Coffee break 15 miles south of Tupelo.
Another grey day in shivering Mississippi. Not once today has the temperature been able to make it out of the fifties. Adding insult to the miserable morning the local TV weather wizard said today, Sunday, might be the best weather we’ll see for the next seven days.
The real downer of today started yesterday afternoon when a bee flew into my helmet, decided he didn’t like the surroundings and did what bees do best. Sting. This morning I woke up looking like a Star Wars klingon. Doesn’t hurt and I don’t have to look at it but poor Jan does and finds herself married to a puffy Uncle Fester.
Wanna look like a klingon? Get stung by a bee bike riding.
In terms of comfort, the un-seasonably cool weather is optimum for bike riding. Not for others. We stopped along side The Trace for a bite and up pedaled a northbound young lady from Connecticut, all bundled like a January ski outing, yet still complaining about the cold. I almost felt guilty standing there in a short-sleeved bike shirt. Jan felt so sorry for her she put her in the truck and turned on the heater.
The original trace...Missouri would call this road "new and improved" in the show me state.
But the continual threat of precipitation is wearing thin. We Maynard’s seem to bring rain wherever we wander. Every time a well-meaning Mississippi matron blurts out, “Y’all are ridin’ bicycles in this weather? That’s too bad, I’ve never known October to be so cold and rainy here in God’s country” I feel like hitting her with my tire pump.
Yesterday was the 10th of October and Tupelo, Mississippi had received more moisture in ten days than is usually received in the entire month. And it’s supposed to rain all next week.
Not that this is unusual for Jan and I. On our coast-to-coast bike trip in rained almost every day. Rain has followed us to Las Vegas, Phoenix and Tucson (the Rockies had one rain-out at spring training last year, guess who had tickets). When it comes to weather, in the words of Billy Joe Shaver’s “Fast Train To Georgia,“
“I’ve had a Christian raisin’ and an 8th grade education and I don’t deserve to be treated this away.”
So we changed the plan. Tonight we were supposed to bed down in Starkville. Instead we moved on to Jackson, skipping one day of the trip in an attempt to get south of the rain.
Today was one of good legs and perfect weather for riding. So I took advantage of the great road and superb conditions for a seventy-mile pedal.
The natchez trace...440 miles of perfect road and nothing but trees.
Then we loaded up the bikes and headed south to Jackson.
We even discussed bailing on Mississippi for another part of the country. I’ve always wanted to ride the “Hill Country” of Texas but a check of Austin conditions on the ‘puter found the Texas capitol to be currently sizzling in the nineties. No thanks. Best weather in the country seems to be in Grand Junction.
All’s well that ends and we made it to Jackson in time to watch the Broncos go 5-0. Life is indeed good. Now if the Rox can just follow suit.
Tonight’s song is for Jan. We she signed up for this marriage hitch almost 45 years ago I doubt she planned on being the sole transportation support for an itinerant bike rider. Simply put were it not for her I couldn’t celebrate my 70th on a bike, and without her along the trip would be one long drag. So here’s Delbert McClinton and one for Jannie Lou. “ Baby, I’m With You”.
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