Message from a stranger

I received this e-mail message after my final day of riding....

Hello,Props to your wonderful, inspiring efforts. I admire yourdetermination and feel honored to live in the city that you celebrateyour journey's end. I was driving home and noticed how gracefully youglided up the quite steep hill outside our house on Franklin Ave.Most cyclists are huffing and laboring up it, but I sensed there musthave been some experience in your pedal strokes. Looked up the siteon the bike trailer sign and found such an inspiring endevor that gaveme a few shivers as I beheld the beautiful pictures of your journey.I am totally behind you and your mission. I often wonder what willhappen to the farms that so many people identify with as their roots.They may have some ancestor that was involved in some form of lifesustaining ariculture or might remember the neighbor's field of melonswhich has now gone to land developers. Where will we be when we areno longer identifying ourselves or at least acknowledging that withoutthis connection with the land we live on, it may give way beneath us?I had a short experience with the joys of farming in my years inhighschool at a self-supporting school. Some of the most memorableyears of my life were spent there dividing studies and work during theday. The work, the most enjoyable part of the day, was on the smallorganic farm which supplemented the schools income and also thecafeteria menu. There was also a small flock of wool sheep that Ipersonally tended to each day as a part of my duties. The wonderful feelings of scooping up freshly plowed earth in your hands, pulling upthe first tender carrots, the ache of the whole body after anafternoon of hay bucking. None of this can be adequately described inwords.

The joy all of these memories give me hope that one day my husband(whom I cultivated a friendship with while working on this same farm)and I will be able to try our hands at sharing life with the land.Thank you for reminding me of how precious our country's agricultureis and for your valiant efforts to remind the rest of the country ofthe same.Congratulations and hope your trip home is peaceful and safe.

Sincerely,
Carrie

My reply: Thanks Carrie!