Praire Dog

Smith Center Kansas

Last night I came into a small town, it seemed like most towns I had past in Kansas, and most any other day...except this time I felt that  I really needed stop, I was at that point of over heating, so I was so happy that the town had finally arrived.

I din't wait to reach the town, but rather stopped at the first restaurant that looked good and grabbed a bite to eat. It was a little diner where a few young highschool girls were working, a place where you are suppose to order burgers,fries and a shake and all the walks are pictures of James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis. I scarfed down a burger in the cool restaurant and  decided to go to the downtown area. 

It was a really sweet little town, with shops the lined the streets, small shops, hardware stores, and the town was empty since it was nearing 5. As I rode my bike down main street I couldn't help but notice an old man little by little, dragging a heavy sign made out of plywood that was about 15 feet from his truck. He was really struggling and the minute I knew I could help him, I got really excited that I was there. 

I hopped off my bike and asked him if he needed a hand. He said “Yeah!” real excitedly--I didn't see how he there was any way he could do it on his own--he REALLY wanted this beat up sign.

I could pick up the sign on my own, though it was heavy--but was hoping he would let me do it on my own, however unexpectedly he grabbed the other end to give a helping hand. For a few seconds, I thought that his helps wouldn't hurt I could carry most of the weight anyway, but didn't feel right about it and just as about to tell him that I was fine, and within a matter of seconds…he lost his footing and started falling backwards. It seemed like everything was in slow motion to me...in the seconds that he fell I prayed that he would not land on the concrete steps that were behind him….but as hard as I had seen anyone fall... his head hit the bottom step of the concrete steps….and was stunned an incapacitated.

He laid there half on the step and in the grass...and I could tell it was bad...everything about it looked really bad. I was convinced he was going to die right there, I panicked for a moment not knowing where to turn--I knew there was nothing I could do if I ran to him, but I didn't want to leave him there and simultaneously scared. My phone wasn't with me and . I could see the blood coming from his head...and ran to the street to wave someone driving by to call 911 and returned to him to try to do something.

In the meantime he was vomiting badly, and the blood was not stopping. I did what I could to turn him over and keep pressure on with a towel I had picked up and my shirt...and kept telling him that he was doing great. Luckily someone was on the phone with 911 and I could just be with him...he seemed coherent at first..he knew who he was but I could see his life slipping...

15 minutes later, the ambulance came..I just held him and told him he was going to be okay. He said he wanted to go home I told him he would have to get cleaned up and then he could go home...he said..."okay, but make it quick"....when the cops came they took me to the store next door to get cleaned up, and they put Howard on the ambulance--i noticed it was taking them a long time....

Howard didn't make it...

Although, I didn’t know him, the news struck me pretty hard…I struggled with the fact that maybe if I hadn’t come through town things may have ended differently. However, I cannot change was life gives to me. When I think about was has happened, I now think. Howard was okay. He was working on a project the day that he died, most likely doing what he loved best, finding a good deal talking with town folks, and he was surrounded by people in his last moments that truly cared for him and had people all through out the town concerned about him. As I think about Howard and I think about my life, there were so many events that caused our lives to interact that moment, though it is always a sad event when someone passes through this world I feel blessed that I was able to be part of his last minutes. That I was able to give him comforting words, and a kind act before he passed.

When I think about death or tragedy, it’s easy to think about the what ifs and it important to look back at your actions and your intentions and feel proud of the way you treat a neighbor, stranger, or friend.

______

SMITH CENTER, KS – Howard Leroy Ellis, age 98, passed away on Saturday, July 13, 2013.

Howard was born January 27, 1915 in Reamsville, Kansas to Acie and Rosa May (Tilton) Ellis.

Howard served in the U. S. Army Artillery Division as a Corporal.  Serving his country in World War II in five major battles on the European front.  Upon his return he was employed by Smith County Road Division until his retirement.

Howard met and married Luella Wolf.  Living most of their married 58 years in the Smith Center community where they worked and lived their lives, always with the Lord in their hearts, ready and willing to help family and friends in need.

Howard enjoyed raising hogs on their small farm.  Frequently traveling to the northwest to reunite with family and later going to local auctions where his passion was “someone’s junk was someone else’s treasure”.

We will remember his precise and colorful stories of his family and friendly smile to all he met throughout his lifetime.

Howard is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Luella, parents Acie and May Ellis, his brothers Arthur and Merald, his sisters Nina and Ruby and a third sister passing shortly after her birth.  He is survived by his brothers Charles (Felisa Cox) and Roger (wife Sally) and numerous nephews, nieces and many dear and caring friends.

