The Blog

Reflections -- the final entry

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:36:15 -0700

Ray’s Ride was a remarkable experience for both Mike and I. We saw rural America across the southern tier of the United States up close and personal. We met human kindness at every turn. We were enthralled by nature’s demonstrations and watched the flora change during our journey from the Pacific to the Atlantic and back again. We were embraced by all manner of smell and heard the ancient songs of birds we had never seen before. There were times of contemplation and times of stress. There was remembrance and appreciation.

I celebrate the conclusion of this adventure with timidity and a great deal of humility. Timidity, because although I no longer must arise and ride, those whom I love, must always face their respective challenges. Those with cancer deal with the anxiety of its return; those with spina bifida deal with the prospect of diminishing function during their lives. Humility, because this 33 day odyssey, although challenging, does not compare to the daily challenges that face those we care for deeply. I remain grateful for having completed this ride without serious mishap and hopeful that Kristen, Grace, and our many friends and family who face similar challenges, will live a full life with hardships no more serious than I faced in April.

I am also most grateful for our family and friends who ushered us on with love and good wishes. No “thing” can compare to this gift which uplifts the soul to carry us forward. I am also deeply honored to have had the support and help of my old friend, Mike Zimmerling. Without his diligent concern and hard work, this trip could have had a vastly different outcome. I will forever be in Mike’s debt; a debt of friendship and brotherly love. Some comments to the blog asked to see Mike more often in photos, but that is not his way. It was his wish to be supportive but remain in the background. Getting a few photos of his helping nature was difficult. He kept saying, “This is Ray’s Ride, not Mike’s Ride.” It is not my intent to render unwanted attention, but all should know that Mike paid for half of all the expenses of this endeavor... in addition to generous donations given by he and his wife, Cecelia. He made it clear from the outset that if I did not agree to this concession, he would not accompany me. That was some concession!

This final entry has been delayed for a reason. Just after my return to Modesto, Grace was admitted to Children’s Hospital where she underwent three more surgeries. First, it was determined that her shunt was not performing as it should, causing excessive fluid and pressure in her skull. The shunt valve and catheter into her skull were both replaced. However, before this was accomplished, the excessive pressure caused what is called Chiari Syndrome, wherein her brain was pushed downward, putting pressure on her spinal chord. This in turn, led to, among other symptoms, her inability to swallow. The second surgery was performed to remove some bone, allowing a decompression of the brain within her skull. This surgery was successful, but her ability to swallow did not return. So last week, a third surgery was performed to provide a permanent feeding tube. There is a possibility that when she is old enough to understand therapy instructions, she may re-learn to swallow but we won’t worry about that for now. Grace came home last week to the delight of her family. Kristen flew to Ohio to help.

In the blogged comments made by my daughters during Ray’s Ride, both Lauren and Kristen used the term “hero.” Raising funds for research was my way of fulfilling a need. But watching my daughters live life and deal with severe trials, gives me the greatest sense of hope, love, joy and respect. Truly, they are my heros and the world is a much better place because of them. Grace is blessed to have Lauren and Chris as parents. She is also blessed to have aunt Kristen and uncle Nick, in her life... which will be filled with joy and opportunity.

Finally, I thank Yvonne, my terrific, red-headed wife, and Cecelia, Mike’s wife, for supporting us in this journey. They made it all possible.

Life is filled with challenges... for everyone. But sometimes those challenges present opportunities that would not otherwise be possible. I will forever be grateful to those who met my challenge to donate for research. I will be forever grateful for wonderful family and friends. I hope that future generations may live without cancer or spina bifida. And to all who read this, I wish you joy and peace.

This brings me to the bottom line... together, we have raised almost $25,000 for research! Thank you!!!!

Love to all... Ray

Day 33

Thu, 1 May 2008 19:26:35 -0700

This was the last day of riding; an easy day of 32 miles, with a late start and an early finish. My journey across the United States is concluded... it’s a good feeling to be done. With the help of my very good friend, Mike, and the prayers and positive thoughts of family, friends and others who have joined this effort, I have been able to ride my recumbent bicycle across this wonderful country. For those of you who are counting, it was a looooonnggg ride... 3,017 miles.

Our purpose... to raise awareness and funds for research to fight melanoma cancer and spina bifida... has not yet concluded. Our goal was to raise $10,000 for each of the two hospitals to help in their research programs... we have a ways to go.

