I have stopped walking for the weekend.  I am at milemarker 59 on US 136 in Boone Co., IN and have called it off till next Tuesday.  The weekend has just about arrived and the events that I have been walking toward are just about here.  Chris and Syndi are arriving tonight and tomorrow morning at 7:12 AM, I have my first live TV interview with Angela Ganote at Fox 59 in Indianapolis.  Angela was there on the phone with me three hours before I started my walk, interviewing me on her live morning show.  She talked to me in Fallon, NV and also in a small town in eastern Nebraska.  When I knew I was going to be in Indy in early September, Angela is the one I called.  I hope you all tune in and check it out.

Today was a much nicer day to walk here in Indiana.  It was a bit muggy but overcast and the temp stayed cool all day with a nice breeze.  After lunch at around 2:00, it started raining and I walked the last 5 miles in that rain.  With about 4 miles left to walk, I was joined by two 'wild and crazy women' who walked with me into Lizton.  Jody Durham and her friend Lisa Henry, both of Boone Co. came out and joined me just outside of Jamestown.  Now Jody has been emailing me since I started the Walk and today I got to meet her.  I want to thank her and Lisa for keeping me company and thanks to Jody for her donation to our gasoline expenses.  It was a nice afternoon and the ice cream and expenses donation were both much appreciated.

Saturday is almost here and the walk around the Circle and Bowl-o-thon are quickly approaching.  I hope to see all of you there for one or both events.  And, if you can make it on Monday night, we are having a meeting in Carmel where I will speak about my experiences.  Check out previous blogs for exact information on all three events.  Also, next Friday night, Sep. 12 in Centerville, I will be speaking at a local church.  Check out my blogs early next week for details on this event.  After that, it is on to Ohio.

Miles covered:  19  Total:  2412.25

Money found:  $0.61  Total:  $68.75

I've been in Indiana for two days now and it has been two of the most miserable, weather wise, days I've had on the whole walk. I had forgotten about how hot and humid it could get here. Right now, it is raining and it has cooled down somewhat and if the guys on TV are correct, it should be cooler tomorrow. Thing is, they said that last night about today.

We are currently in Crawfordsville, IN and heading toward Indy. We will be done walking for a few days at tomorrow's end, and should be somewhere around Jamestown, IN.

Yesterday, we left the Illinois state line (less a mile and three quarters) and walked to Hillsboro (see photo). We had to dump our tanks and fill our water tank in the worst way, and there was absolutely no campgrounds nearby. So on my walk, I passed an RV dealership and called Valda to check it out. Most of them have a dump station and water. This one was no exception. I want to thank Erik Freeman and his daughter Autumn of Will's Far-Go RV Sales and Service in Veedersburg, IN for their kindness and help in getting us going. Autumn is an aspiring doctor and has some interesting theores on why cancer is so rampant. Look out for her in about twenty years. During our conversation with Erik & Autumn, he phoned his Aunt Shirley Beisecker in Hillsboro and asked her if we could spend the night at her place. It turned out to be no problem and I actually ended my day's walk in front of her house. So, Valda & I statyed at Aunt Shirley's and I want to thank her and her dog Polar for their hospitality.

I also want to thank my former sister-in-law, Brenda Van Note for her hospitality in letting Valda & I spend our dinner break at her house in Veedersburg. Brenda saw me walking and pulled over to say 'hi' and really took me by surprise. We really appreciated the driveway and couple of hours of shade.

Today we picked up where we left off and made it all the way through Crawfordsville before the rain came and ended our walk. It was a mixed blessing; the rain felt good but it stopped my 20 miles per day streak. We got in 18 tough hot miles and I'm sort of glad I didn't have to walk the last two.

Don't forget this weekend in Indianapolis: Monument Circle at 8:00 AM on Saturday for 10 Laps for Cancer Research, Beech Grove Bowl at 2-5:00 PM on Saturday for a Bowl-o-thon to benefit Gateway For Cancer Research, and the Xocai Meeting at the Ritz-Charles Hotel on North Meridian St. in Carmel on Monday night at 7:00 where I will speak for 30-40 minutes on the walk, what's happened to me, and how it might help you. Make one event or make them all, just make sure you say hello to me.

Valda watched this grain elevator fill the train cars with corn and took this picture to share with us.

Today's stats:

Miles covered: 18 Total: 2393.25

Money found: $0.28 Total: $68.14

Tuesday's stats:

Miles covered: 20.25 Total: 2375.25

Money found: $0.30 Total: $67.86

Iowa stats:

Here are the stats from my walk through Iowa:

Miles walked: 266.5 Average miles per day: 19.75

Days walked: 13.5 Days off: 2.5

Money found: $3.68 Average money per day: $0.27

Average money found per mile: $0.014

Number of counties walked through, 10: Fremont, Page, Taylor, Ringgold, Decatur, Wayne, Appanose, Davis, Van Buren, and Lee

State highways walked: 2 US Highways walked: 3

Major bridges crossed: 1.5 (half bridge at Missouri River, and the Des Moines River)

Most unusual find: a real horseshoe from a real horse

I enjoyed my walk through Iowa despite some hot and humid weather early on. I was joined by my cousin Jim Barnard and wife Deb on the second day and enjoyed their company. The terrain surprised me but I was told that a glacier made the bottom two counties in Iowa rather hilly and that the flat part which I expected, was further north. The people were very receptive and friendly and I met several I'll never forget. All and all I was impressed. I was told that there was only corn and soy beans in Iowa and that proved correct. Except for a half dozen fields of hay, I saw no other crop.

