17 May 2007: the Life of an Itinerant Litter-vangelist

Waucousta to Brookfield: 55.7 mi; 68 @ 3:30
The incredible days continue. This morning I spoke at Waucousta Lutheran School, to an assembly of students and visitors. David Wege had set up forty chairs, then needed seven more to handle the overflow crowd. He started the show by playing To Tell The Truth while I hid in the kitchen. After I revealed myself, my tales enthralled the school kids and adults alike, resulting in several more book sales.
After photo ops in the parking lot and questions from the local reporter, I headed back into the Kettle Moraine park. With all afternoon to cover a shorter distance, I spent more time hiking the Ice Age Trail. After satisfiying my forest fix, I headed south at 12:30.
Another beautiful ride, another picture-perfect day. As I neared Milwaukee, farm fields turned into subdivisions and country lanes into commercial highways. I had plotted out a fairly direct route, but when my north/south road had a gap at the interstate, I veered east and stopped for new directions. It didn't cost me any miles, and despite the urban scenery, I enjoyed the ride immensely.
My hosts for the night, Jasonn and Loren Webber, had arranged a cookout with Shannon Korth, another of the Mukwonago Quintet, the five teachers at four schools that asked me in to speak. (Nothing like ending with a bang!) He'd also invited neighbors and in-laws to guarantee a merry time.
Jasonn's diversity impressed me greatly. The cookout's venison he'd shot, butchered, and cooked himself; he and Loren spoke German at home to their daughters so they'd grow up bilingual; his backyard featured a playhouse on stilts he'd built himself; he proved an authority on local birds. Later, as we wound down, he engaged me in a lively discussion on the current state of health care and environmental activism.
Now I'm left pondering the enduring mystery, the arcane art of planning these adventures: how do I strike a balance between schedule and spontaneity? Just like last Friday, when the Kings invited me to stay an extra night in St. Ignace, I got a wonderful invitation to linger in Wisconsin. Jasonn and Shannon mentioned that tomorrow was school district day at the ball game: 150 teachers and staff of the Mukwonago district, along with their families, were having a tailgate party in Milwaukee, followed by attending the Brewers-Twins game. They knew they could snag an extra ticket...
Last Friday, I could have stayed in St. Ignace - but then I would have had to finagle a ride north to cover the missed day's mileage and keep me on schedule. I didn't want to impose in that fashion.
This time I would have loved to accept - it's the type of opportunity from which memories arise. If I'd been facing a night in a motel otherwise, I'd have jumped on the chance. However, I had close relatives awaiting me, and they'd already altered their plans to host me. I wouldn't have felt right canceling on them.
Therein lies the eternal dilemma. On the walk we had NO schedule, NO deadlines. The freedom to be spontaneous exhilarated and enthused us. Unfortunately, I can't talk at schools and libraries without scheduling them beforehand. All I can do is put a priority on flexibility as much as possible: if an opportunity arises, bypass a day of biking. I haven't had a tour yet where I biked every mile between start and finish. (This year's continuous stretch lasted longest - 790 miles - but it ended when my host drove me to his home in Appleton Tues night. If not then, I knew tomorrow I'd have another gap, when Jasonn drives me to Mukwonago High.) Of course, my goal has never been to bicylce every mile coast-to-coast, it's been to discover the country by bicycle while inspiring others. There is a significant difference.