More FAQ's

1) Why all the 'shoulder' talk?
The size (width) , material (cement, gravel, dirt, pebbles, grass, etc),  rumble-strip or not, and weather, too, are all factors of a shoulder that contribute to my day in a large way. If I have no shoulder, it's raining, and the dirt is wet, this all creates a slow pace. Even to the point of hopping on the highway depending on cars. If I have a wide, smooth shoulder, it's sure easier to move down the road. These things factor into effort of work, ease of day, and affects my mood as well. The shoulder attributes are unpredictable. One minute it's wonderful and great, then all of sudden....it's gone, and your left to navigate it regardless. Sometimes it varies by county, by town, or some random reason I'm not able to comprehend. I appreciate a nice shoulder, and when there's not one, it makes me wonder if people didn't pay their taxes?!

2) Do you mind the rain?
Why yes I do. Some days I tolerate it better than others. It creates more work all the way around. I have to prepare my cart so that everything that shouldn't get wet doesn't. And vise versa. I don't keep my cart that way all the time. Some things I always want easy access to, so if rain is possible, I will move things around a bit. The thing about rain is, when will it stop that day? Will it get worse? It's hard to check your phone in the rain for weather updates. My phone doesn't like being damp for hours on end. For rain days, I have a Tupperware container with rice in it. I will place my phone in it, and that helps with chronic phone wetness. I call it my Rice Box. You probably know I also have a large plastic container in my cart (My Dry Box) for clothes, my sleeping bag, and other things that need to remain dry. Rain is a part of this journey. The unpredictability of it is part of this process. I tackle it the best I can when it happens. The most important factor of rain, for me, is it's either 1) Good rain: Warm, hopefully not storming, or 2) Bad rain: Cold and rainy. Any variation of that. Cold and wet is bad, bad, bad.

3) Why blog?
For others to come along with me on this journey. Initially, it was for my family to know I'm okay and how my day/night went. And then I realized other people might want to check it out too, to see what it's like out here. But really, it's for my Dad and Mom, who worrry about their baby. Otherwise, my Dad would be sending me emails that go like this:
6:45 am email: Doing okay, Cyn? Sleep well?
7:01 am email: No bears last night, right? Hope you have a good day!
7:06 am email: Haven't heard from you. Making it okay?????
7:12 am email: Cyn?????????
And then also envision some silent, random letter q(s) mixed in all that. I love my mom and dad. My dad would be out here with me if mom would let him. Wait, mom would let him......but he'd be afraid she would have too much fun with him being gone. I'm so blessed they follow me along my journey and support me 110%!! Also, a big Hello to my sweet in-laws, Max and Carol. Thanks for your calls to check on me.

By the way, more rain is forecasted for tonight,
Cyndi