after packing up my gear at van buren state park, i headed towrds Findlay, OH to try to find another camping spot for the next night...i got to findlay right around 4pm and biked around town a bit, snapping some pictures of the local sights, and grabbing a bite to eat at Wilson's , which was reccomended by a local as having good cheap food...the place was a bit odd i found, and felt more like a cafeteria than a diner, but the coneydog and fries were awesome and i had a great conversation about traveling with one of the patrons...shortly thereafter i found a great coffeeshop with wifi where i grabbed a red eye and hung out for awhile as i tried to find my next spot to pitch my tent.

i spent that night in a campground just north of findlay called shadylake campgrounds, and let me tell you what the name suited the place...i did manage to talk to owner of the establishment into giving me a discounted price, as i would be leaving first thing in the morning, and also talked him into selling me a couple natty lights to help me fall asleep. the place was not maintained at all it seemed and was filled with the variety of people that made me not want to leave my tent, as i had alot of gear that i was afraid may not be there when i returned..so i stayed in the tent all night, which i dont believe was a big loss as the campgrounds werent very much to look at in the first place...

leaving shadylakes the next morning i biked through findlay once again as i made my way towards Lima, OH for the next leg of the journey...this days biking was not as easy as the others had been previously...it seems as thought my body is not what it used to be and that my back was not agreeing with the weight of my backpack very much at all..i took my time to get to lima, and stopped at many a place on the way...i stopped at a farm , where a younger looking man was washing his John Deere tractor for a show he was going to the following day...i asked if i could bother him for some cold tap water to fill my wtaer bottles with, as i hadnt seen too many places up until that point..the man's name was josh and he was very kind and talkative and was more than happy to fill my water bottles. random encounters like that is what roadtripping is all about in my book, strangers doing kind things for strangers. after talking with josh for awhile and resting, i got back on the road and headed towards Pandora, OH which was on the way to lima..

in pandora, i stopped at a grocery store/gas station right on route 12 which was about 10 miles away from lima..

thats where i met rick morrison...

he saw me in front of the store resting and munching on some lunch and asked where i was heading...as it turns out, he passed me earlier that moring in findlay and felt as though there was a reason we had run into eachother again...he was a very religious man as i came to find out and sat and talked to me for quite some time as i rested. we atlked about a great deal of things, mostly pertaining to his faith and belief in jesus christ as his saviour...

he insisted on giving me twenty dollars, he said god put him there with me for a reason, and that he would never forget our encounter..i told him i couldnt take his money but thanked him very much for the thought..but rick was quite insistant..so , sheepishly and very thankfully i accepted his gift...he was a very good man with an amazing heart and i dont think that i will forget him anytime soon...i snapped his picture, as i had been doing with mostly everyone that i encountered along the way and gave him my name so he could find me online and follow along with my travels and snag the photo i took of him. after thanking him once again and giving him a nice man hug, i made my way down the road towards lima...

just before reaching lima, i saw a garage/mechanic shop open and decided to see if i could fill my water bottles once again...the owner of the garage was working on his son's truck with his son and was very kind and offered me a two liter of water which he kept in his fridge, this was very kind...i sat there talking to them for at least a half hour before i thanked them and made my way to lima.

about four miles south of lima , there is a campground called cody lake...this place is heaven.

i rode my bike into the driveway and walked to the office where i met the owner of the campgrounds, beth...she was a very cool woman who had bought the place from here parents in the late 90's from her parents, who had established the place in '72.

as soon as i enetered the campgrounds, i knew i was in the right spot...there were families everywhere and kids were swimming in the lake having a great time...everyone there was very friendly and welcoming.

The Great American Quest!!!!!!!

well, im doing this!  left wyandotte around 11am or so weds and arrived in toledo ohio right around 4pm where My good friend Fred Mundt came by to pick me up for the night..Fred and his wife , Kristy, were very gracious in accepting me for the night and showing me around town...toledo is a pretty cool place, Fred and i drove around downtown toledo til around 4am weds night...we had such a good time. it was very nice meeting his wife and his amazingly adorable daughter Riley, who is a very willing model i came to find out...

upon waking up thursday, Fred and i decided to do some more sightseeing around town during the day...he drove me all around the toledo area as we caught up and had some great conversations. sometimes, it doesnt matter how much time has passed between friends...things just pick up right where they left off. Fred has a great family and life in toledo, and i was very thankful and happy to share that with him while i was there.

after Fred and i toured around town a little bit more , he had to get to work...so i started getting my things gathered and packed up, when he told me he was going to take me as far as bowling green, so that my days bike ride wouldnt be that bad, which helped tremendously, a half hour car ride is a two to three hour bike ride, so any rides i can muster are always appreciated greatly.

upon arriving into the van buren state park just south of bowling green, i discovered a family camping next to my site with several horses whom i quickly struck up a friendship with...Rick, Tina and Britney Brand were traveling around with their horses and enjoying riding them around the state of ohio..they were very kind to invite me to hang out over a campfire later that night...an offer that i definitely accepted...when traveling, i find that i talk to as many people as i possibly can. i like the interaction...and, most of the time i find some extremely good people in doing so...i enjoyed a very nice night with the Brand Family over a couple beers and a nice campfire...it was a great night.

upon waking up, the sounds of rain and nature overtook me...it was amazing. there is alot to be said of being amongst the elements of nature, at least for me there is...i started to get myself together and woken up, and was invited over to the Brand Family campsite to enjoy a nice cooked breakfast and some very appreciated coffee(as i only brought tea bags with me, coffee is too much hassle when you are travelling unfortunately, so that seriously made my day.) we all enjoyed a very nice morning with french toast and ham and some great conversations. the rain eventually passed us by for the moment and the sun and the sounds of nature resumed...and i started to head towards Lima, my destination for day 3 of the great american quest.

more to come as time passes......much love, as always!

video blog 7-21-2011..one day late...lol

video blog 7-19-2011

link to the FaceBook invite for the get-together at 

My Place Bar and Grill

Friday , July 22nd 2011:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=142038329208715

There was also this article which was published online about me, which I was very thankful for:

http://wyandotte.patch.com/articles/wyandotte-artist-to-sell-paintings-at-the-grind

ok, Blog time....

So, for those who do not know, I am displaying my artwork and photography at The Grind Coffeeshop (in Wyandotte on Biddle Ave) for the Art Fair this year. I am very happy to be doing so, it has taken me 20+ years to get comfortable with the idea of showing it publicly, and as well - to be confident enough in my work to be able to do so. I am very proud of the work I have on display and feel as though it is an excellent representation of my creative endeavors. If you haven't already, please come down and take a look and let me know what you think, as I am very eager to get feedback on it all.

Also, a recent development has made it possible to have my artwork and photography on display all year round at The Grind Coffeeshop. It will also be available for sale year round. The work there may rotate as time goes by and as things get purchased...so pop in from time to time to get the best coffee and espresso in town, and take a gander on the walls for my stuff.

Here are some pics of what is currently up on the walls at The Grind:

(SOLD!!!)

I may not be able to play the guitar very well, but I can play it well enough to put something like this together on my computer...I programmed and arranged everything myself...and played the guitar samples being looped..

"Why Can't I play Guitar Dammit?!!?"

I think that this is a question everyone reaches at some point in their lives...the answer in my case is quite obvious unfortunately....I never took the time to truly learn how to play...and I hear that really helps...

Bike is MIA...but i was given a replacement?!?!

i remember thinking, ' i should go for a walk, looks like its done raining...'...lol

...and there was a river running down my street...