Nebraska stats:

Here are the stats from my walk through Nebraska:

Miles walked: 354.25 Average miles per day: 18

Days walked: 19.75 Days off: 5.25

Money found: $5.54 Average money per day: $0.28

Average money found per mile: $0.015

Counties walked through: 12 Dundy, Hitchcock, Red Willow, Furnas, Phelps, Kearney, Adams, Clay, Fillmore, Saline, Lancaster, Otoe

State Highways: 3 US Highways: 2 County Road: 2

Major bridges crossed: 1/2 (Bridge over Missouri River, other half goes to Iowa)

Most unusual find: Estwing carpenter claw hammer (almost new, $35.00 new)

Nebraska was a nice change of pace for me. No mountains to contend with and the walk mainly went through rural areas dotted here and there with small towns. We had a halfway layover in Hastings and it was nice to see old friends and family. The heat and humidity was tough but I know that in a month or so, fall weather will be with us. Once more the people I met made the walk memorable. The scenery may change from ocean to mountains to desert, but the generosity of strangers never changes. The people are a states best asset. Thanks to the TV stations and radio station and several newspapers for their interest. Your coverage makes my job so much easier. All in all, it was a great experience.

Colorado stats:

Here are the stats from my walk through Colorado:

Miles walked: 462.25 Average miles per day: 18.5

Days walked: 25 Days off: 6

Money found: $17.91 Average money per day: $0.72

Average money found per mile: $0.04

Counties walked through: 9 Moffat, Routt, Grand, Jackson, Larimer, Weld, Morgan, Washington, Yuma

State highways: 1 US highway: 4 County roads: Those 2 gravel road shortcuts

Major bridges crossed: 0

Most unusual find: A biker's black leather jacket, great condition with a little dried grass (not the smoking kind) on the sleeve

Colorado was a BIG state to walk through. It started out with relatively flat lands but soon escalated to rolling hills and then to the Rockies. There were a couple of tough passes I walked through, but amazingly there was much more downhill walking than uphill. The Poudre Canyon is some place everyone should drive through if they can. After Ft. Collins, the state opened up to flat lands once again and in fact I will be in flat lands until eastern Ohio. Very friendly people in CO, and we met some who will be friends forever. Nice experience.

Utah stats:

Here are the stats from my little journey through Utah:

Miles walked: 355 Average miles per day: 16.9

Days walked: 21 Days off: 5.5

Money found: $15.88 Average money found per day: $0.76

Average money found per mile: $0.05

Counties walked through: Millard, Juab, Carbon, Utah, Duchesne, Unitah

State highways walked: 2 US highways walked: 4

Major bridges crossed: 0

Most unusual find: Hands down, Scott's upside down car

After entering Utah and getting through the first hundred miles, the scenery went from a drab desert to a very pretty, lush mountainous area. The people were very friendly, and helpful in ways not expected. The trash on the highway was more pronounced as I approached and left the city areas. The desert areas were very clean. I enjoyed my stay in Utah and hope the rest of the Walk goes as well as it did there.

Nevada stats:

Well, as you know, Nevada is behind us. We had a good month hiking in NV and were very impressed with the state and the people in it. Here are the stats on Nevada.

Miles walked: 431.5 Average miles per day: 20

Days walked: 21.5 Days off: 3.5

Money found: $4.38 Average money found per day: $0.20

Average money found per mile: $0.01

Counties walked through: Douglas, Carson City, Churchill, Lander, Eureka, White Pine

State highways walked: 1 US Highways walked: 3

Major bridges crossed: 0

Most unusual find: Badminton racket (those 2 coffee cups ran a close second)

California stats:

Some fun figures from California:

Miles walked: 256.25 Average miles per day: 16.53

Days walked: 15.5 Days off: 3.5

Money found: $15.18 Average money found per day: $0.98

Average money found per mile: $0.06

Counties walked through: Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Sacramento, Amador, & Alpine

State highways walked: 3 US highways walked: 0

Major bridges crossed: 4

Most unusual find: new aluminum walking cane

Nevada lies in front of us and it is surely a welcome change from the mountains of CA. We will be in and around Carson City for two or three days and then it is on to Fallon. After Fallon, it is 350 miles on US 50, the Lonliest Road in America. It will be a challenge and certainly lonely, but CA was a challenge too, and if I remember right, I was out there walking by myself every day but one.

