A day to remember!

Confidence. That is what I felt after the prayer support last night. Not foolish confidence, because I knew, or at least thought I knew, what I was facing today. But an assurance that I would be protected and strengthened through a challenging ride. 

In keeping with my diminished mental acuity, I left tpday's route instructions in Plymouth, NC. Fortunately, my brother, Jim, volunteered to assist today, and he could print out the route. We just needed to make sure that he and I were looking at the same route.

The key challenge for today would be the high temperatures, 95 degrees or so, plus high humidity. Ultimately, I would have to accept being baked for most of the day. To mitigate the heat, I left early, 6:20 AM. While the humidity was still high, at least the temperatures were lower at that time of the day. The other mitigation was my brother, Jim. He brought  up a cooler of water bottles as well as some sandwiches. 

But what about finding place to worship? I have found a church every Sunday since leaving Everett, but I did not see stopping to worship as a possibility today. So what did the Lord do? He had me stop to listen to several Christian TV programs Saturday night. I got my worship a day early.

Yet even this morning, knowing that I had a long ride ahead, I took time for prayer and scripture study. We always can make time for the Lord.

This was the earliest I had departed this year. Jim was driving up to meet me around 9:30 AM, and I wanted to see if I could get 30 miles under my belt before we met. But wait a minute, how was I going to print a copy of the route? The simple answer is that I wasn't. I hand wrote each instruction onto some notebook paper. A little low tech, but it worked fine.

Around 8:30 I started texting Jim with my wherabouts. He called around 9:30 to let me know he was lost, but would be with me soon. When we met, I immediately devoured a sandwich and drank a bottle of water.

This was the start of our routine: Jim would drive a couple of miles out, then park. As I approached, I would either stop or keep pedaling.

It was getting hotter and hotter. I do not ever remember drinking so much water as I did today. A quick lunch, then back on the road.

One thing was becoming clear: The 73 miles that Google projected was going to be low. (It ended up being 80 miles.)

During the afternoon, my speed kept diminishing. What once was 12 mph, was now closer to 8 mph. I did not care because I knew I would make the finish line.

About 4PM, I pulled in front of my brother's house. The journey was over.

On this trip, I have been reminded of our nation's beauty. Almost everywhere, people have been helpful and friendly. The weather was mostly sunny, but some of the storms were violent, including a number of tornados.

Every day in our lives, we are to be open to living the purpose that God has for us, and during this trip, the same applies. It is much easier, without the hustle and bustle, to be close to God. When you are alone, in the middle of nowhere, there is no such thing as a coincidence. God makes His presence known in many ways. I left on this trip open to whatever God has had for me, and I hope that He is pleased with the results.

Now I get to visit with family, both here in Raleigh, but also in Wilkesboro, in the western part of the state. Then, finally, I get to fly back to my Karen.

After 4,000 miles and 76 days on the road, I can't wait!

A day to remember!

Confidence. That is what I felt after the prayer support last night. Not foolish confidence, because I knew, or at least thought I knew, what I was facing today. But an assurance that I would be protected and strengthened through a challenging ride. 

In keeping with my diminished mental acuity, I left tpday's route instructions in Plymouth, NC. Fortunately, my brother, Jim, volunteered to assist today, and he could print out the route. We just needed to make sure that he and I were looking at the same route.

The key challenge for today would be the high temperatures, 95 degrees or so, plus high humidity. Ultimately, I would have to accept being baked for most of the day. To mitigate the heat, I left early, 6:20 AM. While the humidity was still high, at least the temperatures were lower at that time of the day. The other mitigation was my brother, Jim. He brought  up a cooler of water bottles as well as some sandwiches. 

But what about finding place to worship? I have found a church every Sunday since leaving Everett, but I did not see stopping to worship as a possibility today. So what did the Lord do? He had me stop to listen to several Christian TV programs Saturday night. I got my worship a day early.

Yet even this morning, knowing that I had a long ride ahead, I took time for prayer and scripture study. We always can make time for the Lord.

This was the earliest I had departed this year. Jim was driving up to meet me around 9:30 AM, and I wanted to see if I could get 30 miles under my belt before we met. But wait a minute, how was I going to print a copy of the route? The simple answer is that I wasn't. I hand wrote each instruction onto some notebook paper. A little low tech, but it worked fine.

