Day Forty Seven: florida, rain, mike

The weather forecasters say it's supposed to rain today. They say there's a fifty percent chance. Should I believe them? These are the same guys who say things like "The low will be 30 and the high will be 45. The current temperature is 22." We'll see.

I'm almost hoping it does rain. I bought some new pannier bags this year. Last year I had some that are "water resistant." These are waterproof, and the manufacturer (German, as Klaus pointed out) brags in their ads that it's the only pannier bag in which you can take your goldfish with you on tour. You can actually fill them up with water and they won't leak.

I hope it doesn't come to that.

As I mentioned yesterday, since crossing the ferry yesterday, and also as I ride today, I would estimate that about one third to one half of the condos and houses are for sale. What's even more interesting is that there is an amazing amount of construction going on right now. They're building like crazy along here.

From mark on a bike 08 3

Although it's not raining, the humidity is around 100%, and it's overcast. These patches of sand are so rare that they're actually picture-worthy. Everywhere else you look there's a 60-story building.

From mark on a bike 08 3

From mark on a bike 08 3

There was a nice bike lane for most of the morning.

From mark on a bike 08 3

You can tell which way the prevailing winds blow...

From mark on a bike 08 3

Crossing over the Perdido Bay Bridge, I entered Florida... my last state.

From mark on a bike 08 3

As I was crossing the bridge I noticed these gates every twenty feet or so. I thought it was odd. Why would you have a gate, albeit locked, way up on a bridge. There's nothing on the other side but air.

From mark on a bike 08 3

In Pensacola, I accidentally got off the route. Sometimes, it's a matter of paying attention to the map or paying attention to traffic. I generally choose the latter. Since it was time for lunch anyway I just picked a place downtown. The place I went to, New York Nick's, looked like it had been in business for a long time. There were signed pictures of a lot of celebrities eating there.

I began riding again at 1:15. About half an hour later it started raining so I decided to pull over and see if it slacked up a bit. Ten minutes later it did, so I put on my rain pants and booties (er, I mean shoe covers) and started riding. There had been enough rain so that there were puddles, and everything below my knees was getting wet.

It rained intermittently, though not heavily, for about an hour. When I got to Pace it started raining pretty hard - hard enough so that it was difficult to ride because the rain was hitting me in the face. I stopped under an awning for another ten minutes and it lightened up a little, so I put on my rain jacket and started riding again. After another twenty minutes the rain started in earnest again. This time I just kept riding. This is the type of rain we used to describe as "a real gullywasher." I guess the weather reporters were half right today.

From mark on a bike 08 3

Normally, as adults, we go to great lengths to avoid getting wet when it's raining. Today, however, I feel like a little kid outside playing during a rainstorm. There's something kind of fun about riding in the rain. Right now it just doesn't matter if I get wet. My gear is nice and dry, I'm not cold, so why not just enjoy it? Try it sometime. Maybe not on your way to work, but try it.

Pictures taken along the way....

From mark on a bike 08 3

From mark on a bike 08 3

(I guess they keep the junky cars in the garage)


Not a drop of water around...

From mark on a bike 08 3

This flag was on my right side.

From mark on a bike 08 3

I started getting hungry again, so I stopped for a hamburger at Wendy's. While I was there I asked the cashier where the Red Carpet Inn was. She didn't know, and asked a couple of other people. Finally, a guy told me it was about five miles away - and in the direction from which I'd just come. I thought it seemed odd that the ACA list would have something that far off the route, so I thought I'd ask someone else before riding that far. As I was walking to the door the only other customer there asked me where I started. That's always the opening line.

From there, he told me that he'd like to hike from Mexico to Alaska next year. He's 64 and ready to retire, and has enough saved to be able to live comfortably. I bought a Frosty and sat down to join him. He would consider doing a bike trip, but "there are a lot of crazy people on the road."

His name is Mike. He lives in the area and is employed making airplanes for the government. He really likes his job and they treat him well, or he'd already be somewhere else by now. He said this is the longest he's ever lived in one place. "How long is that?" I asked. "Five years."

What he does is classified so he said, "If I told you I'd have to kill you." I laughed and said that I really didn't want to know that badly. He was able to get the job because of his previous classified clearance. He's worked with airplanes since he was in VietNam.

Mike did three tours in VietNam as a Marine. I asked, "So is it true? Once a Marine, always a Marine?" He pointed over to his truck outside and I noticed the Marines license plate, the Marines license plate holder, the Marine bumper stickers, and the POW/MIA magnetic stickers on it. He didn't need to say anything else about it.

After his first tour he asked to be retrained to do something else. Then, gazing out the rain-splattered window, he added, "I've done things I'm not really proud of... but someone had to do them."

"I had nightmares for four years," he added.

Then he came back to the present, smiled, and said "I learned to field strip an airplane and put it back together in half an hour." He's been working with aircraft since that time.

I asked him where the Red Carpet Inn was, and told him where the guy behind the counter had said it was. He said, "No... That's the Red Roof Inn," and gave me accurate directions.

Eventually, I found the motel. I'm feeling pretty good this evening. Even after riding for five days, I don't feel tired, and I don't have the normal aches and pains that accumulate over a few days riding, so I'm thinking of postponing my rest day.

I am hard.

Okay, maybe not... but perhaps hardening.

a picture of my very wet bike:

From mark on a bike 08 3

But everything inside is dry!

60.18 miles
14.0 average
32 mph maximum
4:16:48 time
2362.6 total miles