Dispatches from the road

Dispatches from the road: day 4 and the rainy beginning of day 5 

by Bill Poindexter

This is re-posted from my trip a year ago… Enjoy

I lay in my tent on the morning of day five of my journey having a little meditation of how grateful I am just to be alive and be able to do the things I’m doing. My friend Monica reminding me she was the one who called me the “traveling monk” I resonate with that very much as my spiritual belief is strong no matter what religion I meet along my journey and right now I feel very Zen like. I’m laying on a forest bed in a conservation area just outside of Wheatland, Missouri. I’ve been up for a while listening to the pattering of the rain -I retrieved my stove from my panniers and had a fine breakfast of oatmeal with raisins, honey and banana along with copious amounts of coffee. I love the word copious don’t you? Not exactly sure of my route today and when the rain is going to stop. The sun is supposed to come out so I think I’m gonna hang out here and read my book,  Provence 1970, and let everything dry out including my boots which got soaked yesterday because of the two stream crossings – thanks Mac for that adventurous route on the Butterfield Stagecoach Trail! I’m starting to feel stronger getting used to the heavy weight of the load I’m carrying-70ish lbs. For you Bikepacker‘s out there I’m on a surly long-haul trucker, with two front Salsa bags on anything cages and two rear expeditionary panniers from Arkle out of Canada -xm-45s. 

I’m carrying water, food, shelter clothing, couple books, maps and as my kiwi friends would say an assortment of ‘bits and bobs. Yesterday I left Mac Vorce’s home in Warsaw and hopped on the Butterfield stage coach route, on section 8 from Warsaw to Wheatland. This route is one of the hardest I’ve ever done I would compare it to the great divide mountain bike route in terms of its challenging terrain and endless ups and downs stream crossings, muddy dirt roads, gravel,  and more loose gravel… Lots of solitude and very little people and very beautiful. I rode for nine hours and ended up taking a short cut in the end to Wheatland because of a pending storm,  which, of course, never happened. I found this patch of dirt I’m laying on and slept very well. I’m eager to get down to the Transamerica Trail to get started heading east as that is my ultimate destination. I am laying in the tent fully caffeinated dictating this to you from my phone. I feel good. Many people yesterday gave me water as I rode by their homes. There was a little dog named Little Missy who befriended me and kindly ran beside me for almost 4 miles-yes 4 miles until the owners niece and husband retrieved her. Little Missy was the strongest dog or I should say is the strongest dog I’ve ever seen. No matter how fast I went down the hill I would have to go slow up the next hill and I would look in my rearview mirror and she would be that little spot in the center of the mirror running to me. It was a soulful encounter between a human and an animal and there was so much beauty in that moment it brings tears to my eyes, seriously. It’s a kind reminder that we all living beings are connected.

If you like my words let me know 

Wholeearthguide.blogspot.com

To see a little missy just click here

https://rumble.com/v2jt1q6-bikepacking-school-with-bill-poindexter.html

Earth week: what they don’t tell you in the Earth Day celebrations

 What “they” don’t tell in the Earth Day celebrations!

Part 1 the Cities 

Black boxes outside your house or supermarket: they contain poison a mouse/ rat/chipmunk die an excruciating painful death after exiting, then some other up the food chain-bird, raccoon, opossum, cat, dog, coyote all die the same death then the scavengers - fox, starlings, crows, stray cats and dogs, or vultures. 

The bodies decompose, and leech into the Earth killing anything- and eventually into the drinking water or the ocean.

I’ve seen the effects, and watched animals die, slowly. A coyote and a raccoon most recently. Heart breaking. 

It’s not just the black boxes, some homeowners just put out poison. Or they call a “pest control company “ and guess what they do? They will trap or get the critters with a long pole with a wire on the end, and put the animal in a cage and then throw it, alive into a drowning tank. I saw three baby raccoons be extracted this way and will never forget their cries. 

Cause/effect

Reference: Silent Spring, Rachel Carson

Part 2 tomorrow 

Fertilizers and the truth about Mosquito Joe

Bill Poindexter is an independent journalist just reporting what he witnessing as he explores the Earth. He encourages readers to try and prove him wrong. 

Wholeearthguide.blogspot.com

Bicycle touring with Jesus

 On a bicycle tour with Jesus (pronounced hey-zeus)

Easter Synchronicity 2022

I’m not gonna tell you whether or not God exist, or that Jesus was his begotten son… I’m just not that arrogant. I don’t really know. I wish I did, I’d like to think it true. 

