rambled long enough. I will happily be turning the blogging responsibilities back over to Clover. She has been very excited about posting the latest news about Cody's Christmas and all but I have been holding up the works since she is striving for some sort of chronological order to this thing.

I think she will likely be posting again soon. So check back to read all about the latest exciting developments.

Christmas Day

2008-12-25T18:11:00.000-08:00

Cody called today from seven miles west of Artesia, NM. He was hoping Artesia, a town of around 10,000, would have some sort of restaurant open today. In contrast to Thanksgiving, he actually has enough money to purchase more than a double cheeseburger! He has PB&J as a fallback, I’m sure.

Lindsey is planning on writing about her time with Cody, but there are a couple of good stories I haven’t written about yet. One of the most touching stories took place in Alamogordo last Friday night. A lady had seen Cody walking several times, and then saw his stroller parked outside a Taco Bell. She went in and asked who the stroller belonged to—when Cody owned up to it, she told him to wait five minutes. She ran home and returned with winter gear. The gear had belonged to her husband, who was killed in a peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan. Cody told her he was “homeless” by choice while he walked across America, but she said she wanted him to have the clothes—she was glad to give them to someone who was trying to make the world a better place (referring to Cody’s fundraising efforts). She also was going to give him a gift certificate for a fast food restaurant, but Cody didn’t feel right taking that. The lady also had a son injured while in the military who was still in the hospital, as well as some teenage daughters. Cody certainly didn’t feel worthy to fill these clothes, but was honored to be given them.

Cody spent Saturday walking east of Alamogordo. He met a friendly guy who was on his way to the Mountain Mercantile store up in Cloudcroft to buy pies! This man must have stopped because he recognized a kindred pie afficiando! He offered Cody a ride up to Cloudcroft, and when Cody refused, he drove up to Cloudcroft, then returned to talk to Cody again. He brought him some sausages, a reconnaissance report on the road ahead, some money, and an offer for Cody to camp out at his house. (He had all his kids home for Christmas, or he would have had Cody bring Lindsey and LaRae to their house to stay.)

Cody had planned on hitching back into Alamogordo for Saturday night to meet up with Lindsey, but he didn’t find a ride—he ended up walking almost all the way back! So he walked double the distance—but at least he got exercise instead of resting for the day.

For all the folks out there trying to reduce their tax bite in 2008 (as I’m sure most of us are), you have a week left to donate your tax-deductible contribution to Doctors Without Borders through Cody’s fundraising site. Thanks to all your generosity in that regard, and enjoy the rest of your Christmas day!

Photo Extravaganza!

2008-12-22T19:09:00.000-08:00

Cody's picture CD got here in the mail today, and it's been a lovely distraction from the 2 feet of snow we have here in NY. I feel compelled to add captions to some of the pictures, but since I haven't gone through them with Cody, they will all be guesses! I will check in with Cody sometime soon and correct anything I have wrong, but just wanted to get these great photos up! Most of them speak for themselves. Enjoy-- there's been a photo draught for too long.

This guy was biking from the East Coast-- Cody met him with just a short bit left.

Quite the bleached hair, there! Sunshine Clairol...

Then, no hair.

I think this photo is of the sunrise one morning, and even though it didn't come out focus-wise, the colors were just so intense I had to post it.

Cody's nickname is Doug. Actually, Dug, but close enough.

Not sure who this is, but love the picture.

I'm thinking this is PJ and Laura! Hi, guys!

That had to be hard on the back of the calves.

I remember Cody was wondering about the sleeping on the ground thing at this point.

I think these are the start of the ranch pictures... but that's just a guess.
Gorgeous, wherever it is.

I really want to know what this is.

Fencing among cactuses. Ouch, but what a view.

Aerol the Bachelor. And Cody's lifesaver.

Cody had to be thinking, "And this is the year I pick to WALK?"

And that's all for now. I'm off to bed, but Lindsey is hoping to check in sometime in the next day or so and write about her trip to see Cody. Can't wait to hear all the details!

