The house was pretty cold in the morning but once the fire got going again it warmed up nicely.
Beth made a pot of oatmeal to share, which I enjoyed with fresh jersey cow milk and honey. Then we went out together to feed the chickens and walk around the property, see the beehives, the garden beds, many of which she covered with plastic so she could keep things growing through the winter.
I was fascinated by her little shop where she sold beeswax candles, honey, soaps and lip balm. Couldn't help but purchase a few things, like honey... I think I found my new favourite cycling snack! She had these little sealed straws of honey, perfect for on the road! It was nice to support her business after all she'd done for me!
I spent some time reading, as I didn't have a particularly long ride planned for the day.
Just before leaving Beth cooked up a quick black bean cheese tortilla for my lunch. I'm glad I got a picture of us for memories sake.
Then it was on the road again. The sky was a cloudless blue, the wind prominently at my back. It was cool, but with sun and tailwind it was comfortable for cycling in.
I enjoyed seeing the difference in landscape.
I had to rid for a time on the interstate, as there was literally no other road, but I noticed the big trucks moved to give me more distance.
Once off the interstate I enjoyed the quiet of the frontage road. Saw red chili peppers drying in the fields. Seems to be a big thing here. I often see bunches of peppers hanging on homes.
Apparently this is the land of "manana" (tomorrow). Things can always happen tomorrow and tomorrow never comes because there is always a tomorrow. So I passed a lot of neglected properties.
I made really good time with the tailwind, so I was way earlier than I had told my host I'd be.
After cycling through the college campus I found a nice city park with a spot that was out of the wind and in the toasty sun so I could stay warm and do some stretches and journal for an hour or so.
It's strange having to think about putting sunscreen on, but my face is already getting colour.
I promptly showed up on Jeff's doorstep at 4 pm.
I was able to shower and get wifi. He didn't seem sure about what to do for supper so I volunteered to cook if he would be okay with that. He was, and so I found ingredients that could work together and had let my creative juices flow. Made baked potato fries, sugar snap peas in a light butter sauce and an egg and sausage omelette.
It felt good to be productive. I don't simply want to receive grace, I want to be able to find ways to extend it as well. Perhaps it's a small way I can say thanks, because it means a lot to have a safe place to spend the night.
Jeff wasn't kidding when he said on his profile that he likes bikes! He has me beat on how many bikes he owns! So we talked bike and touring.
I got to sleep on the couch and I was grateful to be out of the cold. It's been real cold at night round these parts.
No comments:
Post a Comment