June 23,
2001. Houston to Marshfield, Missouri. (65 mi.) Mile 1538
Back
on the road and still in the Ozarks
We were camped out at the Houston
Post Office doors when they opened first thing in the morning, but it wasn't
good news. It seems our tent and other camping gear is lost somewhere in the
bowels of the Postal System. The postal guy explained that sometimes the mail
for Houston, Missouri, goes to Houston, Texas, even with the right state and
zip code. He said that if it came in later today, he could express mail it to
our next big town a few days away. Our next big town a few days away is
Pittsburg, Kansas. Sounds risky to me!
Rested and ready to ride out of Houston
Since it's Saturday, we couldn't
hang out indefinitely waiting for our stuff to show up, so we pedaled on our
way. We'll be calling them Monday and every other day until it shows up. Not
having camping gear puts us at a disadvantage as to where we can stay, as well
as adding quite a bit of expense to the trip for motels. Otherwise, we had a
very good day of riding. The weather was clear and at least 10 degrees cooler
than last week. The hills were easier on us, and the lay-over day had given
our legs a rest. There were bluebirds, purple cone flowers, and miles of
scenic Midwest farmland.
1) 
2) 
3) 
1) Hartville, a typical
small town in Missouri. We stopped for an All You Can Eat Real American Lunch.
2) This turtle does not realize
that I am about to save its life.
3) Ozark family, owners of a small
Ma and Pa country market where we stopped for cold Gatorade. The two red-headed
siblings, Marvin and Melissa, were very interested in our bikes. When I asked
if I could take their picture, the rest of the family wanted in the shot too.
M ---------> Marilyn
(It is no wonder it takes us so long to get
anywhere when we stop to take photos like this.)