Personal to Chuck & Jan Walker: Thanks so much for matching "money found" up to 100%. It was really good to see you both again and have a little company along the way. Personal to Nathan Cooper: Good luck to you in your upcoming basic training at Ft. Benning, GA. It was good to meet you too. God speed.

Miles covered: 8.25 Total: 264.5

Money found: $0.02 Total: $15.20

I think it was Thomas Wolfe that said 'you can't go home again'. You are wrong Mr. Wolfe. Today I came home again...officially. I walked from Illinois into Indiana and just like that, I was home. By the way things are beginning to shape up, I'll probably be in Indiana for a few days before I cross over into Ohio.

Today I walked through Danville, IL and actually did 18.25 miles in IL before I added almost 2 miles in IN to make my 20. The day went fairly well. It was a bit hot and humid and breezy. The narrow US 150 is now behind me and I am once more walking US 136. Hopefully the shoulders in IN will be a bit better than they were in IL. I will probably make it to somewhere around 30 miles from downtown Indy before I have to stop for all the events going on there this weekend. It looks like Gustav may impact Oklahoma instead of coming up and dumping rain on Indiana. Whatever happens on Saturday, we will step off at 8:00 AM sharp for our 10 laps for Cancer Research. By the way, there will be NO public restroom facilities at the Circle, so take care of that before you arrive. There will be bottled water and Xocai Protein Bars available to all participants.

I want to thank Sherman Smith, a Xocai distributor in Indy for all his tireless work on behalf of myself and Gateway. By reading his emails, Sherman has gone far beyond anywhere I would expect him or anyone else to go. Thank you Sherman, and I can't wait to meet you. Also thanks to Susan Muller of Indy for all that she has/is doing on my behalf. It is friends like the two of you that makes doing this walk worthwhile. I also want to thank my brothers and wives for all they have done to help me out. I know we keep asking and asking and so far, you haven't said no. It is much appreciated. I hope you know that.

The sunset picture below was taken by Valda in Indiana. She did a good job with that one. You don't have to have mountains for a neat sunset picture.

I am currently 1.75 miles into Indiana. We will start Hoosier walking in earnest tomorrow. I can't wait for the road to turn toward Indianapolis. Till tomorrow night...

Miles covered: 20 Total: 2355

Money found: $0.36 Total: $67.56

About a year and a half ago, after seeing my tenative walking route, my brother Ron told me that when I got to western Indiana that he would buy me a steak dinner at The Beefhouse Steakhouse in Covington, IN. Tonight, he came through with his promise and although I didn't have a steak, I had a great meal at his expense. Thank you Ron, Valda & I both enjoyed the dinner and the company of you and Ande', Don & Pam, and Scott & Brenda. We both appreciate you all taking time to drive the 100 miles or so to see us.

I had a pretty good day walking. I got my 20 miles in and then had to hurry and clean up and drive from Muncie, IL to Covington, about 23 miles. I have been planning on getting into IN tomorrow sometime, and it's going to be close. I believe I'm right at 20 miles from the state line, but US 150 and US 136 join up and do some funny things in Danville and I may waste some miles walking north and not make the state line. I'll let you know in tomorrow's blog.

The events in Indianapolis next weekend are pretty much set. The 'Walk 10 laps for Cancer Research' is set for 8:00 AM on Monument Circle (come rain or shine, Gustav), and the Bowl-o-thon is set for later in the day between 2:00 and 5:00 PM at the Beech Grove Bowl. By the way, there will be a fire engine from the Beech Grove Fire Dept. at the B.G. Bowl for the kids. There will also be some items raffled off and of course, there will be bowling, pizza, and drinks. Then on Monday night in Carmel, I will be speaking at a Xocai meeting at the Ritz-Charles Hotel on N. Meridian St at 7:00 PM. All these events are fund raisers for Gateway For Cancer Research and any donations to Gateway are tax deductible. There will also be another raffle held on Monday night. All three events are shaping up to be a fun time so plan on attending one, two, or all three.

Had I been one day ahead in my schedule, I would have walked in four states in August. Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois were all part of the month, and I missed Indiana by one day. I think that's pretty good myself. When I get to eastern Ohio and go through W. Virginia and into Pennsylvania, I plan on being in three states in one day. Won't that be a hoot if that happens.

The pictures below are of me, Scott, Ron, & Don. Yesterday I walked through the University of Illinois main campus at Urbana, IL. The middle picture is of the President's Walk (note my skinny shadow). The bottom picture is a structure I ran across today. I think it might have been some kind of silo, but I'm not sure. It was next to some abandoned train tracks and could have had something to do with the railroad. It was out in the middle of nowhere.

Today's stats:

Miles covered: 20 Total: 2335

Money found: $0.63 Total: $67.20

Saturday's stats:

Miles covered: 20 Total: 2315

Money found: $0.69 Total: $66.57