Chapter 17 Louisiana, MO to Elsberry, MO: The kindness of strangers

Murphy and I are loaded and
ready to roll

The next morning Murphy and I must say good bye to Sue, our intrepid team member who we will miss greatly.  It has been great having her shadow me along the way for the last 6 days knowing if the going gets tough she comes to the rescue.  With the bike reloaded with panniers and trailer and dog she heads north back to Minnesota and I head south.

Our farewell Breakfast at the Eagle's Nest Cafe in Louisiana, MO.

Today pass through Clarksville down the road and there meet a young man who takes an interest in Murphy.  He is covered in tattoos, nervously smoking a cigarette waiting for his girlfriend to show up at the picnic shelter I am resting in.  I ask him about his various tattoos and learned his story.  He is only 23 and has spent 7 of those in prison.   He listed off a smorgasboard of prisons he has seen the inside of.  I asked his what it was like and he responded only that it was "hard... really hard".  He is meeting his girlfriend at a remote location because her parents don't approve of him (I can't imagine why).  Apparently drugs have been his nemesis but he assures me he is clean now and strives to live a better life.  I wish him luck and move on.
Down the road I am stopped by a detour sign.  The bridge beyond is being rebuilt.  I ignore the sign and go see for my self.  Surely there must be some way through with a bike.  I had been warned about this by others and after trying all options short of swimming the stream it crossed I resign to taking the detour.  The detour turns out to be 20 miles of hills.  I end up going only 18 miles further toward my destination but biking 38 miles today.  Toward the end I start climbing one final hill with one crest following another until finally I am spent when faced with yet one last crest.  I decide to just lay down in the shade of a ditch and regain my strength.  That is when I hear someone calling out if I need anything, a drink?  I spy a woman who is walking my way and has upped the ante to a cold drink.  It turns out I have basically expired near the end of her driveway.  I am soon meeting her husband and enjoying a ice cold Gatorade in the shade of her patio.  The patio overlooks a vista of lush rolling hills and farms.  Katy and Alan Lagemamn are the absolutely the most welcoming people.  A shipwrecked sailor could do no better than landing on their shore.  I am invited to spend the night in a nice cool bed, get cleaned up and even fed on zero notice.  I am not fool.  I accept their hospitality that is generously offered for both Murphy and I.  I soon meet one of their daughters who stops by for a visit and learn all about their other children, family history and living in Elsberry, MO population 2500.  Alan works for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Katy for the local School District.  The next day I am invited to work on this blog at the High School and interviewed by a reporter for the Elsberry Democrat Newspaper.  It may be a slow news day in Elsberry but in our view Murphy and I have hit the big time.

Home away from Home

Murphy and Katy and my knee