Desert Blooms--Mom's View

Cyclists from Denmark

Blooming desert

Does anyone know the names of these sweet flowers?

Morning view from van's front window.

They look like chipmunks--the color of the sand; they look like foxes--the color of the sand and this is their home. They sing the Mozart of birdsong and this is their home. They bloom in profusion, seemingly without a sip of water for days on end and this is their home. We should learn to live, sing, bloom, wherever we are!

I am going to try to respond to some of the questions and comments directed to me as Mom and Road Crew. I am proud of Andrew's effort and feel by his expressions to those we meet along the way that he is not losing track of the idea that it is not all about him. Number one is the cause of Wounded Warriors. There is hard fighting going on despite the lack of media coverage. Men and women and their families are paying some very high costs and will continue to do so for many years. Wounded Warrior Project helps to meet these needs. Number two is the Purple Heart pin and the Korean War patch and pin we are carrying with us. These items represent the idea that we want to honor all who have served this country, past and present. And number three is personal, but shared. Those who have followed this journey from the start, will recall that Andrew felt he was not participating in the game of life--that he "wasn't even on a team". Many of you were already players, and from your comments, many of you have decided to get off the bench, train a little harder, play with a little more enthusiasm. The ideas for spaghetti dinners, bowling tournaments, Adopt a Soldier, etc.show that young and old, we are inspiring one another. Thanks for being part of this journey!       Answers to specific questions: Drew's rest day is my laundry day and he generates lots of stinky dirty clothes. I am surprisingly busy. Waiting until he disappears in front of me I get on the road watching the traffic but looking for a good pull-off place 4 miles ahead, give-or-take a few tenths of a mile. Good pull-off might include shade trees, nice view, restrooms or, as of the last few days, a hard surface instead of soft shoulders. When I have phone or internet service, I try to contact public affairs officers on military bases, American Legion, VFW, press, gov't offices, anyone who might help to spread the word or be part of the story. And daughter, Elliot, suggested that I not sit in a van for the next several months, so I lift a few dumbells, stretch, and have even started jogging a bit myself--OK, only 3 sets of 4 minutes, walking wildly with crazy arm movements, but it's a start. Most people drive past; one trucker slowed to see if I needed. help and several police officers. Yesterday, a group of motorcyclists pulled in a turnout behind me. Ready to leave if I sensed any danger, I saw their flags of Denmark and heard them speaking Danish but saying something about Wounded Warriors. They had flown to San Diego, rented bikes, and were doing a loop of about 3000K to Lake Havasu, Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas. Jakob Moelgaard gave me a contribution for WWP and mentioned that per capita Denmark had one of the highest rates of injuries and KIA in Iraq.  I have enjoyed the slow pace; this is a very different travel experience. Taking time to notice things like security guards outside a church, different neighborhoods, architecture, incredible songbirds in the desert and flowers, and people! We were just invited to the graduation for the class of veterans and their dogs at the Guide Dogs of the Desert. What an honor, but we won't be able to go back. So, this is a wonderful experience and I hope we can all continue to "bloom where we are planted".