A heartfelt “Thank You” to all who gave their time and love throughout Howard and Luella’s lifetime and God Bless.

Visitation will be held from 5PM until 8PM, Thursday July 18, 2013 at the Simmons-Rentschler Mortuary.

Celebration of Life services will be held at 11AM, Friday July 19, 2013 at the Church of the Nazarene in Smith Center with Pastor Francis Runyon officiating.

Burial will follow in the Fairview Cemetery in Smith Center, KS.

The family requests memorial contributions be made to North Central Kansas Honor Flight (Howard was honored and proud to have had the opportunity to visit to our great nation’s capital along with so many other veterans) or to the Church of the Nazarene and can be sent in care of the mortuary.

Mile 1548: Scandia. KS (broken cable)

Mile 1455: Seneca, KS

When I woke up, it was raining. I could hear the rain hit the tent and I had no problems postponing my time of departure. 

I had a feeling that Rob, the other cyclist, would be gone...he was heading East and as a Marine I had guessed that he was pretty good about getting up early.

So, when I got up, I debated to stay another night and enjoy the lake. I could see some people in the distance but for the most part I was alone. 

Most days I don't take the time to really stretch or relax and it seemed like a good day for it...however when I think how low Kansas is, I think how important it is to get mileage in in order to cross it. 

So after taking a dip and stretching and relaxing just a little bit longer, I hit 36 heading West...except this time it seemed much hotter and much later in the day than when I'm use to beginning.

So, I really struggled. I would bike, take a break, bike some more....

In Kansas, however, there are not a lot of rest stops or gas stations, so you enjoy them while they are there but you are lucky if there is even shade.

About 20 miles down the road there was a Walmart, so I stopped an one of the guys pushing the cart insisted I take some of the Gatorade they have for the employees, and I rested there for a bit, ten miles later there was a lovely little rest stop...and although I was tempted to sleep there for the night since there was eligible and free camping, Rob had told me about a campground in Seneca where there were facilites. So I pushed onward, and was glad that I was 15 more miles down the road.

When I pulled in, it as a quaint little campground with nice showers, a little pond....I set up my tent and didn't think twice about the weather.

___

About an hour later, I was awakened by lightening....it seemed like there was fireworks going off, and I could see the storm coming closer. It seemed like a big storm, but I convinced  that it would pass, and that my little tent would hold...

It wasn't long after the winds and the rain came crashing down and only minutes until I realized my tent wouldn't hold.

I grabbed the important things I needed to stay dry and dashed towards the restrooms. As I stood there, I kept and eye on my tent, I could see in the distance, when the lightening would crash, whether it was standing...I stood and looked...still there..still there....not there. I put my dry bag down and ran out to see where the tent was--the storm had carried it off about twenty feet with all of my things in it...

I was already wet so I decided to grab everything before it got worse and put it under the pavillion...the whole thing was more funny than it was terrifying. I was glad that I was at the campground and realized I would be lucky if I got some sleep. I put the wet clothes in the dryer ( SO GRATEFUL to have a dryer) and  couldn't believe the situation I was in...my sleeping bag was still dry---something that is important

to me...and I went under the dry pavillion lucky to get a few hours of sleep in.

Mile 1415: Brown Fish Lake, KS

When I left Open Source Ecology, everyone was starting to arrive to check out the place and get ready for the 9:00 meeting.

I had a hard time wanting to rush off, but knew of the busy schedule up ahead for everyone. Leandra and I got up early to make breakfast and Corey soon stumbled out of bed and we all goofed off a bit like old times...

I got my gear on, said my goodbyes and hit the gravel road ahead. Luckily it was an easy route. I would be taking 36 for...well, forever.

So, I headed towards St. Joesph, MO and was anxious to cross the river and begin my Kansas journey.

Luckily, the shoulders were nice, and for the most part I found the first day wondeful. A couple hours down the road, I stopped at a gas station and a young man with a boat started asking me questions about my trip.

His name was Eelke and he was first generation Dutch. His father came to the US to work in New Jersey. Eelke said he had gone to Maryland to pick up his father's boat. He continue to share his story of how is father had passed away, he was an avid cyclist and while visiting him on Lake Tahoe, and riding his bike, he had a heart attack unexpectedly. Apparently, his father was hoping to take the bike trip cross country, or at least as far as he could go, but had died only days before.