Las Cruces, NM

2008-12-17T13:31:00.000-08:00

Cody called from Las Cruces today. He was planning on splurging today and blowing his $6/day budget on a pizza from Little Caesars-- he's been having a craving for pizza. While he was talking to me and telling me this, he spotted a Little Caesar's box in the ditch-- we decided it was an omen, and he should really pursue the pizza thing.

He had called me to run some mileage numbers to figure out his best route. He was expecting to pick up a package in Alamogordo, but he was worrying it would have been smarter to go the El Paso route. Google's prognosis was that Alamogordo route was the most direct, so he's heading thataway. He was also stoked to hear that if he keeps walking in a fairly straight line, it's only a little over 1600 miles to the Atlantic Coast-- he was thinking it was more in the neighborhood of 2000 miles. Of course, there could be many detours that could add to the trip.

Cody is expecting visitors this weekend! My sister, Lindsey, and her friend, LaRae, are flying into Las Vegas for a little vacation, and driving about 13 hours east to see Cody while they're there. Cody told me that he'd "forgotten" to pack some Eleanor Barkley Gingersnaps (anyone who has ever had that cookie remembers it!) and if Lindsey could remember to pack some... So we've been baking cookies today! I'm hoping if we freeze them good tonight, they'll have a few days to defrost and will taste fresh to him when he finally gets them Saturday night.

Cody's hoping to find a Wednesday night Bible study in Las Cruces tonight, and then Lindsey may be able to drive him to a meeting Sunday morning! He was excited about that.

I've been hovering by my mailbox, but no picture CD yet! I'm sure with Cody's budgetary constraints, he didn't overnight mail it, so it might be a while! I'll have to badger Lindsey to post pictures at the beginning of next week.

New Mexico and Nice People

2008-12-15T12:29:00.000-08:00

The folks at the Savoy travel center near Deming, New Mexico are nice people. After several hours of their ministrations to a cold Cody, Cody is on the road again. Cody was hunkering down outside last night when the security guard, Catfish, told Cody to come inside. He got a nap on the couch in the truckers lounge, a juicy burger with fries, free shower and more! He had planned on just sleeping a few hours yesterday evening before walking more at night, but he caught some good sleep while it was available. He was there from 7:30 pm until 3:00 this morning. He's trying to do more night walking at the moment because there isn't many options except the prohibited interstate, so he tries to walk at the least busy times.

After leaving the comfort of Aerol's ranch last week, Cody walked into a headwind all day long. The next day the wind pushed him sideways, then it whipped at his back the third day. Plenty cold! He was supposed to pick up his package from Mom and Dad at the Lordsburg P.O. Friday, but it wasn't in yet. He hiked south of town to the ghost town of Shakespeare to look around while he waited until Saturday's mail. He was met with a shotgun by the caretaker (not a nice person) and was told he had to leave. Cody, of course, just waited until it was dark and then snuck around back and spent the night in the stable. I asked him if he saw any ghosts, and he said no, but his sleep was rather disturbed by dreams about the guy finding him and shooting him! Then he snuck back out before the sun was up. Unfortunately, the package was still in El Paso Saturday (tsk, tsk, USPS, Priority Mail let him down!) so he asked them to forward it to Alamogordo, NM and set off again.

Today found him in Deming, NM. He went to a Wal-Mart and got a CD made of the pictures he's taken so far! Can't wait to get that! He was thinking he would have to backtrack a ways to send it at the post office, but when he walked out of Wal-Mart, the mail lady was there in her little truck and he was able to mail me the CD right there. You probably get more excited about saving a couple miles when you have to walk every foot of the way. (Or drive the green bus, but that's another way-back story). He also traded in his "guaranteed-for-life" tire tubes for his stroller tires-- says he'd forgotten what a Cadillac the stroller can be! It's been pretty stiff pushing lately. There's a Wal-Mart in his next big stop, Las Cruces, so he only has to last until there to trade his tubes in. I have a feeling they're going to be sick of their little guarantee by the time Cody finishes his trip!