Around 8:30 I started texting Jim with my wherabouts. He called around 9:30 to let me know he was lost, but would be with me soon. When we met, I immediately devoured a sandwich and drank a bottle of water.

This was the start of our routine: Jim would drive a couple of miles out, then park. As I approached, I would either stop or keep pedaling.

It was getting hotter and hotter. I do not ever remember drinking so much water as I did today. A quick lunch, then back on the road.

One thing was becoming clear: The 73 miles that Google projected was going to be low. (It ended up being 80 miles.)

During the afternoon, my speed kept diminishing. What once was 12 mph, was now closer to 8 mph. I did not care because I knew I would make the finish line.

About 4PM, I pulled in front of my brother's house. The journey was over.

On this trip, I have been reminded of our nation's beauty. Almost everywhere, people have been helpful and friendly. The weather was mostly sunny, but some of the storms were violent.

Every day in our lives, we are to be open to living the purpose that God has for us, and during this trip, the same applies. It is much easier, without the hustle and bustle, to be close to God. When you are alone, in the middle of nowhere, there is no such thing as a coincidence. God makes His presence known in many ways. I left on this trip open to whatever God has had for me, and I hope that He is pleased with the results.

Now I get to visit with family, both here in Raleigh, but also in Wilkesboro, in the western part of the state. Then, finally, I get to fly back to my Karen. I can't wait!

What a difference a day makes!

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday, I was somewhat despondent about the end of this trip. I was exhausted from the day's ride. It had been very hot, and today and tomorrow were forecast as being even warmer. My brother's offer to drive out and pick me up on Sunday was looking pretty appetizing. What do I have to prove? I've already pedaled for over 3,800 miles.

But something happened. As I lay in bed, suddenly i became filled with resolve. It was  as if the Lord was saying "I will be with you." Despite my fatigue, and my misgivings about riding in this weather, I decided to ride all the way to Raleigh.

Today was going to be the shorter of the two days, somewhere around 60 miles (it ended up being 64). Sunday will be in the mid-70s. My plan, like yesterday, was to get up early, leave around 6:30 AM, and keep hydrated and fed. It took a bit longer than yesterday to get going, then I had to turn around and find a store, at that early hour, that was selling sandwiches. It was probably closer to 6:45 AM when I left the town of Plymouth.

My goal was to ride 50 miles by noon, then the rest is easier. I did not make 50 miles, but made 45. I was carrying several extra waters and several Gatorades. Despite this, if I saw a Convenience Store, I would stop, drink a water and something light to eat, like a danish. I wanted to hold my liquids in reserve. This slowed me down, of course, but seemed a prudent  practice considering the weather.

Temperatures were expected to reach 95, but even at that early departure hour, the humidity brought perspiration quickly. In less than an hour, my shirt and shorts were soaked through with sweat.

All in all, the morning went well. I made three quick Convenience Store stops, and was feeling okay. Coming up to a four way stop, I noticed another store, and decided to re-hydrate. Buying a bottled water, I started out, then realized this store was also a cafe. Maybe I should eat lunch even though I had eaten a sandwich earlier.

It was a good decision. While waiting for my food, a lady walked in and asked if that was my bicycle outside. I affirmed that it was. She said it looked like it had been on the road for a while. How long? I answered " 75 days."

So the question came up "Why are you doing this?" I explained that I felt compelled by the Lord to make this trip, and was open to whatever He brought to me each day. This cafe appeared to be a family affair, and she was apparently a daughter. She called her mother over, and asked me to repeat what I said. I felt they appreciated how the Lord is using me on this journey.

This stop also gave me an opportunity to re-coat myself with sunblock.

Life in the south brings experiences that are interesting. Several times I have passed men who were working out their hounds. In fact, a loose pack of hounds this morning took umbrage with my using their road. I also discovered another crop today: tobacco.

I came up with my route through Google Maps, and had my route printed out last night. Google Maps is primarily used for cars, but there is a biking option, which puts the bicycler on quieter roads. Yet one road which I was to be on today was quite busy. It was  a four lane highway, with a four foot shoulder. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't that good either. I was surprised to be pulled over by a state trooper. He did not like me on the highway (I am unclear as to whether I was breaking the law). His first question was "Are you out trying to get some exercise?" Hmm. How should I answer that one? At any rate, I was perfectly happy with his suggestion of alternate routes. It did not hurt that I was only 5 miles from my destination.

