Day Thirty Eight: border crossing, missionaries, angels

I left Silsbee about 9:00 and started making my way east. I'm almost to the Louisiana border.

On the way, I passed through the Big Thicket National Preserve, though it all looked pretty much the same before and after the Preserve.

From Mark on a Bike 08 2

I took a picture of this house, and have absolutely no idea why. Probably for a very good reason. Perhaps you can figure it out. It's the only picture I took this morning, maybe because the only thing you can see while riding is the thicket.

In Kirbyville I stopped for lunch at Subway and took my laptop inside, mainly just because I could.

At about mile 50, I saw a sign welcoming people into Texas. There wasn't a sign on my side of the road welcoming people into Louisiana, though I'm sure they're happy to see me.

Since I didn't get a picture on the other end of Texas, I thought I'd get one on this end. There was a car at the sign, and it looked like someone else had the same picture idea. I rode a little faster to try to catch them before they drove away. Perhaps they'd be willing to take my picture by the sign.

There were two women in the car, and when I asked them if they would mind taking my picture they said they'd be happy to. When they got out of the car I noticed their black nametags.... they were Mormon missionaries.

From Mark on a Bike 08 2

My first thought was, "Mormons in Louisiana? Wow, they really ARE going to the ends of the earth."

The two young ladies were, not surprisingly, quite pleasant. (I never learned their first names, unless they're both named "Sister") Once they learned I'm not in the market for a change in my beliefs, we chatted about bicycling. They've thought about taking a cross-country trip, and I started preaching to them about how anyone can do it, and how fun it is.

I think I have a couple of converts.

From Mark on a Bike 08 2

As I ride down the road I see things, and I have to make a quick decision about whether it's picture-worthy. I can't stop and take pictures of EVERYthing; otherwise, I'd never get any riding done. Sometimes I can just reach into my handlebar bag, grab the camera, and take a quick picture without stopping.

Today I saw something that, looking back, I really wished I'd stopped for.... true art, and something I'm not likely to see again (except in other, very rural parts of the South). Combining two art forms and two media, the ceramic angel and the porcelin toilet, to create a NEW art form: The ceramic angel sitting, thinking, on the porcelin toilet.

I've just gotta be quicker with the camera next time.

The hurricane damage is still evident. There isn't a roof that doesn't have a few shingles missing, and many of the roofs have blue tape along the ridge lines for, I assume, leaky spots.

I'm seeing a LOT of mobile homes along the way, I would estimate about 90% of the dwellings outside the larger towns (more than 2000 people) are mobile homes.

This was taken this afternoon. The top says "Boeing 747" and "Air Mail." The one beneath it says "64 Apache Helicopter Mail." The next sign says, "If package is too big for mailbox, take it with you. It's too big for me also!!" There is a normal mailbox at the bottom with a bucket next to it. The bucket reads, "Junk Mail and bills."

From Mark on a Bike 08 2

Here's another sign.

From Mark on a Bike 08 2

The top is a "Howdy" greeting, followed by "Grahamtown, USA, pop. 2" There are two columns. The first colums reads, "#1: President - Robert Graham; Senator - Robert Graham; Mayor - Robert Graham; Sheriff - Robert Graham; Judge - Robert Graham; Tax Assessor - Robert Graham.

The second column says, "#2: Vise President - Sandra Graham; Representative - Sandra Graham; Secretary - Sandra Graham; Bookkeeper - Sandra Graham; Justice of Peace - Sandra Graham; Constable - Sandra Graham."

And beneath that: "To heck with all elected officials anyway. They are about a dime a dozen. It's time to become more serious." Then, "If you have a problem, see #1. If you can't resolve it see #2. If you still have a problem, see #1 for final answer. If no satisfaction move along to the next town please."

And a picture of the main artery supplying Grahamtown...

From Mark on a Bike 08 2

There are also a lot of logging trucks on the road. The shoulder is wide and the traffic isn't heavy, so it's not really bad.

From Mark on a Bike 08 2

From Mark on a Bike 08 2

From Mark on a Bike 08 2

They seem to be planting as well as cutting...

From Mark on a Bike 08 2

In Merryville (pop 840), just after Bleakwood (where's Grumpyville?), I stopped at the convenience store for a short break before finishing my ride into DeRidder. This is a sign in the window.

From Mark on a Bike 08 2

So, if the DeRidder kids are better than ours why are we buying them new tennis courts?

A question we ask ourselves all the time....

From Mark on a Bike 08 2

In DeRidder (pop 7496) I called around and found the cheapest motel in town, but it was two miles off the route so I had some extra pedaling. It was a nice enough room, but the door wouldn't lock so I had to change rooms.

Now that I'm Louisiana I'm looking for some good cajun food - within walking distance. I found Faulk's next door and saw some great items on the menu: alligator, crayfish, and shrimp. Unfortunately, all of it is fried so I opted for a burger instead. It was the best cheeseburger I've had in a long time, and I've been eating a LOT of burgers lately. I'll keep an eye out for some more alligator though.

80.93 miles
13.5 average
22.6 maximum speed
5:57:43 time
1866.8 total miles