Larned to Great Bend; Distance = 23 Miles; People Met = 10+
Got a problem with drought? Just give Cindy and I a call. Granted, a lower percentage of days have rained while we hike through Kansas, only 25% so far as compared to our next lowest state, tropical Nevada with 30%. Yet Kansas had been experiencing a severe drought. Bob in Garfield estimated only about 5 inches that year before we came along. Our presence in the state has added 2-3 inches more in just sixteen days. We have that rain mojo going. Let us know if you need some help with that.
Unusual sight for Kansas ... until we came along
Unlike the first four states, we’ve managed to be in the right place at the right time for the rain in Kansas. We holed out the last one in Larned and resumed hiking again under cloudless skies. I believe Kansas is the only state where there have been whole days without a single cloud, and there has been a few of them. That adds to the already sunny disposition of kindness we’ve received.
First Michael Dean stopped while we were taking a break to see if we were OK. He is an EMT in Garfield and first spotted us in that town. Late in the day a very muddy car pulled up towards us on the shoulder of the road. A young man hopped out and said they already passed us twice. He vowed that if he passed us one more time he was going to ask what we were doing. So we told him.
Michael Dean
James and his girlfriend Ashley are from Pagosa Springs, Colorado and were visiting folks in Kinsley. When I spoke about our mission of reporting kindness he displayed the exuberance of youth, proclaiming that as a Buddhist and vegan he was all about kindness and was very excited about what we were doing. He beckoned Ashley to come out so I could take a picture of both. They were like two parts of the same river, James the bubbly cascade and Ashley the still, deep pool.
Ashley and James
James said he wished he could donate something but they were short on cash. His exuberance was more than a sufficient donation as far as I was concerned. I actually get a little embarrassed when people donate money, though we certainly can use it. That also explains why I give more of our stuff away than try to sell it. Without Ky acting as our business manager I would probably give everything away. As far as receiving a financial donation, well, that came later in the day.
We stayed at the First United Methodist Church in Great Bend. In the evening Cindy sat and chatted with Sarah Shire while her husband Brad was practicing on the organ for the upcoming Christmas concert. Then the choir came to rehearse and they graciously allowed me to join in. I can sing either tenor or bass and they placed me in the tenor section amidst the Webster family, three gentlemen from three different generations. Because I can sight read people often lean on me in a choir section, but the Webster family was musical with the youngest having just been selected for an all district choir in high school. I was leaning on them in fair measure.
Shortly after choir ended Brad the organist came up to Cindy and put something in her hand. He saluted us for what we were doing and moved on before Cindy could fully comprehend or react. I won’t say what denomination the bill in Cindy’s hand was, but it was more than kind and generous.
Organist Brad is on the right
Other Photos
We did not meet the old man
Our first encounter with Christmas on the journey
Could this be a Cardinals fan?
