DAY 49 - 52

My camp at Cody’s pens with my new winter tarp on my wagon for a windproof cook kitchen. Angle of photo shows hillside behind camp but the opposite direction looks out over a valley and beyond where I can see many miles.

Inside cold weather cook kitchen (at Cody’s pens).

An alien visited my kitchen, no, that’s just Jill.

Cold weather wind breaks. Thank you Cody and Russell!

Inside my tent. 

I light my campfire after the wind died down on the night of day 52 at about 9:30pm, and even though the temperature was dropping into the teens, it was nice, very nice with moon and starts. A little earlier, around 6pm, Russell came by to check on me and I appreciated that. (Note; the water bucket is near the fire to keep water from freezing.)

Cody and his father Richard. (Note: All the family was there together but it was after dark so I didn’t get a photo of them all together… maybe later).

Russell with his father and children.

Text Post: DAY 49: I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO DEAN who came by my camp the morning of day 49, and we had a great conversation while I worked putting up camp, and in the course of our conversation, we discovered that Dean’s dog was Jill’s brother! Small world! As it turns out, Dean and I have a mutual friend in Missouri from whom we got our dogs.

Text Post: DAY 49: I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO DAVID who came by my camp the morning of day 49 and gave me a big cinnamon roll (desert to the breakfast I had just eaten). David, Dean, and I had a good talk, and David who lives near Toronto KS, told me to call when I get in his area, and he will be happy to help me out. Thank you David!

Text Post: DAY 50 - 52: After I got my winter camp set up, Cody, Russell, their father, wives, and children came to my camp with tarps, and we worked in the dark by truck lights to put the tarps up on the pen for windbreaks, they also brought more firewood, more hay, and water for Reba, plus a bag of grain for Reba courtesy of Russell’s boss who Russell had told about me, and blankets because they were afraid I would not be warm enough, plus they had a contingency plan for me to move to Russell’s shed where there was a wood stove if I got too cold I only had to call and they would come get me. Photo is of the tarps (taken on the following day) and blankets they brought. I was hesitant to accept the blankets because I didn’t think I needed them, but they insisted, and when the temperature dropped into the teens, well, I was very glad that they had thought of me, and I stayed warm. And as if that wasn't enough, Cody and his wife Mandy brought me groceries from a list I gave them but they wouldn’t accept any money. Thank you Cody, Russell, and all your family for your great hospitality! And thank you Lord God for sending such kind people to help me along!

Text Post; DAY 50 - 52: SPECIAL NOTE: Like so many along the way, Cody, Russell, and their family poured kindness on me, and I can only hope and pray that folks will read this and see that the people of rural and small town America have a bond, a priceless gift from God, there is no better foundation to build on! And now, twelve years later, and I see that people around the world are reading this blog, I would like to say something I’ve said all along: This 'bond' I speak of is shared by people around the world. It is the cultural bond. It is a beautiful thing. It is a gift from God, given to the smallest, that we may have peace and harmony and happiness in our communities. Different people around the world with different cultures and, at the same time, we are all children of God.