Tomorrow is the last day of my trip. Tomorrow I will arrive at my brother, Jim's, house in Raleigh, North Carolina. After 76 days, I will be able to say "It is finished."

Don't confuse my resolve for tomorrow, with a lack of trepidation. It looks to be grueling. So I did what I do when I need help, I called my prayer partner at North Creek Presbyterian Church, Ron Wilmot, asking for prayers for strength in a brutal day. He emailed back "Consider yourself annointed and embraced, Will, to finish protected and STRONG as you near the GOAL. Blessings from 100 plus NC families." I feel like I am walking on air.

Tomorrow had two possibilities: Firstly, to ride, alone into Raleigh. I was hoping for Option #2. See if Jim would meet me part way and guide and support me on the way to his home.  It is such a relief to not have to think of where to turn, since everything looks foreign to me. Jim agreed. So we will meet around 9-9:30AM, and he will then take the lead with his car. At that point I will already have been pedaling for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, so I hope to be one third done before he gets there.

Peace be with you. 

Water!

Today's ride seemed far more possible since the distance, once thought to be in excess of 100 miles, now is in the 70's. Nevertheless, the high heat and humidity is affecting me more than I would have thought. In Ohio, the heat index was up to 105, yet I do not remember ever being as exhausted as I now feel. Temperatures were expected in the low 90's, so I determined to leave extra early, right after it became light enough to be seen by drivers. At 6:30 AM, I started out for the city of Plymouth, North Carolina.

One wouldn't think that there would be much traffic, but this town woke up early. Soon, however, I was back on country roads, where traffic was light. Using Google Maps to map out the bicycle route, it does a good job on finding safer roads, but ignores places to eat. It is hard to plan where to have lunch, snacks and re-hydrate. Today, however, there were enough stores to take care of those needs.

This part of the country has lots of agrculture, just not quite so much as Ohio, Indiana, Illinois or Iowa. It seems that corn and soybeans are popular, along with cotton. What is different is the large tracts of trees, which were less prevalent in the aforementioned states.

As in the other states, it is interesting how the people live: their houses, farms, vehicles, equipment, and toys. Manicured lawns are seen here, but not as commonly as elsewhere.

Pedalling along one country road this morning, I came across a sign that said: North Carolina State Line. Finally, I made it to my last state! After passing through 13 states, I am now in the 14th and final one.

One unusual thing about today is that I rode over some long bridges. One river, whose name escapes me, was half again as wide as the Mississippi River when I crossed it in Muscatine, Iowa. Another set of bridges were over your rivers that I think merged into one. It was hard to tell. 

My hope, in starting so early was to have 50 miles completed by noon. Figuring 74 miles for the day (it ended up being 76), that would put me close to the "count down" from 20 miles out from the destination.  

It seemed hotter than usual. Even after the first hour, my shirt and bike shorts were soaked with sweat. Fortunately, the woods (and a few clouds) gave occasional shade. I stopped at three places in the morning to snack, eat, and re-hydrate. Yet, I started to slow down in the early afternoon. I wanted to finish close to 3 PM, if possible, while the afternoon continued to heat up. And I did check in to a motel before 3:30 PM.

Despite drinking and drinking, I was so thirsty, checking in to the motel, that I blurted out "I need some water!".  My voice must have had a tinge of desperation in it because one of the staff ran to the back and brought out a bottled water.

I am tired, but am nearing the end of this journey. Of all things, temperatures are supposed to be rising this week end into the mid-90's. Heat index warnings are being given.

My plan for tomorrow is to ride to Farmville, 61 miles away. Again, I hope to be on the road by 6:30 AM. Sunday will probably be the same. The difference for Sunday, is that my  brother, Jim, may drive out of Raleigh to get me if I start to lag. We will see what tomorrow feels like.

Blessings to you all. 

 

Mental acuity? What mental acuity?

It is a good thing that I am nearing the finish line of this journey. I swear that this general fatigue that I have is affecting my brain as well as my muscles. Just as happened eight years ago, on that trip, I am having difficulty remembering and focusing. A common example is turning left instead of right, even though I know better.

