Rain, Rain, Went Away?

Over the past 6 months, talk of the drought plaguing the California farming sector has circulated through major news networks' talking points.  However, what I didn't realize until I was actually riding through this part of the country is that west TX and southeast OK are experiencing one of the worst droughts in their states histories, if not the worst of all time.  

With just 6 more months of these types of conditions sustained, Witchita Falls TX will be the largest city in the USA's history to completely run out of water, forcing our country to declare a State of Emergency long before the situation gets to that point.  

As I said yesterday, the areas of Oklahoma through which we are riding are some of the prettiest we have seen so far. That being said, the cities where we have stayed the past few nights are struggling and I would imagine that a failing farm economy brought about by a lack of rain has a huge role to play in that fiscal and personal devastation.  

To bring this situation home on a more personal note, signs decorate the farms, churches and street corners that we pass.  

Oklahoma has been an experience to say the least.  I have loved the state but an ready to see what the panhandle of Texas has in store.  And on a happier note, while the drought in these areas persist, it is raining for our ride today.  Maybe there is a silver lining to this sad situation. 

Oooohhh-klahoma Where The Wind Comes Sweepin' Down The Plain

Oklahoma, Bike & Build has arrived! 

Yesterday morning we began out two day haiatus from Texas.  Representatives from the Witchita Falls "Hotter'n Hell 100 Miler" bike race rode with us for the first 15 or 20 miles of the day. 

As an aside, I strongly encourage people to check out the Hotter'n Hell 100 Miler online.  It's a race that takes place at the end of the summer in the greater Witchita Falls area.  Annually, anywhere from 12,000-14,000 bikers participate making it the largest non-profit century bike race in the country.  As an organization, Hotter'n Hell 100 Miler treated our Bike & Build group very fondly.  They fed us, housed us, and set up a police escort for our departure from the city.  Additionally, all Bike & Build alum are allowed to participate in the race at any time in the future free of cost.  So maybe I'll be seeing this area of the country again at some point in the future? 

Anyways, Oklahoma is fantastic!  There are gorgeous fields and plains extending in every direction as far as the eye can see.  Power lines run into eternity, a sight that looks like the literal manifestation of John Gast's American Progress painting (1872)

It's not hard to imagine how a tornado would thrive in this type of environment and just ravage the area.  

In case you can't tell, I've fallen in love with Oklahoma.  Yesterday's ride was my favorite of the trip by a long shot.  Sometimes you need a good tailwind and some magical terrain to remind you that life is about the little moments.  For me, Oklahoma has been about an appreciation of what our team is accomplishing this summer and the amazing sights that we are getting to see.  We are biking across the country and seeing parts of the USA that very few people get to see, much less value.  

Oklahoma, I'm ready for another amazing day.  

Divide And Conquer

The last two weeks or so, our wake up times have oscillated between 4:30 and 5:00am.  Sleepiness causes the group of 32 to look like a bleary eyed machine as we go through our morning routine.  

With wake up at 5:00am, we have an hour to pack up our bags, get dressed, carry our bags down to the trailer and then begin our group chore.  

What are the group chores?  Well, the 28 non-leaders are divided into 5 groups and each week a group has a different chore.  We rotate through these chore groups for the entire summer.  The 5 groups are: 

Breakfast crew - responsible for preparing breakfast for the group when not provided by the host site, responsible for washing the group's laundry once every three ride days, and responsible for cleaning the remaining dirty dishes in the morning before we leave.  

Cooler crew - responsible for unloading the coolers when we arrive at a host site so that the food stays fresh and the freezer packs stay cold, responsible for reloading the coolers with the group's food in the morning, responsible for cleaning the coolers when necessary, and responsible for filling the water and Gatorade drinking coolers. 

Dinner crew - responsible for preparing dinner when not provided by the host and helping prepare dinner when it is provided by the host, responsible for giving presentations to the host when they would like to know more about Bike & Build, and responsible for cleaning the dishes after dinner. 

Trailer crew - responsible for packing the trailer in the morning before breakfast is ready. 

Overnight crew - responsible for cleaning the host site, ensuring that the people who orchestrated our stay receive an adequate thank you, and responsible for overseeing bike cliniques in several of the towns where we stay.  

Certainly, we look tired and only partially functioning in the morning, but these chore groups help us finish our morning tasks so that we can get on the road.  

Our host here in Witchita Falls that got to experience our machine-like mornings.  

The Love Of The Unknown

We are here in Boyd TX and yes, that is not the town where we were originally scheduled to stay.  Decatur was the plan but the team had to be flexible when the church that had volunteered to house us for the evening alerted us that they had double-booked the space.  