Eelke said that he had his father's bike and had hopes to maybe do the trip himself...there were several tones of melancholy in his voice, but it was a very special story as he too was on a journey taking his dad's boad back home to enjoy it. So, there we sat talking about bikes and boats, and looking at maps. I asked him if he knew any knots and he showed me a few in the middle of the gas station: it was great.

So we went our seperate ways...both facing journeys both literal and metaphorical up ahead....

The rest of the day was pretty blissful. I enjoyed the Kansas roads and teh temperature did not seem so bad.

When I found my camping spot at the Brown State Fishing Lake I was amazed at the beauty of it all as the sun was setting and reflecting of the lake. Not many people were there, and the camping was free...as I picked my spot, I noticed another bicycle tourist.

He came out , and we began to talk about life and our journey. He too had fished in Alaska, he was spiritual man, with plenty of stories, an ex-marine with a free-spirit.

I went to bed with the sound of the lake.

Mile 1345: Open Source Ecology

I got up super early in order to take the Cinder Path trail to Trenton and try to make it as far as I could to Maysville Missouri where my friend Leandra is interning at the Open Source Ecology Lab.

Since I didn't have time to explore the path, I didn't realize how run down it actually was. On google it is show as a bike trail, however..the further I kept going down the trail, the more I realized that it would slow me down...thought it was a beautiful path filled with deer, crossing streams, and not a single person using the path, I was making slow progress and the maintenance of the trail was questionable during certain parts.

I was, most of the time, mountain biking down the trail, and on my narrow tires, I wasn't sure how long this would last, or how efficient it actually was to be on the trail.

The things is, is that in Iowa, nearly all roads are gravel unless their state roads. So I took a chance, got into a gravel road, and luckily not long after it found a road that would take me to Maysville. However, at this point I was already exhausted, and the roads ahead were hilly, which was not what I was expecting in Iowa.

So, I kept going...and going, and my energy .levels were lowering, as the sun seemed to only get hotter on my back.

Hill after hill...after hill....normally it seems if I conquer one I have some time to get the motivation to conquer another large one...but today did not seem that kind of day.

So as I stood, in the middle of hill...for the second time (yes, stopped twice on one hill). A gentleman in a truck said "I see you a struggling, I can haul ya up to the top of the hill" I thought to myself...there's no way I could take help now, I'm almost there" ...then I thought how, in my condition, there was no way to make int time for fourth of July and took his offer.

His name was Dave, and he was about to meet up with his family to go camping for the weekend. He was super excited about the trip, and you could tell that he was use to adventuring and admire that I had the time and freedom to be biking cross country.

Dave was one of the most friendly, jolly, and honest people I have met...he kept saying...let me take you to the next hill....think there's a big one up ahead...and when we got to that one he said...you know let me just take you to the next town, I don't feel right leaving you with all these hills in this kind of heat.

At that piont, I didn't argure, I wanted to see my friends and Dave seemed like a kindred spirit. So he called his wife to let her know he's be a half hour late, and took me to the next town of Bethany, when he stopped he handed me a donation. First one I gotten on the trip...and one I needed feel like I had support to keep biking.

Dave; what a guy....

So when Leandra and Corey picked me up I felt like I was in Berea again. It was good seeing old friends. We ate at a diner like we would in Berea, and then they took me back to the Open Source Ecology Shop.

Mile 1305: Chariton, IA

I woke up, happy that wild dogs or racoons did not eat me in the middle of the night..and anxious to leave the park. I had another 90 mile day in front of me in a not so fun route.

A couple hours into my ride, I came across a town called F airfield. Right away, I noticed this town was different. There were two temples when you entered the town, I wasn't sure what kind of first, but came to realize they were part of the Maharishi School of Age and Enlightenment. It was an unexpected new age town of about 10,000 that was a shock to stumble upon after hundreds of miles of cornfields and being in the middle of Iowa.

Of course I didn't realize what the school was until after biking around for several blocks. There were several  middle eastern restaurants, coffeeshops, and although it didn't appear to look any different in size or appearance than my town Berea, KY, it was quite different.

When I went to the coffeeshop to sit down for a bit, there were various people from different cultures...when I asked for coffee they only served americano---this place was strange for sure.

When I left I still couldn't believe it existed.

Needless to say, after I was back on the road, it was cornfields and trucks...no need to explain the ins and outs of going on a pretty straight path while cars pass...but I suprisingly made it to Chaiton where there was down home good ol 4th of July festival with live music and a pretty small crowd.

I enjoyed the festivities and found a place to camp at the Cinder-Path Trail Head that would take me to Trenton.