Meet Jeffrey’s brother Steve, and Jeffrey’s sister-in-law Michele.

L to R:  Michele, Steve

They love critters (their owners, Lettie and Sam, were pictured yesterday; now see Sarge below).   Even a kangaroo court puppet is welcome.

Sarge

They personally have sacrificed much to protect voting rights, an important component of human rights.  Independent of the fact that Jeffrey and Stephen go way back, our goals, and our selves, are welcome here.

Today we had hoped to see people from the Los Angeles office of Human Rights First.  By the time we learned that an appointment with a former military officer had fallen through, alternatives were too late and distant to arrange.  We might yet see one of our Human Rights First friends tomorrow before Jeffrey and I get back on the road.

We explored the neighborhood instead.

Our hosts have a lush back yard.

A nearby front yard has remarkable flowers and succulents.

While we pedaled through the neighborhood, Shea called out that she had seen us last night on the road.

Shea is a minister and a humanitarian.

Jeffrey stopped to talk.

Shea has a small fixed income.  It’s not easy for her to get around; Shea and Jeffrey traded stories of close encounters with motor vehicles.  Yet Shea finds the energy and resources to distribute to her poor neighbors food, water, and reassurance of God’s love.  She cuts young men’s hair and uses the opportunity to talk to them about right and wrong.

Shea believes in the Bible, and accepts its command to love the stranger, to treat the foreigner as we treat the citizen.  She gave Jeffrey her blessing and wished us safe travels and success in our work.  Jeffrey wished her the same.

Since we’re short of outdoor photos today, here are some indoor pics:  spaghetti and Texas toast from Flagstaff, Ariz., and a whole tilapia from Fontana, Calif.  Neither dish quite fit on a standard dinner plate.  That’s America!

Carbs, fat, salt.  Great cycling food!  Jeffrey could eat only half.  He finished the rest as a post-blogging midnight snack.

This huge fish came with rice, beans, tortillas and salad.  Out West, make no small plans, eat no small dinners!

Finally, here’s a map showing the 32 states in which we’ve biked on our seven annual Rides for Human Rights.  (This year we added 3:  Arizona, Nevada, and California.)  We’ve been north to south, east to west, and soon, from sea to sea.

There is more California to explore west of Los Angeles, and much more to the north.

The Ride speeds up again tomorrow. See you on the road!