Cody sure enjoyed his time with Aerol (The Bachelor), and hopes he'll see him again some time. Aerol has roots in South Dakota, and attends the Sturgis rally every year, so he's told Cody to come stay with him in a trailer at the rally and work security or something. He also has friends that run combining teams across the Dakotas, a job Cody has always wanted to do. He did some combining in Oregon last year, but he's always dreamed of running a combine on the Great Plains.

Cody isn't able to check in on the internet much, but he was really excited today when I told him how much has been raised on his fundraising site. It's encouraging for him to know people are supporting his cause.

I checked with Google on an approximate mileage count for him, and he's come at least 675 miles, not county any backtracking or fencing hikes. No wonder he wears out shoes!

Ranching

2008-12-09T18:51:00.000-08:00

Cody's still interred on the ranch in Arizona. He was planning on heading out today, but Bachelor had to take a trip up to Pheonix for a few days, so Cody agreed to ranch-sit. He had only planned on being there a week, but after a shopping expedition Sunday to buy new tubes for the stroller tires, some new jeans to replace his "shredded" one, and some food, he realized he needed a bit more cash, so he stuck on.

I'd been wondering just how desperate the cash situation was before he got this job, so Cody finally told me tonight, from the security of the ranch's double wide, with a full meal in his belly-- he spent his last dollar on a cheeseburger from McDonald's on Thanksgiving Day. It wasn't until Monday, I believe, that he found this ranching job. He'd made his last 12 1/2 dollars last a week and a half up until Thanksgiving, by subsisting on PB&Js and Ramen noodles. After the dollar cheeseburger, he lasted the rest of the time on PB&Js. He was passing the ranch after they were all gone, and he decided he at least had to ask for water. He found a job, along with water, and several good meals.

Bear in mind, worriers, he could have had money from anyone in his family or an extended network of friends with a phone call, but he had to see how he would feel to really be broke.

I'm guessing he felt hungry.

And probably sick of PB&Js.

Anyway, this job has done wonders for his morale and bank account. It sounds like it's beautiful country, too. Cody's been fencing in the BLM portion of the ranch, which is full of mountains and valleys. Since it is BLM land, there are no motorized vehicles allowed. That means hauling in fence posts on foot, over tough terrain. At least his muscles probably haven't atrophied in the last week!

Cody, true to his battle against softness, hasn't been sleeping in a bed on the ranch, even though the rancher offered him one. He has, however, been sleeping inside. An inch of snow fell yesterday-- Cody says it will be tough to leave the warmth at night! He has lots of warm clothes, though, and Mom is shipping him a package with another winter coat. He's also mulling over what book to ask her to send. He's finished Travels with Charley, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

The Stroller Saga continues. Cody spent money on three tire tubes that were guaranteed not to go flat. He spent about twenty minutes carefully picking over the three tires, removing any tiny speck of thorn or gravel that might pop a tire. He then carefully wheeled it about 200 ft. and parked it next to the house. The next day, Bachelor had hired someone to blast some rock for them. After the blaster set the six-minute timer, they were waiting for the explosion, when there was a loud bang from behind them! The tube had chosen this moment to blow up! Cody has no idea why it would have exploded, stationary with hardly any weight on it. It's not like he's overfilling them, since he has a pretty lame hand pump to pump them up with. The tire that had popped was a back tire, so Cody swapped the tube out with the front tire, than filled the front tire with pipe insulation. Since it's not bearing as much weight, he hopes that will work.

Scott Smith left yesterday, heading for Laramie. I'm hoping he took some pictures that he'll post!

