POST 592: 04/06/12: KENTLAND, IN; SHELDON - WATSEKA - CHATSWORTH, ILLINOIS

It was windy and cold last night.

Sun rose out of the East into a totally clear blue sky...still windy out of the North East off the Great Lakes = still quite cold...so I bundled up for our morning walk which turned out to be well into the State of Illinois and back for a total of 16 miles.

Right now, will announce that leg 2 was for 14 miles. Leg 3 was for 12 miles = 42 miles today.

Yes, I have sore feet and behind my left knee the tendons are strained...not from 42 miles, but because of the slope of the roadway...the left side must reach further down than the right side of my body; the roadways of America slope from the center line to both sides of the roadway to let water drain away. Walking facing traffic makes the right side leg on the uphill side while the left side leg has to stretch down farther, resulting is a body tipped to the left which puts strain on the entire body, but during long - many hour duration - walks, is especially stressful behind the knee and above the left knee on the sides and top of the upper thigh.

It takes time to adapt muscles and tendons to new walking conditions. I pushed a bit farther today than I should have; but, have come away with only a bit of extra pain...no damage done.

Tomorrow ? We shall see.


Would you believe that my shadow stands in Indiana and is stretched into Illinois.

Early morning Sun tends to do that stretching thing.





Our old friends, windmill electricity generators, awaited our Illinois arrival.


Initial walk included walking past Sheldon, Illinois, before returning to fetch SPIA.


These rather flat semi-trailers are buzzing up and down US 24 by the dozens...today, I found one task they have undertaken...


The trailers have a built-in "dump" hydraulic system to tip the trailer so the contents run out a hole in the back.


Today, it was fertilizer they were unloading into a lift-conveyor which filled hopper trailers pulled by really big tractors.


The tractor driver, who had no time to chat, did say the fertilizer was a mix of "DAB" and POTASH.

Our walk discovered numerous POTASH mines across the USA, especially in the Mohave Desert.




We bypassed WATSEKA village to continue to the village of Crescent City, Illinois, where SPIA was parked.

Being 7 miles apart, I walked from Crescent City BACK to Watseka. Was the perfect spot to check on my increased walking speed. 7 miles @ 4 mph = 1.75 hours (1 hour 45 minutes). Today, it took only 1 hour 25 minutes to cover the 7 miles out ... and another 1 hour 25 minutes back to SPIA. i.e.; am walking at well over 4 mph since reaching Indiana 5 days ago.

Walking mileage took us to Gilman, Illinois. We drove on past Gilman to Chatsworth, where we have parked for the night.

Still had about 35 degree of Sun arc remaining till sundown, so walked BACK toward Gilman and return for an additional 12 miles.

Had to race the Sun to reach Chatsworth before dark...must find out how many degrees the Sun drops to the Western horizon in ... say 15 minutes. If I don't know this, I might get caught out after dark while crossing the empty miles on US 2 later in our return walk to the Peace Arch.








Chatsworth Main Street...bypassed by all roadways and left to wither on the vine.




Returning from Watseka, stopped in at the local Pub for a cold one.

Returning to SPIA, the Sun dropped behind the horizon, producing the above stunning view of Main Street, Chatsworth.

Considering returning to the Pub which has Karaoke singing in 30 minutes. Been told I have a good voice and have been tempted to try it out...we shall see.

In the morning, SPIA stays parked while I try to walk West on US 24 toward US 23 - town of Weston -, about 30 miles away...

On US 23, we have a direct shot into De Kalb, Illinois. My map gives no mileage on US 23, but I estimate it to be about 80 miles from Weston. ETA De Kalb = Wednesday, 04/11/12.