|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Has anyone seen my glove? September 2, 2008Leave a comment  View More Images I know I left that glove around here somewhere... hmmm... I seem to be writing a lot about dogs lately. The peaceful dog turned rabid monster, easy rider Rhodesian Ridgeback, Lucy the 12 month old retriever.... Yes, Lucy the retriever! And what a good retriever she is. Lucy belongs to Don Lange and is a wonderfully spirited dog that took a liking to my scent. When I left my bike at Don's house and headed down to Durango, Lucy really must have missed me so she tracked down my scent and, viola, my glove! Don felt bad so I now have a new pair of gloves (thanks Don) to continue my ride (which begins again on Thursday). Lucy is a sweetheart and her family has been wonderful to me. Kim, Don, Kevin, Christopher and Andrew, fed me and my folks some fabulous BBQ on Monday! Thanks bunches! My parents have joined me for my trip across Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. They will drive ahead and pre-position their RV to give me a place to stay. Now I can off load some of my gear (tent, sleeping bag, thermorest pad, stove, gas, etc...) and really fly! I hope to be in Lodge Grass, MT by the following Monday or Tuesday. I will be shooting to complete 80-100 miles a day. We will see how it goes. I spent today speaking to a lot of students on the Flathead Reservation. This is home to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (www.cskt.org) and is one of the most spectacular places in North America. If you ever have a chance to visit Flathead Lake near Polson, MT, the view will take your breath away! Stunning mountains alongside one of the largest freshwater lakes in North America. Down right gorgeous! And the folks here are fantastic. It was a pleasure to share the story of spaceflight and my journey to the astronaut corps. I visited three schools (Arlee, St. Ignatius Mission School, and Two Eagle River School), Salish Kootenai College, the Tribal Council, and The People's Center before the day was done. It was a lot of work, but everyone was such a pleasure to work with and the students were very enthusiastic. Lots of interest and some great questions. To top off this fabulous day, The Chief Cliff Singers honored me with an Honor Song at the Tribal Council and again at the People's Center. I have never heard a more powerful and moving drum group. I hope to upload a portion of the song so that you might get a chance to hear some of their music. For those of you that have not had the privilege of listening to Native American drum, the music and power of the drum stirs right into your soul. To be honored by the Chief Cliff Singers was especially moving! Thanks so much guys! Tomorrow (early early) I head back down to Missoula and will speak to students at Hellgate Elementary, a NASA Explorer School. I have to run some errands and gather up some maps from Adventure Cycles, new rain gear (my rain jacket, while somewhat waterproof, is not breathable and leaves me pretty damp after I work up a sweat), and pack my stuff at Don's. I will head out early on Thursday, up Hwy 200 toward Powell and then down Hwy 141 to catch Hwy 12 again into Helena. I believe it will take about 4-5 days to get to Lodge Grass if I really stand on the pedals. Hopefully, the wind at my back. During one of my talks today, I was asked the same question by two boys on opposite sides of the room. I swear they looked like brothers, so it must have been a set up! ;o) Their question was, "How fast does the Space Shuttle go?" I replied the Shuttle orbits the earth at a speed of around 17,500 mph. So, for today's math problem, how many feet per second is that? Once you determine how my feet per second, think of someplace near your home, say something 30 miles or so away, and determine how many seconds it would take you to get there in the Shuttle! It will surprise you... Fast, really fast... Have fun! More Images:              4 Comments
Sep 3, 2008 12:31 pm - Angela Quinn-Estes wrote : Hi John! Jay has shown us your website during our SD GEAR UP conference. It is quite the extraordinary trip you are on. Living life to the fullest is what we all hope for....you are doing it!! Keep the dream alive. Take care, Angela Quinn-Estes
Sep 3, 2008 10:03 am - Angela Weber wrote : John, I met you at Two Eagle River School. I am the one you spoke Russian with. I'm so glad I got to meet you. Your presentation really motivated me to continue to follow my dream and become an Aerospace Engineer. Thank you for sharing your story with me and answering some of the questions I asked you. I plan to continue school and do my best. I'm going back to Texas in November then I'm going to apply for University of Texas in Austin. If you have any other suggestions on what can help me with makin my dream come true please feel free to email me and I would really appreaciate it. Thank you for being an inspiration. Take Care... ~Angela Weber~
Sep 3, 2008 8:29 am - Judy wrote : Hi John! No Comments! I'm following you daily. The photos are so pretty and I know you are enjoying talking to everyone. Keep up the great work and I'll see you next time you're at JSC. Take care and be at peace. j Add a comment: |
 RSS
Follow John on his trek via
Google Earth! 
PLEASE SUPPORT
THESE SPONSORS 
View Clip Now! >> |
Linn Productions.
We heard your talk at the convocation at Fort Lewis College in Durango, very inspirational and right on target, good work.