Cody continues to be remembered at home in upstate New York. He had pygmy goats when he was a kid, and we all loved them. They were cute and had tons of personality. This summer, he decided to buy another one, so he answered an ad in the Free Trader (lifeblood of the North Country) for a pygmy goat. He was a little skeptical when he showed up, since there wasn't much pygmy about this goat. He hated to call the lady a liar, though, so he took the goat. He quickly decided it was just an ornery billy goat. And it smelled worse than boys' feet after a road trip (and I speak from experience-- I once had a Metro that my brothers borrowed for a road trip-- when my sister crashed it 18 months later, it still smelled wrong!) It was just an exceptionally unappealing animal.

Remember my comment about Cody's relationship with The Law? Well, because of that touchy subject, I'm not gonna say what happened to the goat. Suffice it to know that a really ugly billy goat was discovered in the enclosed court yard of the local high school sometime this fall. The ag teacher took pity on it and adopted it, while the juniors accused the seniors of a prank, and the seniors retaliated with accusations of their own. Not much has happened with the goat lately... until it got in the mood to write Christmas cards.

An 8x10 portrait of the goat was sent to Cody (at Mom and Dad's address). The goat asked if he could please come home again...

The shop teachers at school have had lots of Vaughan kids through their classes, and I think they might be fairly confident that they know what happened that autumn evening.

Anyway, there are no goats on the ranch in AZ!

As Cody says, this little break has done wonders for his morale, but he can't wait to get walking again, and "karate fight the road." Here's hoping he delivers a good blow to the asphalt! Feel free to make your own karate chop for good with a donation to Doctors Without Borders at Cody's fundraising site.

Bare Bones Facts

2008-12-07T07:03:00.000-08:00

The only information from Cody comes third- or fourth-hand, and I don't think it was a long conversation then, so all I have is the skeleton of facts. It lacks all the details of Cody's life that usually make for interesting stories. So here it is, boring, but at least an update.

Cody is planning on working on the ranch for a few more days, then he's off again. Scott Smith, who helped him start his trek back at the beginning, has rejoined him for a few days, so he'll be able to get Cody to a meeting today. I'm sure Cody's enjoying having him there. Since Scott walked across California with Cody, Scott has been back to Washington, with a trip to Maui in the middle. That guy travels!

Anyway, hope Cody gets time and/or cell phone reception to talk to me soon! Until then, happy fencing, Cody!

Fencing for Funds

2008-12-01T09:23:00.001-08:00

Cody's financial situation is looking up! He just called to tell me he has a job on a ranch about 20 miles from the New Mexico border. All those years of fixing fence on the farm when we were growing up filled out his resume nicely! He's laying fence for a 55-year old roping champion and bachelor. (Since I don't know his name, he'll be Bachelor from here on...) Bachelor owns about 700 acres but runs cattle on 7,000 acres, most of it BLM land. On this spread, he has about 50 cattle. I think he's semi-retired and could support more cattle than that, but it still sounds funny-- our dad runs upwards of 50 beef cattle on about 40 acres of pasture in Northern New York!

Cody's getting meals, a bed, and actual money, so this is a nice interlude in his journey. I think he was a little discouraged over the weekend. His stroller had three permanent flat tires. The only reason he hadn't ditched it by now is he took a gander at some of his route in NM, and it's pretty desolate. He's going to need a way to carry water and food through those stretches. Hopefully, during the week he's planning on working for this guy, he'll have time to fix it all up and turbo-charge it!

I didn't get to talk with him this weekend, but he talked to my folks, and his friends Tanner Smith and Scott Porter, who were with my family for Thanksgiving and beyond. He had some stories to tell them-- I guess Cody had another Sheriff incident. For a guy who's (reasonably) law-abiding, Cody sure has an adversarial relationship with The Law. This weekend, as he was walking down the road, a sheriff pulled up and asked to see his ID. Cody, instead of fishing out his wallet and a five-minute explanation, quite legally told the sheriff he was not obligated to show his ID because he was breaking no laws. (Principle is often a bigger thing with Cody than expediency.) The sheriff told Cody he was breaking the law just because he was walking down the road. Since Cody was on a secondary road open to pedestrians, Cody disagreed. It all finally ended when Cody told the sheriff he would call the state police on his cell phone and ask them the legality of the situation. If the state police told him anything he was doing was wrong, Cody would happily show the sheriff his ID. At this point, the sheriff drove off in a huff. It will be interesting to see the number of times Cody gets in this situation during his trek, and whether he actually makes it the whole length of the country without getting incarcerated!

