Another miraculous day. Honestly, I’m not thinking about much else now than how close I am getting to home. Seeing the mountains that I know, and riding up to my parents’ house today, my eyes just filled with tears because I was so excited. But clearly there are still additional purposes in my trip. I admit that our change in plans that held us back and created the need to ride a double day tomorrow has frustrated me because of the hoops I will be jumping through to be able to keep my plans of meeting with my Texas friends, and I have no wiggle room because it’s tomorrow lunch or maybe never. I keep forgetting my lesson from those silly turtles! So today kind of smacked me. I don’t much like entering into conversation with other cyclists so I avoid them and keep to the outskirts of meetings. I just don’t like the one-upmanship or the time it takes in what feels like unprofitable conversation. But impulse led me to do a couple things over the past few days. On Saturday, coming out of Baker City, I was about to pass a young cyclist. I had just pulled out a bunch of grapes and had them in my hand to start eating, but slowed down and held them out to offer to him as I was passing. He said no thank you and I wished him a good day. Unbeknownst to me, yesterday Paul ran into him and they visited a tiny bit. And we are not even on the same bicycle route!! Early this morning I passed him again and recognized him. I felt drawn to turn around and talk with him, so I did. He brought up the grapes and said he has felt bad for turning them down but had had a mint in his mouth.😊 Our conversation was so easy, super fun discoveries, and in the process I found out his mom is my friend!😮 We worked together directing a Christmas program in 1984 or 85, and worked with junior high girls. I’ve visited in their home, and remember her making sandwiches for their five young children playing out in the yard, including Bryce. It was dawning on me deeper & deeper that this was no coincidence. Their family has had eventful and turbulent years in the decades following, and of course he is affected by it all. I was shocked to do the math later and realize he must be near 40. He’s living in his van in Bend, and we exchanged phone info. Then later Paul passed him and they had a brief but nice exchange again as well. We didn’t put any of this together until tonight. I keep wondering how many miracles happen all around me regularly and I just don’t see? And how big is God‘s heart to reach out to a disillusioned young man who feels forgotten. Do I mind the double miles tomorrow? Not anymore. I do wish I had gone to bed around 7:00 tonight!! But hard to tear away from the wonderful and most precious visit. We had 10 of us here at one point. Dad & Nancy, my dad‘s best friend Darrell, my brother Darrell, and the 6 of us. Delicious dinner and sweet companionship. Seeing our colorful laundry air drying all around the deck in tonight’s photos makes me smile. I’m definitely feeling the emotions around our team separating paths tomorrow. But for now I need to sleep. 3:30 is gonna to come like a freight train. Most of us riding out at 5. I love that you are sharing this journey with me. Thank you so much! ♥️terri