Saturday, June 29, 2013

Week 1, Days 5-6, Payson, AZ

The ride to Payson was beautiful yesterday.  The chartered bus driver pointed out interesting sites along the way.  We stopped in Phoenix and ate lunch at a park area, but the hot weather drained my energy in just 45 minutes.  We were thankful not to be biking in that heat!  We passed a lot of beautiful scenery in the bus but also recognized it would have been a very difficult ride with lots of climbing interspersed with some long down-grades as well.
 

Let me tell you a little bit about our home for these four days in Payson.  The tents are set up on the baseball diamond near a beautiful middle school.  The clover in the field seems to attract bees.     
 
The school is completely shut down for the summer so we have access only to the bathrooms by the baseball/football concession stand.  The women’s room has three stalls and one sink for the 40-50 women in camp this weekend.  No double vanities here!  In our previous locations, the showers have been cold because they can’t handle the volume with so many people all wanting showers at the same time.  The showers here are hot.  Hot, because the water passes through a garden hose on the pavement before making its way to the outdoor showers set up in the parking lot.  We also have a laundry facility of sorts—a table with a built-in sink and a hand-ringer on the end of the table. It’s pretty cool.  It reminds me of helping Mom with the laundry before we got the washing machine in the mid-60s.  Someone commented, “I didn’t know they still make those things!”  I’m struck by how quickly we adapt to life without luxuries.  Who would have thought that a washing machine is a luxury!  A common phrase yesterday was, “People don’t go on a tour like this if they aren’t flexible and can’t go with the flow.” Something tells me we should live life with more flexibility more often than on a bike tour.


 


 
I took the time to re-organize our stuff this morning.  You’d think it wouldn’t be a problem to keep track of only 60 pounds of possessions, but somehow, it is.  We tried to pack up and get on the road as early as possible those first four mornings, and eventually, we ended up throwing things in the nearest bag, assuming we’ll find it later.  Sometimes this works out better than other times.  I’ve already claimed my toothbrush and holder from the lost and found as well as my eating utensils.  I thought I lost my only non-athletic bra in the laundry at the motel, but as it turns out, it never made it into the laundry because it was stuffed in the tent bag!  I’m trying to organize things to minimize the number of times I walk back and forth between the gear truck and our tent.  It helps to be in the same site for a few days.

Rudy helped with the painting crew on refurbishing a Habitat for Humanity house this morning.  He power-washed it last night with Henry De Jager from Chino, CA, and he went back this morning to help with directing the painting crew.  They should be getting back soon.  I think I’m missing lunch. . . brb (be right back).  J

So much for getting right back to you!  It’s now 8:00 p.m. and it’s cooling off for the evening.  There is a very slight breeze and it’s pretty warm in the porch of our tent so I’m sitting on my little camp chair/stool to finish this entry.

The semi delivered our bikes to camp while we were at the movie.  They seem to have made the trek from Quartzsite in fine shape.  Normally when we’re in camp, our only transportation is via bikes.  Since we didn’t have our bikes, we managed to catch a ride with one of the van drivers to a movie theatre this afternoon.  I have to say that I felt the best I have felt in four days while sitting in the coolness of that movie theatre.  We walked back to camp after the show.  Since being without our bikes, I am reminded of how it might feel to not have a vehicle of your own and the freedom to go where you want to go, when you want to go.  We take so many things for granted.

It looks like we’ll be going to either a Lutheran or Presbyterian church tomorrow, as they have offered to serve us hamburgers or brats after their services tomorrow.  None of this was in the plan since we weren’t planning to be here in Payson on Sunday.  These churches just stepped up to the plate.  (Did you catch that pun?)  The local bike shop owner is doing the same. Several riders stopped at his shop today and he has sold out of road bike tires. When we got back from the movie, there he was in camp, checking out people’s bikes! He is coming back on Monday to do some tune-ups and repairs. Wow, what service!! We’re in awe of the spur-of-the-minute hospitality and generosity we’ve experienced so far on the tour.
 
Have a great Sunday.  Thanks for your comments, your prayers, and your support!

4 comments:

  1. Hi Folkerts -- Glad everyone is being safe through the record heat - I think the Israelites would have camped for awhile too! Shirley I appreciate the reminders of what those without resources have to live with every day and I am thankful for the ways God is providing for your needs. Blessings on your Sunday and the coming week.

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    1. Thanks for reading, Rachel! It struck me again last night when we set up camp in St. John. A couple people encountered someone in town who told them that there in St. John we were in the middle of poverty. I felt strangely out of place pulling into town with our huge semis and our groups' hundreds of thousands of dollars of gear and equipment.

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  2. Yes, glad indeed you are safe. Shocked that it was so hot planes couldn't take off. And saddened by the loss of 18 firefighters' lives in AZ last night. Wow.

    And don't forget to party with Rudy today - It's CANADA DAY!

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    1. Some of us riders attended a Presbyterian church on Sunday morning. They had a hymn-sing before the service and someone chose a very patriotic song from the hymnal. Of course, the Canadians didn't sing along and one of them (not Rudy) suggested they be allowed to sing "Oh Canada," since it was Canada Day this week also. The hosts were very gracious and the Canadians in the bunch stood up and sang with gusto. Acapella. Interesting

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