His cell service wasn't the greatest when he talked to me, so he'll call back later. I'm anxious to hear all about life on a ranch in the southwest!

Unconventional Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T09:33:00.000-08:00

Just talked to Cody, before we sit down to our enormous Thanksgiving meal. Cody was in the McDonald's in Safford, AZ, eating a cookie! He had quite a walk to get to Safford. I think it was 70-some miles in 36 hours! He got to a Wednesday night meeting in Safford with five minutes to spare...

Last night wasn't real restful for him. He was sleeping in some woods, and it started raining. He found a lighted overhang somewhere in town and slept a few hours before the police rousted him. He found somewhere else to sleep, until it started raining again. This pattern continued all night! He's planning to stay in Safford for a couple days to make some money. I hope he finds a better place to sleep for those days!

Cody wasn't sounding sorry for himself, but I'm not thinking a lonely day in a strange town on Thanksgiving sounds like much fun. He's hoping to find someplace open to have turkey! The usual homeless men standbys (libraries, malls, etc.) are all closed today. His day is making us all thankful for what a nice day we're having here with lots of food and friends.

Here's hoping Cody finds work so he can fix his sick stroller and start his journey again!

On the Road Again

2008-11-25T15:27:00.000-08:00

After a day and a half in Globe, Cody is on the move again. It's the first cloudy day he's had since the very first day in California. He's enjoying the respite from the sun and the corresponding 60 degree weather!

The stroller is having lots of problems with flat tires. Cody was talking about just ditching it and going on with a backpack. I hope I've talked him out of that. He needs to have at least two gallons of water with him at all times (in my oh-so-knowledgeable opinion) and that's 16 pounds right there, let alone clothes, extra shoes, sleeping paraphernalia, etc. I think he's stuck with the stroller for now!

Cody was thinking of augmenting his cash supply with a few days work in Globe, but Globe is a mining community, and the price of copper just plummeted! Ergo, lots of laid-off miners and unemployment. He's decided to take the southern route from there. He is just past Peridot, AZ, smack dab in the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. He's heard Safford, AZ, about 60 miles from where he is now, is a farming community, so he's hoping to pick up a short job there.

The first "interesting" wildlife sighting was today-- Cody saw what he thought was a dog run behind a bush. When it didn't come to his whistle, he went closer, and a wild boar exploded out of the bush and ran in the opposite direction! He also saw a tarantula-- might make sleeping outside seem a little less exciting.

Cody would like to get to Safford by Wednesday night in case he can find a friend in town, but that is an insane amount of miles to walk by then. We'll see where he ends up for Thanksgiving! We'll eat a slice of apple pie in his honor Thursday...

Thanks so much to those who have contributed to Cody's fundraising page. The other day he was sitting at a gas station waiting to charge his phone, when a man walked up and told Cody he'd run home to get his spare change-- he thought Cody was a beggar! After Cody explained more of what he was doing, the man told him just to keep the money "for the cause." So he's attracting some interest out there!

Picture!

2008-11-24T09:36:00.000-08:00

Thanks to PJ and Laura, motorcyclists near Globe, AZ, here is a picture of Cody. Looks like the scenery is getting interesting!

2008-11-23T16:30:00.000-08:00

This picture has absolutely nothing to do with Cody's road trip, I'm just sick of not having any pictures to put on here. So Cody's Jacob's Ram, Amazing Grace Abner, who is safely tucked away at Mom and Dad's farm while Cody walks, is making a guest appearance.

Now then, on to the walk...