Cancer and spina bifida have touched many families. Our list of family, friends, and co-workers demonstrates how many people, how many families, are effected by these diseases. This list has been updated four times because my memory isn’t what it used to be. If we have left someone off who should be on, it was not intentional.

We remember those who enriched our lives and we cherish the time we had with them and the blessings they have left behind! They are gone but remembered:
Spina Bifida: Steven Luff

Cancer: Grandpa Walter Hein Grandma Valerie Freitas
Grandma Eleanor Luff Grandpa Donald Luff
Adrian Hein Pat Lerud
Connie Nations Cheryl Newton
Nina Rutledge Jim Barker
Larry Berman Arlene Berry
Ron Chandler Beverly Dalgran
Cindy Elledge Wes Huff
Paul Gregory Marjorie McKenna
Pam Mendonca Clarence Monroe
Rev. Don Nelson John Sackett
Fred Vaughn Frank Warmerdam
Joe Weavill Chris Zimmerling
Hilda Lerendigui

We honor those who have spina bifida and cancer and we pray daily that they are blessed with a cure for a long, healthy life!
Spina Bifida: Grace Glaros Ryan Glaros

Cancer: Kristen Taylor-Cameron Grandma Marie Hein
Sherry Bonnett Beverly Lacy
Gay Nations Neva Sachar
Sara Butler Sandra Castaneda
Julie Danielson Lawren Fehely
Pat Frew Beverly Kellogg
Fran Gomez Peggy McNatt
Wendy Nipper Larry O’Connell
Diana Olson Wally Riches
Deanna Salter Jane Sato
Randall Hill Cecelia Zimmerling
Jan & Frank Schmidt Jack Rissetto
Eddie Seefelt Maryjane Cooper
Susan Vincent Imogene Engebretsen

We offer a special THANK YOU for their generous support and prayers:
The men and women of the Modesto Police Department
The Johansen High School staff and students
The First United Methodist Church
The Worthington Kilbourne High School staff and students
Bill Bischoff Printing
Oakley Sunglass Company
Raley’s Supermarkets
Bacchetta Bicycles
and
the hundreds of Friends and Family who have donated to UCSF for cancer research
and/or the Nationwide Children’s Hospital for spina bifida research.

I will update this blog in a couple of weeks after I have travelled back to Modesto and do some of the chores Yvonne has planned for me... and, after I have had some time to reflect. I will also post the contribution totals in a month or two, after the hospitals have tallied all the gifts.

YOU HAVE HELPED US KEEP THE FAITH... AND MAYBE, WE HAVE HELPED
A FUTURE GENERATION.

Day 32

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:51:03 -0700

Gosh, it’s hard to believe that this trip is just about over. 114 miles today, but a wee accident befell me when I hit some sand on the shoulder and went down sideways... a strawberry on the butt and skinned forearm, but we washed it with soap and water, covered it with a sterile gauze from the first aid kit and finished the last 30 miles with an occasional grimace. It did some damage to the fairing which I removed from the bike before riding on. All is well... a little reminder that care must always be given when riding on new roads.

The day started very COLD. Believe it or not, it was down in the 40’s where we stayed last night. The sun warmed things up to a very satisfactory 73 degrees and wind was light. We should arrive in St. Augustine tomorrow about noon. Larry, my brother, is planning to greet us as we arrive.

Tonight, we are in East Palatka, at a very run down RV park. Nearly all of the spaces are used by low income folks who cannot afford to put their old trailers anywhere else. There is a little, black pet goat that walks around and gets fed by the residents here. Her name is Dixie and she’s in the video.

The roads this morning were nothing short of spectacular with enormous oaks craning out over the road to create a canopy under which only filtered light penetrated. The “Spanish Moss” hung low and looked as if it had been growing for as long as the oaks... almost like a beard on an old man.

After leaving Gainesville, I was on a “Rails to Trails” bikeway for 26 miles. It was truly amazing with old growth forest on the hills, and miles of swamp that came right up to the edge of the paved bike trail, cypress tree trunks 3 ft. in diameter, vines and lilies in the water. Really beautiful, of course, Mike had the camera! He did take some great shots today, didn’t he?

When I was about 90 miles into the ride today, I thought, why don’t I just ride the other 40 miles to St. Augustine... if I push, it’ll only take me 2 or 3 hours at most. But then I thought, what’s the rush? I’ll save a little for tomorrow. One day at a time!

Yvonne, leave the light on... I’m a comin’ home soon!

