Still have yet to sleep through a whole night without waking.
Wasn't particularly excited to be on my bike and riding again so I dawdles a bit with packing up. The Police Department also, like many of the places I have been staying, had a guest book for me to sign, which I was happy to do.
Decided to swing by McDonalda to quick check my emails before heading over to Lumberton. I didn't even go inside,it was so mild already I just got free wifi outside.
That was when I got an email that felt like a kick in the gut. The hosts I had contacted 2 weeks prior and had scheduled in said I had failed to reconnect as the time grew closer (and, granted, it's been hard trying to always be thinking ahead trying to connect with future hosts in good time), and therefore were not prepared to have me and could not host me.
It's not like I need much, a place to rest, a chance to shower, maybe a place to make food.
I suppose some hosts just want to be able to be present, to provide well.
Just like that everything changed. Again.
At first it was just hard to accept, that I had no place to go, no destination.
I couldn't help but think how Jesus was homeless and had no place to lay his head.
But as I reasoned with myself I realized maybe it was a blessing in disguise. It would enable me to focus on getting down to where I needed to be going. South. And to trust God already had a place for me to stay the night... After all things do seem to work out in the end, somehow. His grace is sufficient for each day.
The bungee cord solution God had brought to mind seems to be holding up okay, basically I had a bungee cord holding my backrack up by my seat post. It was just when I hit bumps that I have issues, as it slams down onto the top of my tire. My fingers are blistered from pulling up the backrack as I ride.
The first part of my ride was same to original plan, and I had a warm tailwind and a lovely wide shoulder, it was once I crossed into The state of Mississippi that it got crazy. There was literally 4 inches of paved shoulder beside a rumble strip and then the busy Hwy. Fortunately I wasn't on it too much longer, not that the next road was all that much better. Lots of gentle rolling hills in place of the flats.
All day I had people honk their horns at me, and not the friendly kind of honk either, so basically I have surmised that cyclists are not particularly welcome to share the road down south.
I'm trying not too take it too personally. To shrug it off, to live and let live.
There is a lot of nothing, even the small towns I pass have nothing worth stopping at.
I found a Dollar General to buy crackers and a packet of ranch flavour tuna (packets instead of cans is brilliant!), that would be supper.
Onward ever onward. Wasn't really sure when to call it a day, so I just kept riding.
Got kinda low on water as initially my day was going to be different.
The map had The Hwy I was on go through the NASA space station, what I didn't realize was that the public was not allowed on it. So apparently NASA employs like 8000 people, even though no one has gone to space in years!
The good thing was I had my chance to fill up on cold water (the day was so warm I was comfortable in a short sleeve and shorts! (81 F... Not sure what that mean is in C)
Then I took a detour route, the Texas flat road, which was indeed, flat. It wasn't a bad road, but it just went on and on and I was racking up the Km's. At the end of the road there was a campground. At first I rode on by, but then, seeing as I had already ridden 120 Km's and had no better options, I turned around and went. I could've, of course, tried my hand at "stealth camping", but maybe another time...
I was tired, but in a good way. $20 US for a night seemed reasonable enough. It at least it meant I could shower, and today I felt like I really needed it! And it seemed safer than randomly stealth camping someplace.
I was the only person with a tent. Everyone else had RV's. The campground washrooms looked like they had seen better years.
Discovered I had left my toiletries bag in Franklinton. So no brushing teeth for me tonight!
I think I'll miss the Tiger balm the most, as it does help those aching muscles, particularly my knees. And life goes on, and I find I still have a lot to be thankful for!
Today I felt a sense of Gods protection and the prayers offered on my behalf, and it was good.
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