Here’s what I do know: The earth, nature, animals insects and most people are good. The moon, the sun the stars in the universe are beautiful… And came from somewhere. I feel everything. I always have. I can’t explain it, and I’ve always been on a search for truth and where we come from and why are we here.

And more recent years, I have come to see that synchronicity plays a big part of my life, especially on my bicycle journeys. If you don’t know this about me, I travel by bicycle and ride whenever I get a chance. I’ve ridden all over the states of Missouri and Kansas, rode from New Mexico crisscrossing the continental divide multiple times all the way up to Banff Alberta Canada. I’ve ridden all through Montana and from California down through Baja Mexico, across Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, all trips are self contained meaning I carry all my camping equipment, clothes, tools, food and water. 

In recent years, I’ve actually had people come up to me, strangers telling me that God loves me and has a purpose for me. I’m serious. I’ve also had people that I know say the same things “Jesus has something in mind for you“ they say. I smile, and I wonder how they know this. I like what they’re saying, but shouldn’t I know it? I’ve always been open the supernatural. 

I digress let me get to the point. It’s like I said synchronicity plays a big part of my life and I have lots of examples for you all all and will share more about it later but for now I’m gonna talk about one example. Which happened in a small town last year the day before Easter 2022.

It was late afternoon. I’ve been on the road all day. It was day 17 of my bicycle trip from Kansas City Missouri to Yorktown Virginia via the Transamerica trail. I just rolled into the town Clay, Kentucky, and on my maps  there was a notation the town had a outdoor shelter in a  city park that I could set up my tent. It was the day before Easter. Clay Kentucky is a small town with just over 1000 people. I decided to explore the town while I was looking for the park. After a bit I thought it would be a good idea to ask for help and looked for a place where I could ask for directions, just then, I turned a corner and I saw a young man mowing the lawn, and I asked him where the park was in town.

He turned off his lawnmower, and came over and smiled. I saw he had some gray on his beard, little bit of a belly, and very kind eyes. 

I asked him a question.

“I am cycling the Transamerica trail and I’m looking for a place to stay for the night and I know there’s a park with a shelter”

He smiled, “Yes there is, and you can stay there, but, if you’re open to an alternative, I am the Pastor of the Baptist Church we have a youth center you can stay at if you like?”

A town of 1000 people, and I just happened to stop and I asked one person and happen to be the pastor of a church. I guess if you were playing the odds -one in a 1000? Synchronicity.  

I graciously agreed and rolled to the church. He met me there later and showed me where I could stay, invited me to his Easter service the next day, which I attended after a breakfast with the congregation and was welcomed by a lot of lovely people. 

I’m not gonna go into details about that. 

I left shortly after the service. Spent the afternoon riding in the rain. It was cold, but my heart was warm with that experience… this is what happens next:

From my journal dispatch,

“April 18. I’m in Sebree Kentucky right now, yesterday, Easter, I spent the morning and Clay Kentucky at the first Baptist church with their congregation had a fine breakfast, Easter egg hunt, and joined their service. It was a lovely time and very nice people. I ended up leaving town around 1 PM so I rode through the lovely hilly countryside of Kentucky, so far a beautiful state, and I just made my way to the second town over -Sebree and as I rolled through town a older gentlemen stopped me and asked me if I wanted to have some food with him and his wife there was a bike bike hostel in town at the first Baptist Church, his name is Bob and at the time I told him I wanted to keep going because it was still fairly early only around 330 but as I thought about it and the weather was cool and look like rain was coming how decided to take him up on it and I met he and his wife Violet, and made my way back to the church where there’s a fine bicycle hostel hostel here in the town, I was able to shower do some laundry and Violet invited me over to their home for a fine meal of Cornish game hen, baked potato green beans and a salad and some fun conversation. Bob and Violet have lived in a town for 35 years, where Bob had been the Pastor of the Church amd recently retired. Violet, Could only be described as a southern belle from Mississippi, is one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever met. 

Going to roll out fairly early this morning. A cold start 42f, it did rain last night so I’m glad I was inside. 

Thankful for this opportunity although I tend to feel like I’m rushing it a little bit even though the mileage is not that great, I feel like I need to still relax a little bit and really enjoy countryside nature, the people of been fantastic go on the whole route. I’m very grateful to be here.

 I sent a note to a friend of mine, Fred, who is a good soul and that he and his wife Lauralyn in Kansas City. Fred is very unassuming just a very good man Low-key and has a wonderful soul.

