Team Geezer say's "To hell with it"
We give up. The day dawned with the normal, slate grey, cold drizzly morning that’s been par for the course in Mississippi.
“Let’s give it a go,” said I and out we headed to The Trace. I unloaded the bike and Jan, always the wiser of the two remarked, “This is not a day for me to ride plus I won’t be too far away just in case it cuts loose.”
Natchez Trace outside Jackson
Didn’t take long. About two miles into the pedal a deluge enveloped the road. Within a couple of minutes the Ridgeline pulled up along. By the time the bike was back on the rack and this kid was inside the truck you were looking at one really drowned rat.
Go through the part about the "Sunny South" one more time...
“Okay”, came the question, “What now?” “Well” I replied still putting on the good face, “Let’s drive over to Vicksburg, it’s approximately thirty miles away, and see if there’s a museum or antebellum mansion of visit. Maybe it will clear this afternoon or tomorrow.”
Things were much better in Vicksburg...NOT!
Wrong. If anything the rain increased the closer the truck came to Vicksburg. Meanwhile the radio dj was telling us to “just hang in there this weather should move out by Friday.”
Friday? Hang around for five days to ride the final 150 miles. In the words of Al on “Tool Time”, “I don’t think so Tim”.
All this was occurring as the fierce rainstorm forced Jan to crawl along Interstate 40 at 20 mph. A decision was reached; “Screw it,” said I, “Keep heading west. We’re outta here.”
Adios Mississippi
So tonight’s epistle comes to you from Denton, Texas. The rain continued all across Louisiana. No rain in Dallas but it was 68 degrees. Tonight after a Cracker Barrel pork chop dinner we walked into the evening air and were greeted by more rain.
Where are we heading? We don’t know. Somewhere that’s not experiencing a monsoon season. The computer says weather is nice in New Mexico. Maybe we’ll end up in Albuquerque or Santa Fe where it’s in the 70’s and sunny, or so they say. Maybe we could pedal, golf or hike in “The Land of Enchantment. And Denver weather is supposed to be nice this weekend. Jan allowed as to how she could use a grandchild fix.
So what started out in steady drizzle of Iowa terminates in a Mississippi deluge. Fun trip but hey, stop with the rain already.
Despite the fact Randy Newman wrote and recorded “Short People” (not that I’m defensive about my lack of vertical or anything like that) I’ve always been a fan. And though I don’t have a pistol in my pocket or a horse between my knees his “Rider In the Rain” has been living rent-free in my brain for the past week. Hopefully in the next couple of days one of these entries can sign off with John Denver’s “Sunshine On My Shoulder.”
See you on down the road.
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