Perry-Foley Airport

We went to bed last night expecting rain this morning around 10:00. However, when we got up, the time had been pushed back an hour. So we gave ourselves permission to dawdle a bit. We went to the restaurant next door and ordered coffee. I ordered an order of cheesy grits and a biscuit. You just have to love this southern cooking.

After eating, I got the bike ready for the day's ride and realized the back tire was flat. I had some problems with it earlier, and it seemed to be fine after refilling it (I think it is a valve problem). I quickly changed the tube and was ready to roll.

I was barely on my way when it started to sprinkle and thought it must have been a mistake. It sprinkled for about 5 miles and then stopped. I started breathing more easily. I figured if I could keep my pace at about 12 mph, I should be able to beat the rain. Before too long, I heard a horn blowing behind me, and then Dana whizzed by, as was the plan.

I kept my pace as expected, and about 12 to go, the rain began to fall. I thought, "Wait, it can't rain until 11:00," and yet here I am riding in the rain. I stopped and changed my coat (for warmth) for my rain gear. While I was stopped, I slammed a peanut butter sandwich and about half a bottle of water. Then I set out to finish the day. The rain was steady, and after a while I couldn't see through my rain speckled sunglasses. I took them off, and then the rain ran into my eyes, and I still couldn't see very well. I did the best I could, wiping my eyes and trying to ignore my burning eyes. I was approaching Perry (population 6898) when an e-bike flew past me. I had several mean thoughts go through my mind but kept my legs churning. Finally, I arrived at the bus where Dana was waiting for me, all dry and warm. I was cold and soaked to the gills. I threw my bike on the rack and covered it, got in the bus, and swapped my wet clothes for some dry ones. I ate some snacks and then crawled on the bed, trying to get warm.

After a while, Dana suggested we head to a nearby coffee shop. I remarked that it is probably a drive-through. It was only a block down the road, so we donned our hoodies and headed out. We sloshed through the parking lot, and by the time we arrived, our feet and pants legs were wet. Sure enough, it was a drive-through. We walked up to the window and asked if we could walk through instead of drive through. The barista replied, (imagine a southern accent), "Yes, sir, you sure can." We ordered our drinks, and I ordered a grits bowl. We took our order back to the bus and enjoyed them.

We have been on the road for eleven days and have slept in the bus every night. Because of the rain system coming through the area, we decided to spend the night in a hotel. We also wanted to do some laundry because it is possible that some of our clothes could use a good washing. I will thank you ahead of time for not judging our lifestyle!

After some hot showers and two loads of laundry, we were ready for dinner. We left our hotel and headed to our right for some southern-style cooking and BBQ. We arrived (we walked in a slight drizzle) to discover the restaurant is closed on Saturdays. Go figure! We walked back past the hotel to an Italian restaurant and enjoyed a delicious meal.

We are now back in our hotel for the evening, enjoying the warmth and climate-controlled room.

Thanks for reading and vicariously living this retirement adventure. Or whatever this is.Read more