Daniel Slocum's Blog

I didn’t post our happenings yesterday as we didn’t get into our hotel room till about 11:00 PM.  It was a long day. Our planned distance was 511 miles, and we met it, but not without some speed bumps.

At our first gas stop, just a hundred or so miles into the journey, Dad’s bike wouldn’t start after he filled it.  This is exactly the symptom he had corrected, not once, but twice already on this trip so this was immediately troubling. Before we left home, we hooked up a lead line to the battery to which I could connect a portable power device capable of jumping the bike several times before requiring a recharge. So, we got everything ready to jump the bike and get on down the road, but couldn’t find the line.  Dad removed the side cover to expose the battery, found the cable properly mounted to the negative and positive posts, but couldn’t find the end of it to jump the bike. So, off came all the luggage, both seats and there it was. The mechanic who did the last repair, had moved it so it was exposed on the opposite side of the bike. Had we noticed, we’d have saved ourselves at least 30 min of effort. Dad put his bike and luggage back together and we jumped the bike.  Off we went, happy that it was working, worried it wouldn’t last. And wouldn’t last, it did.

We’d hardly gone a quarter of a mile and the whole bike just shut down. A call to Roadside assistance, an hour or so wait, a 70 mile tow, and we found ourselves in a small town motorcycle shop.  Horizon Motorsports in Sterling, CO.  Shawn, put the bike up on the lift, and started diagnosing the bike. Within about 20 minutes he found a wire leading from the part replaced in Virginia, some 1200 or so miles prior had come loose.  He put everything back together and charged the battery while we sought out lunch. Whoop!  It was Cherry Limeade time.  As luck would have it, there was a Sonic, just kitty corner across the street. By the time we completed our late lunch, the battery was charged and everything tested out ok.  Sterling and businesses there, like Horizon Motorsports, are in need.  The city’s sidewalks and streets were in disrepair. It felt as if the economy was running on fumes. Being there was a blessing, not a curse. It’s for towns like this we set out on our mission. The goal wasn’t just to complete the Run For The Wall and “Ride for those who can’t”. It was to pray for the healing of our great nation in every town we found ourselves in all across the land. Healing starts with good people like Shawn of Horizon Motor Sports, and Steve the tow truck driver, in small struggling towns like Sterling, CO.  Being there, gave us the chance to pray over the town and sew a seed for God to water.

By the time we arrived in Denver, it was too late to follow through with plans to link up with my long-time friend Rod, so we geared for the rain we saw on the horizon and assaulted the Rockies.  By the time we reached the midway point, at just under 12,000 feet, we were freezing. Snow was all around and night was setting in. Another gear switch to heated jacket and pant liners and we were off for the final 90 miles, all downhill, in the dark, with flashing road signs warning us to watch for moose, coyotes, cougars, and herds of deer. Yeah, it was not a ride for the faint of heart.  At one point, I saw a massive buck standing on the side of the freeway looking for an opening to cross. Nearby, there were 20-30 other deer grazing on the grass along the road’s edge. It was at this point I sought out a semi-truck to tuck in behind for the journey down the mountain. I followed him close enough that he’d encounter the wildlife first, but not so close that should he do so, I’d be caught up in the mele. With that, we arrived safely in Glenwood Springs, tired but well, and bike repaired, hopefully for the last time.

Ahh… safely in our hotel room in Kearney Nebraska. The weather generally cooperated, though we put on and took off our rain gear several times today. We did lunch somewhere in Des Moines.  It was a grand adventure.  We found ourselves at what is likely the only exit that doesn’t have convenient food services.  There were two “sit down and stay awhile” places nearby but nothing like a Subway or other common lunch fare.

As we were gassing the bikes, I noticed a “Taco Truck” parked on the corner of the lot.  If you know me at all, you already know without me telling you that we ate there for sure. After topping off the bikes, we found a place to park and walked to the window. We met Zack, a “local” who was waiting on his lunch and struck up a conversation during which the attendant in the truck handed him his food. As he took it, Zack told her that anything we ordered he’d pay for.  I did a double take and thanked him.  Wow, God blessed us with Patriots who wanted to show support and gratitude two days in a row. I was floored.  Zack was a “Giver”.  He expressed with his words and his actions his support for the Military and for others.

Fast forward to our hotel lobby this evening.  In most locations of this hotel chain you can find freshly made cookies at the front desk. This was true with our hotel tonight.  Dad and I were nearly salivating at the chance to dive into a Dark Chocolate Caramel cookie, but asked the clerk to get us napkins so we could pick them up without touching other cookies on the plate.  While he was gone, a woman approached us, loudly proclaiming to the person she was with that she was going to get another cookie.  I told her that we were looking to take the “black ones”, you know, kind of a “dibs” thing.  She corrected me saying, “they are brown”, stepped in front of me and took one of the remaining two right off the tray and smugly walked away.  I was amazed and walked back to our room dumbfounded.   Cookie lady is a “Taker”.  I don’t know her reasons for not showing honor, love and respect to another human, but it left me disappointed for her.

I’ve been thinking about what I could’ve done differently and can’t find a better response then walking away. I’m not sure I’d have represented Jesus very well in that moment. I know it’s just a cookie, but we are tired and everything is amplified. Not an excuse, it just is what it is. Now, an hour or more post, cookie snatch, I’ve come to the realization that God put her there in that moment for me to learn of her needs and pray for her. No, this isn’t a “look at me, I’m an awesome Christian” moment, I’m just keeping it real.  I was miffed, walked away so I wouldn’t say something stupid, and now after the fact, God has been revealing to me that because we’ve crossed paths I can pray provision, plenty, and that she never again feels like she has to take something before it’s gone or she won’t have any (orphan spirit).

Here’s a couple of photos from the day.  I snapped one of Dad just ahead of me while we were riding.  I keep my phone mounted on the handlebar for use as a GPS so it was fairly simple to turn on the camera and click the shutter. I snapped these photos of our rear tires to show you the difference between a standard bike tire after 5000 miles of highway driving and a car tire mounted on a bike after about 12000 miles of highway/street driving and about 3ooo of mountains.  Dad will have to buy a new tire shortly after we get home, while this car tire has a great deal of life left in it.

This mural was on a wall here in Kearney. I noticed it on our way back from dinner. It’s a reminder there are a lot of great humans, “Givers” left in the USA.  I hope you one of them and your skills aren’t rusty.

Note the 10 Commandments on the right side.

Bike tire with big flat patch worn in center.

Car tire, lots of life left in this one.