Jeremiah Watt

I am now some 70 miles south of Springfield Missouri, and headed south by southeast and about to make a sharp turn to the left onto a new road and out towards the boot heel of the State. Its a cool brezzy morning when I roll up my camp here at the little Fairview Country Church. The distance is all sorta smokey looking with the dew rising off of the countryside. The road is gorgeous this morning, with its winding path lined in trees slowly getting ready to turn color.

I have no water on the bike as I ride east, but not real worried, I know that something will come up along this route. I round the bend and come to a juction in the road for me, right at the lone building which as it turns out is a Post Office. Well great I think, I have stuff to mail, and I will ask for water at the same time. Turns out that brother Mo, short for Maurice is the postmaster of Reuter's Missouri. Mo, a retired employee of McDonalds up in Illinois, moved down here into the upper Ozarks to enjoy the pretty country with his wife. MO is aserious Christian fellow, and we share a few stories and then Mo Prays with me for a safe journey.

Now, I will briefly mention here that these folks own dogs............most houses have 4 humans and 8 dogs of all sizes and types. SO I am finding out what a Canine Sprint looks like..................yes, thats me that is getting the constant practise at working my sprinting legs.

Its warming up on the bike, and I am looking for a place to take my long sleeve jersey off when I spot a sale barn. This country has a lot of cattle in it, and I stop to take awalk thru the sale barn and see if we can gte in a visit with any cattle rasiers. I didn't even got the bike parked and had a first visitor, he as it turns out is a Pharmasist, who runs about 150 head of cows ion his 200 acre outfit down in Arkansas to the south of here.

Yes sir, this country if taken care of can handle about a cow/calf per 1.5 acres in a lot of the area and some of the poorer country may take up to 2.25 acres per cow/calf pair. And he informs me that almost everyone hasa few cows, maybe 8 or so on there acreage just to keep the grass down and make a few bucks on the side. I walked the sale barn area, and looked at some fine looking calves. NIOt that I am a judge of cattle mind you, but I can tell when cattle are in good flesh at least.

Stopped a little further down the road, and took in aJunk Store, and done a little more of m,y Christmas shopping here. Still have one person, who has proven to be very hard to shop for. No fault of there own, its just that the things of interest to them are not turning up in junk stores. Rode a tlittle further on down the road, and took a turn into the BIG STORE.

This is an old store located at a busy for this area junction in the road, they sell new and old stuff so I have to take a look. While I am getting my bike parked, two elderly fellas stop and start a conversation with me.........................how far ya ride that thing asks Sam? Well I tell him today just from west of Rueter, but I have rode it all the way from California I tell him. "Shoot if that don't beat all says Wilfred, his cohort and driver, you rode all the way from California, why? Thats a hard one to answer I have found, becasue many folks are looking for a deep and meaningfull reason................and becasue I wanted too hardly sufficces. I told him that it was a goal and no special reason was the impetus for deciding to make a ride like this. Well how far ya going says Sam, the fellow with the cane and needing a driver friend like Wilfred. Well I says, I would like to make it to the east coast if possible, but we shall wait and see what the Lord serves up.

So what do you think of this here country asks Wilfred? I tell him the truth, always the best and safest place to start. Looks like alot of trees and no logging, that puzzles me, and I dont se......................... Hell says Sam, its those damn Republicans, they got these woods so screwed up, we should run'em all out on a rail. Well Sam, I says, help me out but why is it just a Republican problem, I do not know much about your States past administrations so tell me the hows and whys. SO I got a sort of one sided appraisal, of what Sam thought the Republicans had done wronf with forestry management since Noah first anchored his boat here sometiem back. I was convinced that Wilfred may have a different opinion judging by the subtle smile on his face. I am trying to remain neutral during this whole discussion so I can get an asnwer with out a generation of voting prejudice thrown into the mix as well. SO, I break off into another discussion about the Melons these boys are picking out. Turns out these here Melons are grown in the bootheel of the State and are the best anyplace. Well I ain't touching that one with a 10 foot pole, it just felt like a loaded answer to me, so I tell him I am sure he's right.

Sam and WIlfred fill me in on what all the BIG STORE has been over the years and why it's still here and why folks local to it just love to stop bu the Big Store. I fill my water bottles, drink some gatore aid and mount my ride further east for the day. I quit about 6"30 that night, have a 1 bottle of water bath and make a pretty fair supper. I am camped just 3 miles east of Caufield that nite.

Good NIght and God Bless