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I've been trying to ride out the last remaining sun here in the midwest. Yesterday I rode south to visit with Brian on his journey west. He informed me that he had made it as far as Paw Paw which is straight south of me. Before heading south I rode west to Seward where I would pick up a weary travelers road gift at Eickman's Processing. As a kid the family would get a cow or pig slaughtered there to pack the freezer full of meat for the winter. But what I remembered the most about Eickman's was their beef jerky. I could barely afford it as a child but saved every penny I had when it was processing time. I'd eat it until my teeth were loose and my gums would bleed..... it was so good. For some reason I was reminded of this beef jerky before heading out and made a special trip west to fetch a pound of jerky before riding to Paw Paw. The winds were gusting strong out of the west. The Locust is a pretty hairy ride without added weather elements and the wind was blowing hard enough to make it scary at times.

Up the road I could see a silhouette of a cowboy. Heavily packed each step looked as if were a chore. I pulled off the road in an open patch of grass near a corn field. He walked up with a huge smile on his face. It was only the beginning of the third day of his journey and he already had enough stories to fill a book.







After a handful of stories I offered him a ride to the next town to grab lunch. Space was tight but as they say....if there's a will there's a way. We strapped various objects to the front end and back side of the sissy bar. His 60 pound pack rode between us. With limited maneuverability and strong headwinds that shifted unexpectedly from southwest then northwest it made for an interesting 15 mile ride. It must have been a site to see judging by the looks we received.

We ate at the local Amboy diner and said Farewell

Before the sun was completely gone I made my way to The Jones residence were we shot the sun down.