Walking Solo

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!