The big, burly man is "Lee the Horse Logger." He has traveled across the country in his farm wagon that has been converted to his "home on wheels."
Lee travels at a rate of just 2 to 3 miles per hour, takes one day at a time, has experienced almost every weather condition and has met thousands of people along the way.
Each day, Lee travels around 12 to 25 miles, depending on many different factors like the weather, terrain and his level of exhaustion. His animals are Suffolk Punch horses and Pyrenees dogs.
When asked why he is making such a journey, Lee replies with "grins and giggles," "for the fun of it" or "just because."
Lee began his trip in August of 2006, leaving from his home state of Montana and embracing poverty with just $75 dollars in his pocket.
On April 26, 2007, he arrived in Van Wert during a downpour for an overnight stay. He then continued his journey on to Boston, Mass., arriving in July of 2007, before turning back towards the west coast about a month later.
This past weekend, Lee passed through Van Wert once again. He stayed overnight in the Wal-Mart Super Center parking lot before heading out in sunny weather on Sunday, April 6.
Lee has no agenda other than to tour America. Although he's a cancer survivor himself, he's not fighting for any cause, including his own. He doesn't ask for handouts or donations, although they seem to find him wherever he goes.
In a later portion of in his journey, Lee began replying in interviews - but not without good nature - that he's "tired of talking about himself." Still, he continues to share his story and greatly appreciates meeting new people and the generosity they show him and his animals.
Lee relies on the generosity of others and the connections they have to get through his trip. He might meet someone who knows someone 10 to 20 miles down the road who knows someone 10 to 20 miles down the road, and so on. That's how he makes it along from day to day.
The monetary donations he receives go toward making his animals and himself more comfortable. Since the last time he passed through Van Wert, he upgraded his wagon and added a horse. He has plans of adding another wagon and another three horses sometime down the road.
Lee plans to reach California later this year and then Alaska by 2011. More information about Lee and his journey can be found online at www.leehorselogger.com.
Source: timesbulletin.com
By JILL DEWERT Times Bulletin Multimedia Editor