Our leaders went to work calling different organizations and making a mad dash to find us a sleeping location to no avail.  But as fate would have it, a kind gentleman with connections in Boyd, a town about 10 or 15 miles to the south of Decatur, stopped to talk to two Bike & Builders while they were changing a flat tire on the side of the road.  That conversation encouraged the gentleman to refer us to Atmos Energy, a company with a facility in Boyd.  

Once we arrived in Boyd yesterday evening, riders began searching out dinner options since the last-minute host switch up meant that food was not provided.  A group of four of us headed to the local Mexican restaurant and enjoyed some yummy food after a long ride day.  

Our waitress spent a lot of time talking to us about Bike & Build and our journey across the country.  Shortly before we were preparing to pay for a food, the waitress came back by our table to let us know that the family who had been sitting by our table and overheard our conversation had paid for our meals.  

It's the kindness of this family, of the man with connections to Atmos Energy and many other generous yet anonymous individuals that makes me feel blessed and excited to be a part of Bike & Build.  

If You Build It They Will Come

Another set of successful build days here in Dallas and the progress is visible.  

Day 1 start:

Day 2 start: 

Day 2 end: 

Our team worked diligently to put up the blue board on the outer walls, to install the windows and doors, and to maneuver the trusses into position on the roof and then secure them.  It's exciting to see how much our group of young adults can do when we target our energy.  

Doubly exciting, everyone had a great time while working! 

Omar-Megan 

The Dan team! 

Diligent Dusty 

Magnificent Marlee (left) and Magic Micah (right)

Creeper Colleen 

Cutie-pie Kirstin 

Safe Shayan 

Hairy Hannah 

Goober Gaurang (left) and Chief Jester Emma (right) 

Jubilant Jamie (left) and Killer Katie (right)

Colorful Corina (left) and Mad-dawg Maddie (right) 

Cantankerous Connor (left), Amazing Ashley (center) and Hairy Hannah (right) 

Musical Molly (top) and Colorful Corina (bottom)

Really really tired Rhys and Mad-dawg Maddie

Awkward Angela 

Lovable Laura

Gregarious Greg

Finally, a very happy quarter life crisis to one of our fearless leaders, Dan.  His birthday request was that he be thrown in the air 25 times, once for every year of his young adult life.  

Rock The Boat, Rock The Boat Baby

SUS14 spends our days biking and building and our nights trying to recharge before we repeat the process.  Over the course of 2 1/2 months that pattern can become exhausting, to say nothing of the tiring nature of biking 75+ miles each day in 90 degree heat.  What the 32 of us are doing is challenging.  

However, our group also runs into extreme generosity while on the road.  Families and organizations connected to Bike & Build spend enormous amounts of energy and share their extensive resources to ensure that we have a fantastic experience.  

Yesterday afternoon, following our build day, Sally Muhl, her husband Peter and the Garland Area Habitat for Humanity put in the effort to make our brief evening off particularly relaxing and memorful.  The team drove out to Lake Ray Hubbard for an amazing sailboat ride.  

Of course, being a ramshackle group of 32 young folks, we had to add a little fun and games to the evening by taking a pit stop at the local Goodwill.  Look at the outcome! 

Hopefully tomorrow we will be ready to hit the road for the fun ride to Decatur TX.  

When Push Comes To Shove

Meet Greg and Claire, two of SUS14's leaders.  Several days back, Greg and Claire got into a little pushing match and, having quite a size advantage, Greg won the battle and Claire had to bike in wet chamois.  

Now, here in Dallas, our lovely hostess Sally has a pool at her home and Claire and I were ready to return Greg's favor.  Unfortunately, Claire once again took the fall into the water and I am now watching over my shoulder as Greg promises that I will be next.  I guess I should know better than to pick a fight with a bear.  

Regarding yesterday's ride, we had tons of fun!!! Texas continues to be an adventurous surprise.  The team found a giant stack of hay bails next to a lucious field and, of course, pictures ensued.  Because of an intense fear of heights, I was happily designated photographer.  

Following the hay bail pictures, we migrated to the fields for another round of photos. 

Now off to a build day here in Dallas. 

Homies In The Hizzle

Normally our team sleeps in gyms and churches but the past 24 hours have been a special treat.  Here in Athens TX some generous families openned their homes to some smelly bicyclists for the evening. 

After six consecutive ride days, our entire team was ready for a break of any kind and relaxing in a real home with kind folks, great water pressure and a delicious breakfast was priceless.  

The two Molly's stayed with the Maxfield family for the evening.  When we arrived at their home, we were in awe.  

Our entire team is also lucky that the home stay came at this precise timing because a stomach bug is going around. 

On yesterday's ride, a half dozen of our teammates had to be vanned because, put nicely, sickness was coming out both ends.  The healthy set of us split up and different families volunteered to host us for the evening.  

This morning when our team met back up, a handful more were sick.  Let's hope that this virus doesn't work it's way through the entire team but rather that the sick group members start feeling better quickly and that the healthy stay in good condition.