Cody spent most of today resting, then set out this afternoon from Superior, AZ. He has about 25 miles to go until Globe, AZ, where he has to make a decision to head north or south. There are endless route possibilities, but how he heads off from Globe determines quite a bit of where he'll be for the next month.

Cody's foot is doing much better. He's been putting moleskin on his foot, which I guess is a special sort of bandage for blisters. It's been working! It's nice to know he isn't hobbling along getting infected now.

One of the annoying things about walking is the billboards. When he was walking a particularly desolate stretch, he saw a billboard for "McDonalds-- just 30 more minutes." He says he would have done anything for a burger or cold soda right then, but he knew the McDonald's was a full day's walk away! Today, he said they weren't as bad because he was full from sitting around eating and resting.

Thanks to all who have participated in Cody's fundraising site! It's encouraging for him to know he might be helping people with his adventure!

Losing the Hippie Look

2008-11-20T19:27:00.000-08:00

Cody has officially given up caring what he looks like, he tells me. He gave himself a buzzcut today, and when I talked to him, he was wearing his new $20 shoes (they're fitting him much better than his previous pair), a fanny pack, shorter shorts than normal, and a very mainstream t-shirt. The shoes are black and yellow and scream "NEW!" Cody says that when he's out there pushing his stroller, people think he's just a suburban dad out to punish the kids with a walk!

I think he's finally warm enough. He was grumbling today that he should have started further north. I forbare mentioning the whole point of this thing was to avoid winter, and that he'd probably be whining about the cold if he was norther. (Is that even a word? Doesn't sound right...) He is planning on heading further north in New Mexico, though. He's looking for somewhere where it's in the 40s at night and up to 50 or 60 degrees during the day.

He's still having some blisters, and he's also irritated by leg hair. (I hope he's all jiggy with me mentioning leg hair on a public post... hmm...) Anyway, as he walks, the pants rub the hair right off. Which is fine, until it starts regrowing, and then it gets a little bit ingrown, and the constant sweating stings. I have to say it didn't sound like a lot of fun.

(Marilla has just crawled in my lap, making typing rather complicated... )

Pheonix got the bid in Cody's decision making process Tuesday. He ended up walking 14 extra miles Wednesday! He had got a number for a Wednesday night bible study from some friends of his in Yuma, but by the time he connected with them on the phone, he had walked 7 miles too far east! By then, he didn't have a lot of time left. On his jog back, the tire went on his stroller. I'm not too clear on the details, but I think he just grabbed his backpack of (comparatively speaking) valuables and left the stroller there! He said he arrived at these folks house at 7:00, dripping with sweat, and asked if they had a place he could change! He did manage to get in a shower, so he hopefully looked decent by 7:30!

(I finally got Marilla off my lap, and she promptly crawled under the table and unplugged the computer. Thanks to autosave, I only lost one line! But back to typing with one hand...)

Cody got a night indoors with a great couple with young boys. I think the boys slept outside and Cody got their bed!

Anyway, this morning was spent on stroller repairs. (Cody is still hanging on to a little desire to be cool... he calls it his "cart". We all now what it really is, though.) When I talked to him at about 1:00 this morning, he had almost gotten to the place where he was before his mad dash backwards Wednesday night!

Bloggers weren't meant to have eight-month old babies. I'm signing off for the night...

Tuesday Evening

2008-11-18T17:32:00.000-08:00

I just spoke to Cody while he munched on his peanut butter and jelly supper. He was just a few miles outside of Maricopa, AZ. He's at a junction-- has to make a decision to head north to Pheonix or south to Casa Grande. He has friends or friends of friends in both places, so not sure which way he's going.

Cody ended up spending all day Monday laying low while his blisters healed. Since then, he's traveled both during the day and at night--shorter treks interspersed with naps. Ideally, he'd rather walk at night. That would save him from both the hot asphalt of the day and the shivery nights in the tent. It's awful hard to turn off the clock that makes humans awake during the day, though. He's thinking about sleeping from about 10:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. and then taking a nap in the afternoon. You can walk quite a few miles in between three in the morning and dawn!

