Rich Dixon is back on the road.

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In La Crosse, Wisconsin, we attracted significant media attention – television, radio, newspaper.

Lots of people recognized the bike and the trailer. And God was at work beyond our understanding.

This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain.

As we prepared to depart, we encountered a complication: the Oktoberfest parade. I escaped on sidewalks. Becky and the trailer were temporarily trapped.

I headed south on a beautiful stretch of road. Miles melted away as I watched tugs pushing heavily loaded barges and marveled at bald eagles soaring along bluffs towering above the road.

After a few miles a cyclist pulled out of a driveway. “I’ve been waiting for you. Mind if I ride along?” He wanted to honor our efforts.

This guy, and several other waving drivers, recognized the odd-looking bright yellow handcycle from the media coverage.

We met about twenty miles later and Becky recounted the fun of the Oktoberfest parade. It’s not every day you get to sit on a curb next to a man in lederhosen drinking beer at 9:00 am.

The remainder of the day featured beautiful river views. People smiled and waved from front yards and along sidewalks in small river communities.

And all along the way, a beautifully poignant story unfolded just beyond my perception.

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This lovely 40-mile day ended on what seemed an ominous note containing an important lesson.

This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain.

During the day, Becky had apparently attracted a stalker.

To be continued