Welcome to Mississippi - Let's Ride!

Hi all you glorious folks that keep me company on my journey by reading this travel journal. 

I finally got access to wifi at Jean's and Keith's home in Brandon, MS! (But I must have ran out of time or forgot to post until two days later when I got access to wifi again!)

I am writing this while I sit on their back porch.  Jean keeps urging me to come inside.  There is thunder all around.  But it is shady here and they have provide a nice fan.

I am not wanting to go in because just a bit ago I got a text from someone I had contact with letting me know they went in for COVID testing today or yesterday.  We will know either on Friday or Monday if her test was positive or negative.  In the meantime I want to be extra extra careful that I don't spread anything along my way.

We have a plan, though, if it starts to rain.  I can dash in to this extra room they have that doesn't have ventilation with the rest of the house.  I can open a window and work in there.  Thank you Jean!

Wearing my mask more, keeping more distant, trying not to share air with anyone. I will keep you posted.

Now for the rest of the story...

Tuesday 6/30/2020

It only took me an hour and a half to pack up camp and head out this morning.  And the van was never un-hooked from Lilac.   I will get more efficient with time.  As it was I didn’t latch down the bike well and things fell over before I even pulled out.  I left them where they lay.

I had another lovely ride with only one or two small towns to go through, it was mostly country roads winding through hills.  The van performed ok.  Though I think it is time to pull out the manual for the electric brake controls on the trailer to re-learn how to adjust them.  I had my tires grip and squeal twice when I slowed.

I am thrilled again with my campsite.  I am at Timberlake Campground in Brandon.  My site is sunny, but flat and on pavement this time, no sand and leaf litter.  It is right on a bike trail and across the street from a grocery store.  There is a pool and clean showers, though they are not individual rooms which makes it riskier to use them right now.

What is absent that I don’t like is there are no clotheslines.  

When I was in registering a woman walked in the door and paused to wait while I was paying.  I looked up and it was Jean who I came this way to see!  

She is the friend I came to trike with.  I wanted to rush to her for a hug, but instead raised my arms and did the Covid-hug gesture. 

Jean had been driving by and saw my rig.  What a wonderful surprise.  We chatted and walked around.  She had a meeting but we arranged for me to go to her home to hang out in the shade around 4:30.

This picture was taken on the day we met.  A mutual friend had encouraged us to meet.  Thank you, Mary Lou!  You were right, we are two independent strong-minded women.  Just don't put us on a project together, we both want to take charge!  Ha ha.  

 

I decided to ride my trike to her home, which was only three miles away.  I packed up my trike and started pedaling when I got a call from her.  She and her husband were heading my way.  Her husband, Keith, does a lot of repair work and he was coming to look at my air conditioner.

Immediately Keith figured out that the cord I was using to plug in my trailer was too long and too narrow.  It will create too much resistance and not deliver enough electricity to my unit.  He must have guessed it was the problem because he had a cord with him that was better and would work.  Immediately the air conditioner worked and the fridge at the same time!!!!  Keith then went to the store and bought the right cord for me.  I am thrilled.  Thank you Keith May!

We then drove over to hang out in their back yard with big fans blowing on us.

They have this cute outfit hanging by a window.  It holds plastic bags.  What a great idea!  I love it.

Keith is quite the rider and told me about some rides he had been on.

Jean says we will bike with their small bike group tomorrow.  I am really looking forward to it. 

It is my favorite activity… 

Keith said if I want to ride longer than the 20 miles the group rides, he would ride it with me.  I haven’t ridden more than 16 miles in a ride for over a week, and it is warm.  So we will see.

As I was leaving their house, Keith showed me an alternative flag he had hanging instead of the Mississippi state flag.  That reminded me of the news that Mississippi has just decided to remove the Confederate flag from their state flag.  The protests around the country are making a difference. I cheer the peaceful protestors on and feel guilty for not joining them.  I send in a check and I drive away…

Oh, I forgot to tell you.  I stopped at a DQ today and got an ice cream Blizzard.  It is in preparation for my birthday tomorrow.  Keith says it is priming the pump.  Ha ha.