Day 3. I started rolling today around 7:15 or so. I planned for 80 miles today so there wasn’t much time for dilly dallying. Leaving Jackson, there was a nice downhill stretch the right back into the ups and downs of the hills. It’s actually getting really hard to enjoy the downhills because you can usually see the uphill part just ahead and it completely distracts you from the joys of the downhill. Pictures never do it justice…but here’s a few examples…   

   
Coffeeville is my next stop. Sounds so good, I could totally go for a fufu coffee drink! But…no coffee shops to be found in Coffeeville, population 352.   

They did have a grocery store so I popped in there. It had a really good assortment of foods. However, I started to notice almost everything with an expiration date seemed to be past it’s time. Whatever. Standard…dismissed. I got some expired juice and a small pack of prepackaged donuts that didn’t expire for another 2 days but probably have enough chemicals to keep them safe for another 10 years. Solid brunch. I rode on thru many towns that are not much more than a blip on the map. Nanafalia had a gas station and I stopped there for some orange juice. They too asked where I was headed and told me they’d pray for me to stay safe. 

Right around the corner from there, I saw this HUGE John Deere rig. I don’t even know what it does. Had a big sign on the barn that said to smile because I was on camera. So I smiled, then went and put my bike next to it for a photo op. Photo doesn’t do it justice. It was HUGE! I wished the owner was around, I would have asked if I could have my picture taken in the drivers seat. Pedaling onward…  
Finally found some fields where the wild flowers were off the hook. I can’t upload high res images from my real camera at the moment so here’s a jenky version for now.  

I rolled into Linden and after talking to a few folks decided not to go to the campground. Poor reviews. It was a 5 or so mile detour and not worth it. So instead I decided I would stay in the motel in town. Um. Maybe I should have camped after all. This joint is ghetto. My room smells like an armpit. I have low standards in general when I travel and this is below them. It’s the only game in town though so otherwise it’s over an hour to the next spot. Not even washing my clothes in the sink because they may come out dirtier. Luckily, I did have a good dinner at J & K Whistle Stop. Good food, cheap and the server was cool. She’s training for her first 5K on Saturday. I’m cheering her on from the URR!! Then back to my stinky room. 

Oh and somewhere in my day I met some white cows and some random turtle crossing the street. I talked to them both for waaaay too long.    

 A few interesting things…folks all over the place leave their car running when they run into stores. This is interesting to me as I lock up my bicycle to the nearest pole. Creature of habit I suppose. 

Clear cutting in areas. Logging trucks roll by me all day long. Sometimes full, sometimes empty. There’s lots of spaces where they’ve clear cut acreage. It will be interesting to see where they’re going with this. Is it regulated? I’m going to have to check into this. It’s startling to come around a corner and just see a big open barren space surrounded by lush forest.   

  
I swear this is the same exact company that I use!!! Same logo and everything. Mental note to google this later.  I’ve been staring at these for like 200 miles now.  

Everyone waves. Just outside Mobile, when in the country, I passed by a house with old folks on the porch swinging, I looked their way and they waved so I waved back. It happened a second time and then I decided I am just going to wave at everyone I see outside at their houses. So I totally do. I wave hi to everyone working in their yard, riding their tractors, mowing their lawns, swinging on their porches. So far…100% have returned waves. Some days I walk East Bay Regional Parks and say hi to folks I pass hiking and I’m lucky to get even 10% of folks to acknowledge my existence. So interesting. So far I like these Alabama people. They’re top notch. 

There are more churches here than in Escalon, CA. True story.

Along those same lines…an older fella was sitting on the porch of the baptist church today I think somewhere near West Bend or Campbell. I saw him and waved. He waved back and said where you going with all that. Referring to my junk show of an overloaded bike. I said, Canada! He said “Jesus!” (But not in the way I’m used to people saying it) He said “Praise be, hallelujah!!!” To which I of course responded “AMEN!!!!” I mean, I don’t know anything but that seemed like the right time for that. He go super excited and got up off his bench…”Yeah, that’s RIGHT, AMEN!!!! AMEN LORD!!!” Wow, was not expecting such excitement. I am so religion incompetent it’s pretty sad. I remember going to church with my factory compadres in the Philippines and asking someone afterwards why we got to eat the cookies and drink the grape juice to which I got a horrified look. Yeah. Not my forte. It’s very different like that here, so interesting how different and significant of a role religion is here vs home. 

Day 3. I’m over 200 miles in now. 1/10th of the way. Only 1800 miles left. (Oy vey)