Ryan called last night from west of Eminence, Missouri, near the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. The night before that he was in Houston, MO.  Earlier he said Missouri felt like a roller coaster ride of hills, (especially on the roads that had rumble strips less than a foot apart and narrow bike lanes). Now he likened it to Kipling's Just so Stories, with swampy areas, slow moving rivers, and lots of trees. He is enjoying the scenery a lot, despite all of the rain. He is also fascinated by the variety of conversations he's having with people. Recently he talked with someone who had a family history of people who raised sharks to feed royalty.