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The first trip, I was asked often what my cause was, that one I really didn't have one, but now I do. I am riding for awareness, not just about Uterine Cancer, but our health in general. We know ourselves better than any doctor, stand up and fight for yourself, it may just save your life.
Head to the Facebook page, Kathleen's Wild Ride, once again updated most days by my friends Mary and Jay.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Welcome to Nebraska . . . and are you single?

Now I know it has been a long while since my last blog entry and for that I am sorry, finding an open library has been a little problematic lately so bear with me.

Our leaving of Wyoming was as difficult as the crossing of it was. We left Cheyenne, heading for the border in what should have been a 2 day ride. We stopped for the night with a wonderful family near Durham, they fed the girls, and me and let me shower, do laundry and stay in their 5th wheel, and offered me a trailer ride half way across Nebraska the next day. I was excited! This would help us catch up on 2 weeks of the time we lost since this trip started. So I stayed up late, talking with friends and the next morning, got up, skipped breakfast, dressed in sweats for the drive and packed up and loaded the girls to head out. Unfortunately, due to some trailer issues, needing new tires, it was decided that they could only take me to Pine Bluffs. I was a bit dissappointed to say the least, but the haul there was about 28 miles and would get us ahead a day. So we unloaded and tacked up and headed out, tired, dressed wrongly, no food and apparently I discovered soon, no water, for a 25 mile ride to Kimball.

It was a hot day, light breeze blowing, I was exhausted through noones fault but my own and the girls were trucking right along, for about the first 12 miles. We stopped in Bushnell, at the only business still open to ask for water, only to find out his faucet had frozen over last winter and had broken. He very kindly sent us to the sheep farm in back of the fix a flat shop, where we received buckets of water, some words of encouragement and information that there was a lake about 5 miles down the road. After letting the girls graze for a bit, and I believe getting caught answering natures call by a railroad worker, we headed down the road towards Kimball, another 13 miles. We had been riding for over an hour when I jerked awake for the third time in 15 minutes and seeing the lake and its park coming up on our right I decided to camp for the night. We headed into the park, found a suitable spot, stripped the girls of their gear, turned them loose to graze and set up the tent before pulling up a picnic table to watch them, dozing off to the sound of the crickets and ducks . . . DUCKS???

I had been watching them graze for about 2 hours when a mini van pulled into the park and passed us, turned around and came back. As they pulled up near me, I got up and went to greet them, hoping I wasn't about to get yelled at for having loose horses in a state park. It turned out to be Val and Kay Snyder of Kimball, they were stopping to see if I needed help catching my horses and after I said I was good they asked what I was doing out there. We had a nice conversation, where I learned that Val was following his long time dream also, he loves to find out what is in the deserts and when ever they travel he gets a 4wheeler and goes exploring, Kay stays at the hotel, with roomservice and the lack of snakes. They volunteered to get me some dinner and took off, soon returning with burger, coke and candy, it was then I realized that everytime something "bad" happens on this trip something wonderful follows and that I loved Nebraska. We talked for awhile longer as I polished off my dinner and they said they would look forward to seeing me tomorrow in town and headed home. I highlined the girls and fell into the tent to fall asleep immediately, only to awaken an hour later to a large and creepy moth flying around the inside of my tent. After a lot of screaming and general whimpering, I was able to chase it out the doorway and pass out again (after a thorough search of the tent for more moths).

We arrived in Kimball the next day around 10:30 and met Penny from the paper and Val and Kay again, tied the horses up behind the police station and went to lunch for an interview, a good burger and the best banana cheesecake I have ever had. Penny arranged for us to stay with Sam Gingrich and his wonderful children, who asked me if I was single, an odd question coming for you girls. Sam and the kids were great hosts, I got to see their pictures of the family vacation to Costa Rica and hear a blow by blow recap of their trip, quite an enjoyable evening.

The next morning I headed out to Potter, was passed on the road and stopped by Merlin and Carol who invited me to stay with them at their barn in town. After putting the girls up, feeding them and setting up the Barbie Dream tent, I headed to town and had lunch at Victoria's bar, fantastic Gyro!

I will have you know that Potter is the home of the tin roof sundae, of course I had one, it was huge! I ate all of it. Must say I have never been so full on this trip, almost ill feeling, but it was worth it. The next morning, I met Merlin and Carol back at the Sundrie(home of the Sundae) for breakfast along with a group of their friends, where I was again asked "are you single?" and upon hearing my answer of yes, was offered a few suggestions as to nice, attractive single men around town.

I just have to say . . . Welcome to Nebraska, fix up capital of the State.

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