devils lake, north dakota

1,450.47 Miles

 There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone.

I suppose you are wondering what The Twilight Zone has to do with today's ride of 57.66 miles between Rugby and Devils Lake, North Dakota. Well, let me give you a few things to think about. It was a very foggy and misty morning with a promise of rain and incredible wild wind. We started our journey in Rugby, the Geographical Center of North America and finished in Rugby, the Geographical Center of North America. We pedaled all of those miles west but we're going to the Atlantic Ocean. That's east! We had a headwind all the way to Devils Lake but pedaled the whole ride in a tailwind! And what a tailwind it was! At times we were riding twenty miles per hour . . . up hills! And . . . to top it off, we are now 57.66 miles closer to the Atlantic Ocean! How's that for an exciting and unbelievable episode of The Twilight Zone?

On today's journey we stopped at Meyer Township School No. 1. It was one of those photo spots I couldn't pass up. There's so much mystery and history in places like this. Sitting old and forgotten in a field five miles out of Rugby, this little school is a reminder of years gone by. At one time, many years ago, this little school probably had kids running around outside playing tag or just enjoying some sunshine. I wondered what the inside of the school must look like until I saw that one panel of the locked front door was missing. I put  my camera through the opening and clicked a few pictures. To my surprise, the first thing I noticed was color. I din't expect anything but worn and weathered wood like the exterior. Another picture showed a blackboard and chair in what was the only classroom. Thinking about this old school, I wondered when it was last used, how many students attended, and where are they now? History and memories. I'd love to hear some stories from students from Meyer Township School No. 1.

I did a little digging but this is all I could come up with. The school has been closed since 1959, but Meyer Township School No. 1 still stands, right off US Highway 2, just about five miles east of Rugby, North Dakota. It’s a frequently photographed place due to its highly visible location right next to the highway. The school, built in 1897, is one of the more unique schools in North Dakota with its asymmetrical layout. I don't know how the kids felt about the layout but the birds sure seem to love it. They've found many nesting places under the eaves and seem to think it's their own huge bird subdivision now. When you walk around the building, birds fly in and out everywhere! I thoroughly enjoyed it. I could spend days finding, photographing, and exploring sites just like this. Along Route 2, we also found many old barns and outbuildings, most of which haven't been used for years. Things like this make this journey more adventurous and enjoyable. These are the unique surprises along the way.

OK, back to The Twilight Zone. If you haven't figured it out yet, Phil and I went to Devils Lake and pedaled to Rugby, east to west. After all, miles are miles and count no matter which direction you pedal them. That's why the headwind became a tailwind, pedaling west took us closer to the Atlantic Ocean, and we started and ended in the same place, Rugby. Pretty smart, huh? When you pedal a bike, you've got to remember, "Pedal smarter, not harder." We pedaled smarter today. When we began the day things did not look too encouraging, not at all. Mist, fog, and that blasting, wild wind made the ride appear pretty bleak. Under the circumstances, it was going to be a bad day. But . . . we should not be living under the circumstances. We should be living above the circumstances. That's right, above. So . . . we decided to ride west with the wind, pedal the same number of miles, and not totally wear ourselves out. The wind that was our enemy became our greatest ally of the ride.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox put it this way:

One ship sails East, 

And another West, 

By the self-same winds that blow, 

'Tis the set of the sails 

And not the gales, 

That tells the way we go. 

Like the winds of the sea

Are the waves of time, 

As we journey along through life, 

'Tis the set of the soul, 

That determines the goal, 

And not the calm or the strife.

The first part of Proverbs 23:7 says this of man: "For as he thinks within himself, so he is." Also, found in Proverbs 4:23, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Life is all about the attitude of the heart.

Set those sails!