Well today was like many Ritchie travel opportunities. Yes that means if you know us there was excitement and some form of disruption. Our family motto is: TEAM RITCHIE: You never know what is going to happen in the life of a Ritchie! Today did not disappoint! Normally it is a car breakdown, hotel fire, trip to the ER, someone who we attempt (most of the time succeeding) to save their life (Like giving CPR!), our kid fall out the window of a 2nd floor hotel room or other such event. Our travels are the source of great laughter, sometimes tears, and people always seem to follow up after hearing our stories with the words: "we never want to vacation with you!!!" I am not sure why they say that since they seem to laugh so hard at at our stories!
Today would be no different for Michelle and I got up before the kids rose after sleeping for the last night in our old home and began to finish the last bit of packing for our west and north trek to Alaska. The previous night I packed the Avalanche and our Lund boat named Visitation. By the way I think every pastor that like to fish should have a boat named Visitation. This way when a parishioner calls the office looking for you your office manager can honestly and simply say "pastor is out on visitation". It removes all guilt and shame of taking a day off to go fishing and the parishioner does not then think all you do is work one day a week. It was actually a disciple of Hosanna that encouraged me to change the name of my boat from loaves and fishes to visitation. CHANGE IS GOOD!!! Anyway, I easily slipped the canoe called Moose Finder 1 (Michelle named it as we were always looking for moose in the Boundary Waters Canoe area in Minnesota) on top of the Yukon and fastened it in place. I was repacking everything in the Yukon to make sure virtually no air space could be found and every little spot was maximized when Michelle walked around the back of the Yukon and into the rear lift door.
Now I have seen Michelle in 21 years of marriage bump her head many times, this was different! The rear lift door could not extend all the way up due to the canoe strapped to the top of the Yukon. She was looking down and came around the back of the Yukon at about ramming speed and hit the edge of that door just off center of her part in her hair. Now I know what you are thinking: "Will her hair ever part right in the middle again?" I have to say at this time I am not sure that will happen. She has an angry looking red crease about a 1/2 inch to the left of her natural part now. I am not sure even the best hair stylist in the world will be able to cover that new crease up! Now when Michelle hit that door, she hit the concrete just as fast of not faster. I have to admit I am fun'in here a bit but she was hurt and even though I am joking a bit now I was worried. She did not start bleeding from her head but she was bleeding from her elbow and wrist where she hit the ground like a bag of rocks. We went inside and she got some ice on her head and stayed off her feet for a time. I drug my feet in leaving even though she wanted to get on the road because I was concerned about her and her driving since the kids are not old enough and cannot reach the gas pedal yet on either of the trucks. Needless to say we got a real late start which was fine but that meant we did not make it to the Canadian boarder as we hoped to do today.
Like I said: a typical Ritchie travel day!
We got on the road about 2:00pm and made our way out of Mankato with three kids, one dog, a canoe, a 18ft fishing boat, and two trucks loaded down with everything that for some reason we did not send with he movers. The only thing we needed to complete this picture was a rocking chair some how strapped to the top of one of the trucks. You would think it was the Beverly Hillbillies with old granny atop the rocker or National Lampoon's Vacation movie minus a dead Aunt Edna duct taped in the rocker!
What a sight we make I am sure caravaning across 14, to New Ulm to take 15 up to highway 94 west. By the way, New Ulm has a great Brewery that has been around since 1860 that makes Schell's beer. They have several beers to tempt your pallet and if by chance you are a teetotaler they make a great root beer called 1919 which is an awesome root beer that my kids will miss!
Now once we turned on to 94 west it was not long before I ran into the part of this state I've never traveled before. We have spent a lot of time over on the northeast side of the state and in the southwest corner of the state but we never traveled this direction. Pretty area, full of rolling hills and fields full of different grains. They farm their corn and beans in this area but also some other grains like wheat and such that I do not see in the middle to lower part of the state very often. As I drove along and looked around I got the feeling the farmers might have a tougher year in this area. It seemed they were struggling with excess rainfall. The ponds and small lakes we passed were swollen well beyond the normal banks. There were many fields with "holes" where water was laying or had laid drowning out the crop.
I was also surprised as well as my kids at the temperature drop. We left Mankato and it was nearly 90 and when we stopped for dinner it was 65! I think the shorts and flip flops will be going away for the kids. I believe I will endure in shorts for at least a day longer.
We had some trouble with the straps holding down the canoe and after two stops and some roofing bar adjustments we were finally happy with the way it was riding on the roof as we headed down 15 and 94. There was no chance of the canoe coming off but we could see ahead we might get some increased head winds and rain so we wanted no doubts! Most of the short drive time today was cloudy which was kind of nice since as evening descended we would have been driving directly into the glare of the setting sun.
We stopped at Perkins for dinner and when I saw Michelle's face I knew we needed to stop for the night. She was obviously in pain and even though she wanted to get another two hours up the road I told her the next town would have to end the days journey. Right toward the end of the drive and our first day on the road the clouds gave way to some "God light" as I call it. I've taken a lot of photos over the years and I have to say that I have never been able to capture the color and the beauty of what the eye sees of God's creation. This time was no different. God has a painters palette that cannot be replicated.
We checked into a hotel I would not advise but everyone was so tired we quickly fell into a deep sleep and now are ready to begin another day. Hopefully the breakfast is better than the room but I am not holding my breath!!!
