Road-kill

Monday October 31, 2011  Seymore Missouri, rode 57 miles
Met with Willow Springs Highway Patrol head quarters, Cabool police department and the Mountain Grove fire department.  Good reception from all three.  Everyone seems interested in the bike trip or that I'm on a bicycle.

   Today was open access divided highway almost all the way with pretty heavy traffic.   The semi's move over an entire lane for me even though I'm riding on the far edge of the break-down lane.   Cloudless day a little warmer than yesterday in the upper 60's.  I could not do this in summer heat.  I put a second pair of socks on this morning as my toes have been freezing every day.  Usually there is frost in the mornings now.
   I don't recommend x-country bicycling.  In other words don't try this at home.   I thought bicycling would be safer than trying to sail across the ocean in a dinghy, it's not.   A pick-up truck was driving in the break-down lane and I wasn't watching behind me, worse, I was on the phone.   The truck went around me but no more phone while riding.  
     On the two lane roads I have to watch what is coming from behind me all the time as well as what is coming at me.  If a car is coming from behind and one towards me I usually have to get off the road altogether.  For sure if they are trucks.   I get lazy and sloppy on the open access divided highway (looks like an interstate but is not).   I can just daydream all day long in the breakdown lane.   I'm trying to break the habit and keep an eye on what is coming behind me such as drunks and people texting.
     A pretty day though somewhat monotonous.  I try and notice the scenery and not focus on the unusual trash and road kill.   I could not help but notice that there are a lot of dead armadillos now along with the usual skunks, racoons and deer.   I'm also seeing dead turtles.  I saw my first dead fox today.  I passed a lot of what looked like dead wolves.  While I did not see the kitchen sink among the flotsom and jetsom I did see what looked like the faucet knob to one.
     The road is continuing to flatten out a more.   I know the road and scenery will change a lot soon.  I'm surprised to see a lot of cactus growing along the road.
     Since the towns are so far apart I'm making an effort to track down the police or fire stations so I meet with at least three a day.   I'll be off the divided highways pretty soon and probably get easier access to first responders.
   I know the east coast got plastered with snow but it's still just fall here and almost an Indian Summer.
A friend from the Washington D.C. area called me today to say the middle east is growing intensely unstable due to the assassination of Quedaffi (sp).  He said it is approaching the equivalent of the Balkins right before World War I.  It sounds like a powder keg.  
     One thing I've noticed over the last year is the rate of deterioration, even collapse of our nation's radiation monitoring systems.  Between the Nuclear War Survival Skills plan by the U.S. Department of Energy and the SIRAD radiation monitors by the Defense Department  we have technology on the shelf that would serve as an effective stop-gap to the collapse of national rad monitoring.
   I'd like to challenge any official that disputes this claim.  Our nation's radiation monitoring ability only exists on paper.  With all the hoopala about national security it is conceivable that some third world terrorist cell from say, Pakistan could plant three or four small nukes around the U.S. and take us out.  Not because of the blasts, but rather the panic it would cause would likely collapse the country.
   National or "Homeland" security is a fiction that only appears to take place at airports and entries to government buildings.
   This is the 21st century and our national security is built upon 19th century ideas.   So much for my rant.  I managed to check into a motel with a computer.  I could be eating and resting and soaking in the tub.