Today was, in my opinion, the polar opposite of yesterday. It actually started yesterday afternoon and throughout the evening and night, as Poplarville experienced fairly heavy rain and storms, making everything a wet and muddy mess both inside and outside the tents. Waking up every 2 hours or so, I knew going into today that it was going to be a struggle, but actually was proven wrong. Due to the weather, our start time was delayed 30 minutes to 8:00am, and we finally left then in a fairly heavy rain, on dirt roads that had turned into a slick, muddy mess. That being said, by 9:30 or 10:00, the rain had dissipated and we ended up experiencing a fairly dry day, albeit significantly overcast up until we finished, which was around 2:30pm. To compound our luck, most of the winds were at our back, so what I thought was going to be a struggle today was actually a fairly pleasant ride, over some beautiful country roads.
I must add a quick word about some of the rural parts of Mississippi we experienced today. Our route took us past several beautiful ponds and lakes, all surrounded with really pretty bungalows and houses. The peace and tranquility of these neighborhoods made me wish I had more time to park the bike and climb the steps to a covered porch, to enjoy the view of the water. It would have been a very tranquil experience, at least up until the police were summoned. But alas, I had over 70 miles to conquer, so I pressed on. We rode past some beautiful horse farms, and even saw a few zebras. Either they were zebras, or they were horses who had recently leaned up against a freshly painted fence.
Our big event today was a stop at the Ramsey Creek Baptist church, where some of the congregation had prepared lunch for all of the cyclists. It was truly a treat to watch the other cyclists throughly enjoy the parish hall, and the fact that the church actually had warm running water and clean bathrooms, which was in stark contrast to what we have experienced over the last 6 weeks or so. I witnessed a number of cyclists making multiple trips to the bathroom so they could actually wash their hands and have something to dry them on. Several church members were in attendance, and served pulled pork and chicken made in crock pots, followed by several sides and a full table full of deserts. The desert table was were the fun began.
I was eaten lunch with two friends from England, David and Sean, who had previously not spent too much time in the US. Upon his first trip to the desert table today, David discovered the bread pudding, which was something he claims to have never tried before. He raved and raved about the pudding, and quickly finished and returned to the table for a second piece. Upon his return, I explained to David that sometimes, people will make bread pudding and put a whiskey or brandy sauce over the top, to add some flavor. He thought that was a tremendous idea, and started to take his second helping up to the counter, to see if they would happen to have some whiskey or brandy on hand to pour on top. I intercepted him about half-way up to the counter, pulling him aside and quickly explaining that it would be highly unlikely for a Baptist church to have some alcohol, at least something accessible and not stashed in the back of a filing cabinet. Though disappointed, he understood, and reluctantly returned to the table to finish his second piece. You would have thought that the story would have ended there, but the fireworks were about to begin.
As we were finishing up, David, Sean, and I went to the front to thank our hosts. I explained to them that David had never had bread pudding before, and had fallen head over heels in love with the desert. That’s when the fun began.
Our hosts, namely Linda, Marlene, and Gus, along with a few more from the church, seemed to light up when I mentioned just how much David liked the bread pudding. Gus, who is married to Marlene, spoke up first, pointing to Linda (who was quite, shall we say, “top heavy”), and said, and I quote, “Oh, Linda made the pudding. Linda has the BREAST BED PUDDING this side of Biloxi. She has won many awards”. Linda, probably the only one in the room who missed Gus’s Freudian Slip, blushed, and Marlene shot her husband Gus a look, and elbowed him sharply in the ribs. Gus, fully aware of his faux pas, tried to correct his statement to “BEST BREAD PUDDING”, but couldn’t quite get it out, probably due to Marlene’s rib jab, which knocked the wind completely out of him.
While we all stood around, trying our best to ignore Gus’s mis-statement, and Gus, still unsuccessfully trying to correct his slip due to his lack of oxygen in his lungs, a few questions came to my mind. I was about to ask a series of questions to the group, such as 1) Did Linda formally enter her breasts in a local contest? and if so 2) was she planning on defending her title this year? and lastly 3) were they in need of an extra judge in the breast contest? (I wanted to know, since I have been looking for some volunteer opportunities, and thought that this would be just the thing for me). Before I could get any of my questions out, Sean, (David’s friend from the UK), stuffed a whole yeast roll in my mouth, and ushered me away from the group before I could speak. When we left, I saw Marlene nose to nose with Gus, in deep conversation. David, on the other hand, could not have cared less, for when I departed, I saw him at the desert table, packaging up a third piece of bread pudding for him to enjoy later. I had no idea that a Baptist Church could be this exciting, and have plans to visit again soon, (providing Linda brings another pan, with or without whiskey).
We are staying tonight at a new RV Park just outside of Vancleave. For the record, this RV park has six, (6) count ‘em, SIX showers, so we are not only full of bread pudding but are also clean! Vancleave has a population of about 5,000, and is the hometown of Nashville singer-songwriter Paul Overstreet, who wrote and sung such songs as “Diggin’ up Bones”. For you pop music fans, Ellen Duhe is from here, as is Chris White, linebacker with the New England Patriots.
Tomorrow, we cross another state line into Alabama, and cycle 66 miles to Dauphin Island. Everyone on the tour is looking forward to tomorrow, since we will be staying in a hotel, and our next day is a layover day. Plus the fact that we are one step closer to St. Augustine. Here’s to a successful ride! I hope and pray all is well with each of you.
The Walking Machine 