Hi Mitzi and Anthony, I took your advice!

Thanks for checking in Mitzi and Anthony. I did take your advice and stayed in Jackson, Mississippi the other night. The next day instead of heading to New Orleans I went to Lafayette and moved on from there. New Orleans would have been too crazy with the big football game - which by the way New Orleans won! Good for lifting spirits down there.

My thoughts today went towards what people ask me a lot..."why this ride". This ride is all about overcoming fear and following dreams. After all, this country was built on dreams of people looking for a better place, a better way, and a better life. My Grandmother's parents had a dream of a better place and because they conquered their fears they took their little girl across the country - from Oklahoma to Montana - in a horse drawn covered wagon. That really wasn't all that long ago when you think about it. Now I'm following a dream but I'm lucky and have a beautiful steal horse to ride all across this country. It goes a lot faster then Grandma's wagon did. My Grandmother is gone now, my Mother is gone now, and someday I will be gone but until then I want to live my life and fill it with memories for the future and help where I can along the way. I don't want to be thinking, "Man, if I had only done that?" or "Why was I afraid to try that?" I want to go out thinking that I sure did my best not to waist my life.

To that end I have dedicated this ride to all women, hoping that I can somehow show that dreams - no matter how large or small - are worth following. Life is short and I think it's meant to be lived, not feared.

I am proof that "one" person can make a difference, but I need the help of each "one" of you out there. We can help people who just have the simple dream of going home again - just a dream to have a roof over their heads again. We can't replace family and friends, personal mementos, photos or all those personal things lost in Katrina, but we can help build some homes and give back some dignity and security.

Together we can also help save some women who have the dream of living to raise their families. We can help women who dream of not losing their lives needlessly to cancer just because they can't afford the price of getting screened - let alone the cost of care if they need it.

Before I set out on this ride, I sat in my house and thought that there wasn't anything that I could do as one person, what good would my dollar do. Well not much, so that is why I promised to ride 20,000 miles and gather everyone’s dollar or dollars - everyone that I can reach - to help these two charities create better lives. Please help me help these people. That's "why the ride".

Over 16,000 miles down and remembering some Smokie Mt Images

And when I was a little girl I always sang Hang down your head Tom Duley - not knowing the real name was Dula but here it is. Who knew? :-)

When I get back to Seattle...

A cup of coffee from a rainy day in Georgia - Isn't that a song?? But seriously - I was sitting in the rain on the porch of a B&B.

Hey - I just found out that I get a 10x10 booth space at Coffee Fest Seattle - which is also at the time of my auction. Well the auction is on Saturday the 28th and will be a big Halloween pary/auction thanks to H-D of Seattle, and the show starts on October 27th. Come see me! All you coffee people be sure to check my support list for all the magazines and shows and companies related to coffee. If you want to start or improve a coffee shop, all of these are great resources. And don't forget I'm raising money for Grounds for Health, a charity based in the coffee industry.
So at this point - I want to thank every company and every person who has support Robin's Ride for Women. One person can make a difference, but sometimes that difference is asking for help from others.

The dog ate my glasses!

So if I type kdin of funny it's because I can;'t see :-)
I was staying in Saint Louis night vlk before last (see I can't really see what I'm doing) I visited Thomas Coffee (they do the Harley Davidson coffee) and Tom has two totally cute little girl Scotties. Well they liked me but they loved my glasses :-) I'll have them back next week, so if you see a red Harley bumping into things as it goes down the road, it's just me.

Here's a treat - it's my grand children - Race and Olivia. Aren't they adorable!!! I should have gotten these up long ago. They got to sit on Grandma's bike. Race liked it, but Olivia wasn't sure. Maybe in a few years she might change her mind.

AhHa! Today the pictures are working!

So here is the two headed turtle (anyone out there know someone who needs a two headed turtle?) and me in the cotton field. And now I'm over 14,000 miles into the trip. It's coming down to the wire - will she do it---of course she will :-) So have you checked out my map lately? What a crack up! And it's going to get worse. What a great ride plan huh. Well, sometimes you just have to go where you just have to go.

Looking at a 500 mile day

Since I've left New Orleans about a week and a half ago, I've gone on a great day ride with a crew from New Orleans that I met up with in Lafayette (I cried when they left because I don't know when I'll see them again),

I've eaten grilled dove breasts and have been dove hunting near Alexandria, LA (no I didn't shoot anything) but look at the lady hunter - a friend of mine from college that I hadn't seen since 1988. See the gun?









I've stood in a full-bloom cotton field and I've seen a two headed turtle! (trying to get blogger to upload those images up for you but it's being a pain)



I've been on TV and had a great visit at Renegade Harley Davidson in Alexandria, I've been at a coffee trade show called the Fresh Cup RoadShow in Dallas and so today I'll set off on a 500 mile ride. I think I need something to do don't you?

I only have until October 14th to finish a about 6,800 miles. If you look at my map, when you finish cracking up at the route I've taken, I hae to say you ain't seen nothing yet. Everyone asks if I have a planned route. Well yes I had somewhat of a planned route, but plans change according to where I need to be at certain times. I thought I would be going across the southwest right now, but I am heading back up north before I do that. And as you know if you have been watching, I don't post where I am going, only where I've been. I just think it's a good idea due to the way I am traveling. So in a couple of days you will find out the location of today's 500 mile ride. I've done a couple of days that were close to 600 so I'm not too worried except that I seem to have done something to my hip last evening and it hurts a lot so I wonder how sitting on the bike all day will work.

Check out my support list page and see the new sponsors, there may be something you need. The list will be steadily growing now that I have proven that I am really doing this ride.