Day 31

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:08:43 -0700

It was a beautiful day, with a high of 73 degrees, clear skies, smooth, clean, wide shoulders, no headwind and little traffic. It doesn’t get much better. Both Mike and I felt great and no unfortunate events. Mike found a great campground that’s quiet and empty... except for two other cyclists who will finish this ride in three more days. We shared stories. They liked the comforts of our trailer.

We crossed the Suwannee River today. Yes, it is the river that we sang about in our youth. The song was written by Stephen Foster, who had never even seen the river and used its name because it fit his musical lyrics. He changed the spelling of the river because he was afraid that people would not pronounce it correctly... so, his song is titled, “Way Down Upon the Swannee River.” The river itself is darkly stained, so much so that it looks like a river of black crude oil. The video shows bridges over the river, and the river is in Madison County, but it is NOT the same Madison County made famous by the book and movie, “Bridges of Madison County.”

After riding/driving in rural America for a month, there are certain things that come to mind. First, there are lots of critters out here. We’ve seen all manner of bunnies, quick little squirrels, snakes, birds, deer, bugs of all kinds, turtles, alligators, farm animals, and coyotes. Second, rural America smells a lot different than urban America. Yes, there’s honeysuckle in the morning air, but there’s also the scent of pine, the smell of fresh turned soil, cut alfalfa, and the sweet smell of the air after a hard rain. There’s also the smell of manure, of factories, carrion, diesel trucks and skunks... and bicycle riders before their showers. Mike and I have both been surprised at the amount of logging that takes place all across the South, from Texas to Florida, for lumber, paper and plywood.

We’ve encountered lots of people who live under difficult conditions. We’ve seen men and women who work hard and come home to modest trailers at RV parks... traveling laborers who take care of the railroads or who build prisons. We’ve overheard conversations between “old timers” in local cafes, spoken with people interested in my bike, and others curious as to why we would do such a “stupid” thing as bicycling across the U.S. But all of them paid compliments after learning our purpose... most promised to include us and our families in their prayers. We have been blessed.

Having taken care of me for a month now, Mike says that this is the last trip he’s going on with me... but he’s said that many times before. We’ll find a new adventure, but this is one that we shall not soon forget.

Day 30

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:26:57 -0700

Mike checked the weather last night on his computer and learned that it would rain during the night , with a 70% chance of rain today, so we set up the 8’ canopy and prepared for the worst. It rained off and on all night but we stayed nice and dry in the trailer (it works Yvonne!). We were up early and it stopped for 30 minutes so we could strike camp. We drove over to the “water fall” which is a really minor stream of water that falls 73 ft. into a sink hole. It was dark and dreary and everything was wet... lots of shades of green. Before we got back to the car, it started raining again. We decided to take it easy, go into town for breakfast and check the hourly forecast.

About an hour later, I was on my bike and riding as fast as I could to stay ahead of a really dark grey cloud that was moving my way fast and was obviously dropping lots of rain. I made it about 20 miles in just over an hour before buckets of water dropped out of the sky. I rode wet for a while then sort of dried out, just before I got soaked again. I changed riding togs and had lunch with Mike by the road, then was off again.

Nearing Tallahassee, the shoulder disappeared and I was riding in the same lane with big trucks and fast cars, so Mike was going to take me to a different road. We loaded the bike on the trailer and started to get back on the highway when Mike noticed that the trailer bounced. “Oh no” he said as I looked back, then sadly got out of the car and walked back to get my front wheel which I had left beside the trailer. Yes, the trailer ran over my front wheel and there was damage. I made a quick assessment and called a local bike store. The rim was scratched, slightly out of round, had a small bend in the edge where the tire bead seals onto the rim, the quick-release skewer was bent, and the tire was punctured. Not as bad as I thought!

We arrived at the bike shop just before they closed, got a used skewer and I asked if I could use their truing stand for a few minutes... of course. But the bike mechanic couldn’t resist the challenge and started truing it up himself. I had an extra tire and tube in the car, so we made it to camp and I had it in working order in about 30 minutes. I’ve only got about 250 miles left... a scratched, dented, bent wheel isn’t going to slow me down now!

Basically, I was on Hwy 90 all day from Milton through Tallahassee. We are staying at a KOA campground about 20 miles east of Tallahassee and right next to Interstate 10. Tomorrow, I go east on Hwy 90 and County Road 132 for about 75 miles, then south on County Road 137 for 25 or so miles. The forecast is for clouds tomorrow, then clear skies Wednesday and Thursday. YES!