Cycling Ellen

55.7 miles today
1850 total

This morning started out under a cloud both actual and metaphorical.  Last night at dinner, we celebrated Judy’s 68th birthday.  She is a real survivor of both breast cancer and non-smoker’s lung cancer.  She had a part of a lung removed this winter before the trip and from the way she cycles, you’d never guess.  We were all happy to share in her birthday dinner of spaghetti and strawberry shortcake.  You rock, Judy!

During our map meeting, Michelle told us the story of a woman who was killed by a truck two years ago in Cleveland on this tour.  It happened right near the hotel and was a sobering story.  I don’t think I was the only one who had trouble sleeping last night.  Judy decided to donate her birthday flowers to the memory of Lorraine. Michelle left them at the site where she died.  As we passed there this morning, it was with a feeling of reverence and sadness for another woman’s life lost.

After yesterday’s rain, the gray clouds were scary too.  Route 787 was narrow and with no shoulder and filled with huge logging trucks as well as trucks full of asphalt.  They were way too close for comfort and actually nicked one of the women’s mirrors.  One almost ran me off the road and I was just lucky to be able to hang on in the wave of wind it left behind.

I decided to get ahead of the group and ride alone, hoping that would give the trucks more room to pass me.  There was a huge Georgia Pacific plant outside of town where the pines are taken for processing.  I also saw several trailers full of wood chips.  Along the side of the road, I could see where they had clear-cut the pines and other places where new ones were planted.  Riding alone, I was especially aware of the sounds around me.  I could hear lots of crickets or cicadas and many different bird sounds.  I could smell the wood chips and fresh pine and occasional road kill (lots of opossums today).  I could feel the smooth ride (all but a few miles were not chip seal – hooray!).  Occasionally, I could even taste the protein of the many little gnats flying nearby.  I also saw my first sign for a bayou.

The roads here are mostly flat and it’s taking some getting used to moving my body around on my bike so I don’t get too uncomfortable in one position for too long.  I’ll test that over the next couple of days, as we’ll ride over 90 miles each one.  Most of the roads today were also straight and I’m challenging myself to think of different things as I ride to keep my mind engaged.

I made it into Kounzte in time for lunch at Mama Jack’s.  Since I was there first, I decided to wait for some other riders before I went in.  I spoke with a friendly couple outside who advised me to have the buffet.  Between the thick Southern accent (it sure feels like we are in Louisiana already) and the man’s lack of teeth, I had some trouble understanding what he was saying.  Likewise, on the menu, I had to ask the waitress to tell me about some of the items like etouffee (similar to a gumbo) and po’boys .  “Where y’all from anyway?”  I tried the catfish po’boy which is a sandwich on a sub sort of roll and had fried fish, lettuce, red cabbage, tomato and some mayo.  It was delicious especially with the sweet tea that I love drinking in the south.  Kathy had the buffet (she’s from Florida and didn’t need the translations) and she shared the peach cobbler with Jan and me.  All I needed was a couple of bites and then I had to leave before I ate the whole thing!  I can see why the South has the highest obesity rates in the country.  Maybe those 90-mile days are there for a reason…