Day 1-What a day!!!

Wow!!! What a beautiful day today. Sunshine and light breeze all the way. I have bugs in my teeth, though. :) I'll try to upload a few pictures, but our signal here in Kiva is pretty weak.



We started out pretty much on time, leaving from the Rapid River Lions Club. But first, Frank from the Escanaba Elks Club presented me with a giant check for $1500!!! THANK YOU!!! Elks!!! And, the Red Hatters from Rapid River donated $40, the Lions donated $100, and are manning phones for the radio-thon. They've been a great help with everything. Some of my friends were on-hand to wish me well, and Channel 6 News followed me through my first rest stop, filming along the way.



The first rest stop was manned by about a dozen or so members of the GFWC of Manistique, Escanaba and Kingsford-Iron Mountain. Thank you, Miss Dorothy Hoholik, for helping organize this great group of ladies. They had enough food for an army!!! And they even gave me bunches of hugs, and sang "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" when I came into the rest top. Too cute!!



Mom took lots of pictures, so if we don't have a continuous signal, then the pictures will have to wait 'til tomorrow, sorry, guys.



Big thanks to the radio stations today for their regular updates. I hear there's lots of folks who want to help out some way. The stations have been a great help in keeping everyone informed about how they can contribute to my Trek project. If you're on the blog now, you already know how to do that!! And I thank you.



The second stop was manned by members of Boy Scout Troop 400 from Manistique. They helped Dad change out my batteries so I could continue on the rest of the way. They also walked our dogs for us. Thanks, guys!!! Thanks Linda Mason for rounding up the guys to help. One of the boys gathered $40 in pledges. Thank you! And to the troop for their contributions, too.



Our third stop was at the Trenary BP Station. We had ice cream, rested a little while inside the store (Thank you!!!), and Mom loaned her cell phone to a Belgian couple on their way to Marquette to visit their daughter. They were traveling through the midwest and their cell phone didn't work in the area. Neither does the modem I'm using, but, hey, you can't hear me now!!! :) Thank you Tim and Joy Nerius (owners of Trenary BP) for your $25 donation.



We made the Kiva Rest Area at about 4:15, about 30 minutes behind schedule. Technical difficulties earlier in the day kind of threw the time schedule off, so we're backing our schedule down by about 30 minutes tomorrow, if you're wanting to catch up with us. We're only going about 7 miles an hour, so it isn't going to be hard to find us...

We met a few nice folks at the Rest Stop who heard about me and wanted to donate. Chris from Escanaba, working on his Master's degree in developmentally challenged education, Kathy from UPCAP services, and Mrs. Thill and Mr. Van Damme from my school, stopped by. Thank you!!



We're resting for the night at one of Mom's friends who lives near the rest stop. The dogs are chasing the cats, and we're watching a kid movie marathon!!! Off to bed in a few hours, then up and at 'em in the morning.



We'll leave the Kiva Rest Stop at 10:00, and head north from there. My cousins from Iowa will meet up with us tomorrow, and continue to Marquette with me. If you'd like to jump in any time, we'd love to have you!!! Hope to see you tomorrow!!!