Spartans Forever

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Strangers Helping Strangers

The day started out with threatening skies and a promise of a rainy day, but we had to go.  The advantage of a self contained trip is suppose to be if the weather is not cooperating you don't have to go.  However, we have reservations at a plantation in St, Francisville.  It seems that at the time we would probably be there their biggest festival and fund raiser of the year is happening.  It is the Audoubon Pilgrimage.  Without reservations there will be no room at the in.  So we started out.  Fortunately, when the heavens opened up we were near a quick stop,  The manager had no problem with us camping out there for an hour or so.  When the rains slowed, we took off.  Each of our rain gear seemed to be adequate for each of us.  It really was a stroke of luck that we found shelter.  Sheltered spots were few and far between on today's ride.
Our next helpful person happened at lunch.  Well, this was not so helpful but the person really meant well.  We have found  on our cycling adventures that people always want to give you route advice.  Of course these people really know the area but have no idea about bikes.
After lunch we took off again down a road, which turned out to be the wrong direction.  A man who had been filling his truck saw what we were doing and came down the road after us, because the only place this road was going was to the oil fields.  He asked where we were going and steered us in the right direction.  He then turned around and went the direction he was sending us.  For those of you who don't know roads to oil fields are not good and particularly bad in wet weather.
The next rather colorful person to help us was Ricky.  Some of us were stopped along the road waiting for Doug to deal with a flat.  He offered to go get Doug, water, overnight lodging in the community church if needed.  When we did not need these things he offered to go up the road and have relatives restrain their dog (all or part  pit bull).  He said the dog liked legs.  We like ours too.  So he was very pleased that he could do something for us.
We also learned some local history in Batson.  This town during the 30s had 80,000 people.  Today probably not 500.  Some of the structures we passed I believe were remnants of that era.
Today's ride was really remote through the Big Thicket National Preserve.  Tomorrow we will enter Louisiana.  Looking forward to a crawfish boil dinner tomorrow night.

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