Total miles: 1,076
Weather: Hot! My cyclometer said 87, but I'd say it was more like 83. Sunny, calm wind out of the east
Terrain: flat
Dogs: aplenty
Average size of dogs: human baby size
Boy, sleeping in a hotel room was nice. For being so cheap, it was actually not that crappy. Now I am in my tent again. Hello, old friend. It's been a while.
I set out on the road this morning around 8:15. With a belly full of granola bars I rode....14 miles before I had to stop in Plaucheville and snack. Unbeknownst to me, I celebrated my thousandth mile on this trip with an oatmeal cream pie, a childhood favorite. I didn't realize until about 3:30 this afternoon that this had actually happened. Today was funny like that.
I rode on into the midday heat where the plethora of tiny dogs had their brains fried which made them want to chase me. All of them. I don't mind it so much. The little ones are easy to get away from. But there was one that pretty much made my day.
There I was, an innocent cyclist just pedaling along and minding my own business. When, all of a sudden, I detected a certain high-pitched yap indicative of a tiny dog pursuer. As always, I freeze momentarily as I decide on my course of action. Do I make a run for it or do I stand up and fight?! I decided to run. So did the dog. He was what looked like a chihuaua/basenji mix and pretty fast for having such short legs. He took off across the yard after me and as he hit the gravel driveway, in the most graceful way I've ever seen, he executed a perfect front flip, perfect in every way because he landed directly in his head, which stopped him cold. He got up and gave another yap to remind me I barely escaped with my right shoe intact. I laughed for about two miles straight.
In a similar fashion, I spent much of the day avoiding the close cousin of the tiny human baby sized dogs, flying insects (Check the cladogram. They are basically the same organisms).
I was hit in the face by more bugs today than all other days combined. I'm still trying to figure out how one of them bit me on the back of my leg under my shorts when I never once sat down on the grass today. They've got crafty bugs in Louisiana.
Shortly before lunch I ran across this beautiful sight:
Cypress trees, I believe. They sure have nice buttresses.
Around 1 I stopped and ate in Lebeau at a place just off the road. I can't remember the name of it. It was a little hole in the wall mom and pop restaurant. I had turkey and sausage gumbo and lots of sweet tea. Yum!
Onward! The last 40 miles went by pretty quickly. At one point a white truck passed me and the passenger flipped me off. Immediately afterward, a nice old church lady passed in the other direction and gave a nice and friendly wave to make up for it. Louisiana, I still love you. But you do really need to work on your roads, cause most of them suck.
Biking biking biking. It is all I do. It's funny to just ride your bike all day. Also fun. Also good exercise. Where am I going with this? Hmm, not sure. But this is sort of how my brain works while I am riding. If I had gone on for another ten seconds, I would've ended up at something like Donald trump's hair piece. How does he get it to do that, anyway?
Well, clearly I am out of interesting things to say. Bike touring is fun. I think I have found my rhythm. And that is comforting. Good night!
Love,
Jess
Cajun, oh yeah!
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