Told Fred I felt a little rushed, and these are his wise words he sent, and to me it’s really more of a poem and metaphor for life so I thought I’d share:

“h Bill

we both have u in our minds

… all the time

u got born with  all the molecules needed  that getu where u need to go

lucky man you are

im a complainer when it comes to cold and rain

… the only way id get thru… is have buddy like u thee to tell me to shut up and get back on my bike

;)

yes

older guys are like someone hungry at food counter ordering too much food

u know your pace… u ll get there soon enough

when its over … u ll probably wish it lasted longer

 

see ya on the other end

:)”

Wise words in deed, I love it! Well that’s it for now it’s about 4:42 AM in my sleep for a couple more hours and then get up and make a pot of coffee pack up some food and roll. “

Was any of this Providence? Chance, fate, or destiny?

I don’t know. But I do know that something good happened and it was very comforting. And sometimes when I’m on these long-distance cycling trips, I catch myself talking to Jesus.

Thanks for reading my writing. Happy Easter 

Bill Poindexter 

bike touring words

 bicycle touring words 

By Bill Poindexter 

Now having over 100,000 miles of touring and daily commuting by bicycle in my repertoire, I feel even more comfortable sharing my adventures with you, whether you are a cyclist or not. My words are about life and living a life on my own terms, with faults to be sure, but integrity intact. Over the next few days I will be sharing stories from my trips as well as the home front, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.

I hope you enjoy the simple words. BP

Sunrise fields…

I am lucky. I am one of those people who can sleep anywhere. My favorite thing to do in life is to go on a long cycling holiday, weeks or months, bike all day and as the sun starts to set find a nice patch of ground to lay my bedding.

 I have slept in many fields, once you’re tired from riding all day, any place will do, usually stopping, going past an open gate and walking the bike to a spot where I know I will have the sun shine on me in the morning to come. A road, a field, mountains or plains off to the east, and I settle in for a night of new sounds and sights. 

I always wake before the sun’s first light, like a little boy waiting for Santa, I am eager for the first glow in the distance. I can feel the ground below me awake and all the plants, animals, insects…life arising for the new day, time resets and a glow from the East sprouts slowly like a flower blooming. A day a new. I feel everything and grateful for existing, as part of the energy of our universe. I rise and stand with the warmth of the  sun on my body. I pack up and ride, smiling, wondering what the next spot to sleep will be after the sun has traveled across the day. 

I am truly happy. 

Trader Joes is poisoning you

 Grocery store vegetables are they safe?

What are we eating and ingesting in our daily lives? This is from a produce box at a local grocery store and this is a list of ingredients “either or not”sprayed on the fruit and vegetables to maintain freshness… But I wonder at what cost to our own health?

“ Treated to maintain freshness in transit with one or more of the following: Azoxystrobin, Fludioxonil, Imazalil, Propiconazole, Pyrimethanil, and/or Thiabendazole-

Coated with Food-grade vegetable wax, beeswax, lac resin, and/ or wood resin.

U-5-21 (note-might be date?)

This was on every box, that we looked at. I definitely understand the need for freshness, but one wonders how much of this is distributed into our breathing, into our skin, and into the vegetables and fruits that we eat even if we wash them. And then one wonders what effects it has on the body.

I know that when I work/ or walk on a grocery store that, periodically,  I’ll start coughing and wheezing and my eyes will water and my sinuses will load up with mucus -it doesn’t last very long but it’s almost like I breathed something that poisoned me and my body is rejecting it out of my lungs- almost feels like a very very short term “cold” and then that makes me wonder if colds aren’t just the body natural defenses to extract all the poisons that we breathe or that we’re exposed to from our skin -the air we breathe etc. and it’s just the body‘s natural way to expel the poisons?

This begs the good argument that maybe we should be growing our own food or from trusted sources that we can monitor like urban farmers? Also may be growing more produce in our yards rather than just having grass and bushes that don’t do anything nutritional for our lives.

Anyway I encourage all of you to read up on all these insecticide and pesticides that are on your produce every time you go to the grocery store with either you or your children. Here is the image from the box and there were seven other boxes with all the same messages on it with various types of fruits and produce.

As always I’m interested in your thoughts, and always willing to sit down and talk to people face-to-face and engage in spirited conversation.

Bill Poindexter 

My words

  A story inspired by Iohan, (Yo-Han), the bike wanderer and a man with kind dark eyes.

 

Far away, long ago, there was a man who traveled the Earth on his bicycle and his name was, Iohan. He was of average height, had dark hair and dark eyes that looked very kind. All he wanted to do was explore the Earth and see what it was like from atop a bike.

