Used with Permission. Interview by Cassie Fleming. (c) The Grand Island Independent on July 24, 2008

Iowa is about 25 miles away and in a couple of days of walking I’ll be crossing the bridge over the Missouri River and walk into the cornfields of Iowa. It will be the sixth state I will be in. I’m in a sort of race to get to Indianapolis, IN by September 6th and the flat roads of Iowa and Illinois will be welcome.

The weather is still hot and the terrain is still rolling. Corn is the prevalent crop now and it’s interesting to see all the various stages of development in the fields. There is still some hay around and the large bales dot the landscape. Some of the farmers are now gathering them and occasionally there is a semi that passes with twenty to thirty of them on a flatbed. The trucks with the corn mash still pass and the stale beer smell is ever present. All in all, the area is teeming with farm activity and I imagine it will continue until I reach Pennsylvania.

I had something curious happen today. It was 3:00 and hot as you can imagine. All of a sudden a breeze came by and it was like someone opened a freezer door. The cold snap lasted about five seconds and then was gone. I have no idea how it happened, but I’ll take it again if it wants to come back.

Today was a typical day as far as walking is concerned. I did have a deputy sheriff stop and inquire about what I was doing. Other than that, nothing happened. Tomorrow we are going to take the day off in Palmyra. Hopefully Sunday I’ll be in Iowa by the end of the day.

Miles Covered: 20.5
Total Miles: 1,833.5
Money Found: $0.25
Total Found: $57.60