Cody had a chat with an officer of the law the other day. He's had a few interactions with them already. I don't know if it's because it's close enough to the Mexican border that they're suspicious, or just the incongruity of a guy pushing a stroller in the middle of nowhere. This officer gave him a written warning about being a pedestrian on a freeway. (Suprisingly, Cody has stayed away from freeways since then.) Cody said he wrote the warning up quickly, and then treated his captive audience of one to a political rant. (He ain't Barack's best friend, put it that way.) In the end, though, he gave Cody two Gatorades, so Cody says he could listen to anyone's political views for that. I think he thinks about drinks more than he ever has! Yesterday, a gallon of water broke all over his stuff. Not only did he lose precious water, all his stuff was wet!

Cody is hoping another Scott (there are lots of Scotts in Cody's life-- we haven't even mentioned his almost-brother Scotty F.) will soon be joining him. This Scott (Porter) has perfected the art of a nomadic life almost better than Cody. He and Cody took an infamous trip a couple years ago-- (see the aforementioned yellow truck link).

As the Official Blogger of this site, I need to put on a little disclaimer-- Cody would rather be pulled in half than solicit money from people. He truly believes that Doctors Without Borders is a great organization, and wants to help them with this trip, but he was a little unsure how to proceed. It was all the doing of me and his other Bossy Sister (he has five sisters-- only two are really bossy) that he is out in the public eye with this. So, please feel free to visit his fundraising site-- but only if you want to.

Actual Pictures!

2008-11-18T09:40:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Scott Smith, there are now pictures of Cody's journey!

Cody with his trusty stroller. (As Dad noticed, there are major peel out marks behind Cody. That's probably the hardest thing in this trip for Cody-- not being able to peel out. Has he managed it in his stroller? Hmm...)

No cheating! Here is proof Cody walked all the way from the coast! None of this wimpy just starting somewhere random in San Diego...

Deluxe hotel accommodations.

That looks like a LOT of work.

A departure from Cody's usual PB&J-- a Wendy's stop.

Thanks to Clem Cowtipper (a.k.a. Scott Smith). See more photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/clemcowtipper/StrollerPushingHippies#

Over 300 miles so far!

2008-11-18T06:26:00.000-08:00

A lot of people hate the cold of winter. Cody Vaughan, however, REALLY hates the cold. (Maybe from living in this trailer through an Alaskan winter... but that's a whole other story.) To avoid the Northern New York winter, he decided to walk across America! Some people would have just ordered extra long johns, but Cody isn't known for taking the easy way out. To justify the 4-5 months of time he will put into this, he is using the walk as a way to raise money for Doctors Without Borders. You can read why he picked this organization, and contribute at his fundraising page.

Since Cody is currently in the wild desert east of Gila Bend, AZ, I (his oldest and most beloved sister, Clover White) will try to update this blog with news, and possibly cell phone pictures Cody sends me. Hopefully, Cody will be able to log on when he gets the occasional internet access.

This is not Cody's first cross-country trip. He has been criss-crossing the United States at various times and for various reasons since September of 2002 (to the left here, in Anchorage, AK). This time, however, there will be no yellow truck or motorcycles, just slightly blistered feet.

Cody started walking in San Diego, CA. He was joined by Scott Smith, a friend who had a week free to walk with him. Pushing a jogging stroller loaded with a tent, food and other essentials, they got to Arizona before Scott had to return to a "real" life. Now, Cody's been walking by himself for over a week. He is enjoying the gorgeous desert sunrises and sunsets, despite a grueling two days through a desert valley where there was only one gas station in the 63 mile-trek. I don't think he enjoyed the time when a swarm of killer bees crawled all over his stroller, either! Despite all this, though, he made it to Gila Bend early Sunday morning extremely thirsty and with a few bad blisters. After a full day of rest Sunday, he is off again!