madison to minneapolis

hoop left his host's in madison around 12:30 on monday. no ride had come up on craigslist, so it was hitch-biking that would have to get him the 200+ miles to minneapolis. there had been a suggestion from mike, in milwaukee, to ride some of the beautiful countryside north and west of madison. hoop felt out that idea, but decided that it was more important to attend the hoop jam on sunday and then make the trip quickly to minneapolis to ensure that he could attend a sharing circle that was to take place tuesday evening.

the spot he chose to try hitching from was on the shoulder of a lesser highway coming out of madison just before the junction with I94. heading for minneapolis. the bicycle trail that had been hoop rider's most traveled path during this stay led most of the way there. on the way one of the bolts on the front fender of the bicycle fell out, and the chain really needed some lube, so hoop decided to stop in at revolution cycles, which is right on the trail. he bought a bolt and installed it for $3 and the nice shop keeper let him use the house lube for free!
the home of the buddhist nun, where hoop had worked on the cobb oven with periphery, was also on the way, so he decided to stop in, see the oven, and deposit a bag of kitchen scraps in the compost. the decorations on the oven turned out beautifully! a drop of water on the front and a flame on the back. chodin was happy to have some tips on composting, and hoop was glad to have a chance to connect more with this kind soul. she mentioned that she collects hoops... which hoop rider had noticed in the garage during the previous visit. they are for the children to play with.

on the side of the highway hoop waited and waited... and waited. this was one of the longest waits of his whole trip around the country. his arm and feet began to get sore, and after more than two hours he was beginning to consider options for staying another night. chodin would probably be glad to help... but just then hoop noticed a car had pulled over and was backing up behind him!
steve was on his way back from chicago and had been dealing with some car trouble that delayed him in madison. otherwise he would not be driving home at this time in the afternoon. he traveled by hitch-hiking when he was younger. he said he never offered gas money, that it seemed like an insult to the generosity of the driver.
he lives with his wife a little south of minneapolis. they have a small organic garden and want to produce more of their food some day. steve says he dreams of doing it with real horse power!
hoop rider asked if steve would be willing to partner with a young farmer, who could offer labor and knowledge of farming, in exchange for a place to live, and build a little house perhaps. many young farmers don't have land of their own, and this kind of arrangement is something hoop rider hopes will work out for him some day. steve replied, "that would be ideal."