 To earn a living he took odd jobs, one of the jobs was planting trees in an area where old trees had been cut down.  He said he enjoyed planting trees in the summer. He would walk all over Canada planting seedlings to fund his bicycling adventures. One of the seedlings grew into a fine very tall tree.

 The young tree grew and grew. Enjoying the fresh mountain air in which it lived, loving the mild summers, colorful autumns, fresh new springs and even its harsh cold winters when it mostly slept. Even relished playing with the wind, feeling the sun, and drinking the life giving rains, and it never felt alone as there were many birds and insects, and squirrels which made their home on the tree. The tree was very happy.

 One day the tree was cut down and was sad and scared. But the tree had a soul that was spread throughout its trunk, limbs, branches, roots and the tree, no matter where it was, always had a connection to the Earth for the tree had roots underground into the soul of the Earth and the tree would always be a part of the Earth, forever.

 The tree was turned into many things: paper and pencils for school children, comfortable chairs, a table or two, a park bench, and finally some paper that was placed into blank journals. It liked the park bench best because it felt loved as people would sit and talk on it and eat their lunches, children would climb all over it, pets slept next to it, and sometimes at night someone might even sleep on it. All was wonderful.

 But the tree had no water since it was not in the ground and it became old and brittle and there was a crack in one of its legs. One day it was removed from the park and placed in a small shed. The tree became very lonely for there was no one around besides the spiders and their webs, and the sparrows that lived in the rafters and the mice that lived underneath the floor.

 One day the door to the shed opened and an old man, with gray hair and a beard came in and sat on the bench that was the tree. The tree was happy. The man slowly ran his hand all over the tree to see if there were any breaks in the legs as the tree had been without water, except from rain for many years.  The tree felt the touch of the man and remembered the side of the mountain from which it came, and the man, Iohan, who planted the seedling, who was now the tree.

 “Hello my old friend!” The old man with kind eyes said with a soft gentle voice.

  “I am glad you are here. I will fix your leg and replenish your wood with some natural oils from the Earth so as to give you strength.”

 The old man and the tree worked together over the next week. Every day the man would come by in the evening and sand off the old stain, fix the break, and apply the new coats of refreshing oils for the tree. The tree was very happy and felt loved.

 The tree, one day, was taken to the mans cabin, on the side of a mountain, and placed on the front porch. It was a good place to go as now the tree was in the woods again; with clean air, other trees, and all sorts of critters to watch as it sat on the porch.

 Over the years the tree grew to love the cabin and the old man, with kind eyes, who gave it a life again. It had been so lonely in the shed, unwanted, rotting away. But now the tree was happy again.

 Everyday the man would ride his bicycle to town and every night he would ride his bicycle home. But one day he did not come home. He was an old man, and old men die. The man had been very kind to the tree, the tree was sad.

  Then the tree had a new friend who bought the cabin. The new owner, a young woman, a writer, whom, everyday sat on the tree, on the front porch and wrote stories about what she could see from the porch and then would read the stories aloud, to see how they sounded and would rewrite them over and over, then read aloud until she was satisfied. The tree liked the stories and was very happy again.

 One day the woman brought out a dusty old box which had been the old mans, and on top of the box there was a note:

 “These are blank journals which came from a tree I planted many years ago when I was a young man. I followed the life of the tree and was there when the tree was cut down and the wood harvested. Some of it was made into paper- these journals here and a bench, the same bench on my front porch of my cabin on the side of a mountain, the same mountain I planted the seedling on that became the tree. If you find these please write about what you see for the tree energy is the bench and on the pages and the tree will take you back to the Earth if you are lost, its energy, and mine will always be alive.”

 Time moved on and the tree and woman enjoyed their time together. But as with all things, change came about and the woman grew old. But the tree is still there on the porch.

 I write this, from paper, on one of the journals Iohan had saved. It was in a box I found that was my mothers, who had lived on the side of a mountain, and who was a writer, who sat on a bench, that was once a seedling, planted by a young man with dark hair and kind dark eyes named Iohan whom traveled the world by bicycle until he satisfied his wanderlust and just wanted to sit on the porch and feel the good Earth and be with the tree, his friend, the seedling.

Everything changes

 Everything changes

Long ago far away a student of a Zen Buddhist monk asked his teacher, “ I have been listening to your lectures for years and I still don’t understand what it means to be a Buddhist -is there any way you can summarize what it means 

in a few words?”

The teacher smiled and quietly said to his Student 

“Everything changes.”