Happy Birthday, Cody!

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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!