As I was packing this morning, I realized that my map was missing. I searched all over, and even went through the motel dumpster, but to no avail. Since Kathryn Osmondson was going to act as support for me today, by driving, and hauIingl my panniers plus carrying beverages and snacks, I had the motel staff run map copies last night for her so that we were on the same set of directions. Somehow, I absent mindedly set down my map in the lobby, and forgot about it. At least we still had Katheryn's copies to work with. 

But what about tomorrow? It looked to be a brutal day: over 100 miles and temperatures in the 90's. The Lord would have to give me the strength to do it, but the map would be critical.

 First things first. I have to ride to Suffolk, Virginia. It looked to be 55 miles m/l. Because of all the searching for the map we got a later start than normal. Yet the ride through Colonial Williamsburg was just as interesting as yesterday. There was hardly any traffic on the Colonial Parkway, so that part was very pleasant. I passed within 8 feet of a turkey  vulture, sitting on a guard rail trying to look invisible. There was some road kill in the middle of the road, and it did not want to get too far away from it.

At the end destination of the Parkway was the Jamestown settlement, but next to it was a ferry that we took across the James River. Once we got off the ferry Katheryn earned her weight in gold. She took responsibility for keeping the route, and all I needed to do was pedal, and not think. Occasionally we would stop, and I would guzzle down a bottle of water.

One thing I had not considered, another sign of fatigue, is that there were no services to speak of after we left the ferry. Fortunately, Kathy McMahan, my hostess for two nights earlier, had made two scrumptious peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, which still remained from yesterday. (But not for long)

Katheryn made the comment that the scenery was very pretty, and I would have to agree. The roads had few cars on them until we got close to civilization. The terrain has been exactly as I hoped: flat, except for stream beds. Then I would drop down to the bridge, try to get a head of steam up to get up the other side without losing too much momentum. It worked earlier in the day, but not so well later.

Finally, in mid-afternoon, I reached the motel in Suffolk, VA. Being the big spender, I bought lunch for Katheryn at the restaurant next door, McDonalds.

Having put some thought into tomorrow's route, it seemed to make sense to use Google  Maps, asking for a bicycling route. I would use the motel computer, and print out the route on its printer. A good plan if the motel had a computer. I asked if I could email the directions to the motel, and then they could print them. They did know their own email password. So I pulled the map up on my phone, went to the young lady at the front desk, and she emailed it to herslf, then printed out the directions.

The good news! The mileage would be in the mid-70s instead of over 100. Still a long way in this heat, but far more manageable than I previously thought.

As I pedaled today, I thought about how lucky I am to have family that will put up with me. Arlie and Martha McMahan drove over 4 hours to spend time with me. Mike and Kathy McMahan put up with me for a day and a half. Now Katheryn Osmondson accompanied me today, when it was really needed. Yet this whole trip is full of family and friends who have met and helped in many ways.

And from the beginning, I have received the protection and comfort of our Lord. Even when things would get a little crazy, I always felt His love and grace. The next several days will not be easy. It will be hot and humid, and my body seems to not be running on all cylinders, but I know I will be okay. In the 16th chapter of John, Jesus says "In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." So, if you were in my shoes, would you worry? I tell you, I will be fine.

Blessings to you all. 

Capitol Trail: a gorgeous trail to Jamestown
After a wonderful visit with my cousin, Mike, and his wife Kathy, it is time to finish this journey, and it will not be easy.

My time in Charlottesville has been relaxing and informative. Yesterday we went to Montpelier, home of our fifth president, James Madison. I could not recall much about President Madison, but he is credited with being the architect of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The tour of his home was both interesting and educational.

The plan this morning was for Mike to take me east of Richmond, and drop me off there. It was quite a way from Charlottsville, taking over an hour and a half to get to the prescribed starting point. We talked for a while to the new owner of store, and I finally left around 10:15 AM.

The entire ride to Jamestown was on this beautiful bicycle trail, called the Capitol Trail. The closer we get to the ocean, the more the terrain flattens out, and it was a very comfortable, non-stressful ride.

My room for the night was in Williamsburg, an 8-10 mile trip from the route I was on. I asked a bicycler for the best way into town, and he gave great directions onto a road called the Colonial Parkway. The total number of cars that passed me during my 8 miles on the Parkway, probably would have been exceeded in the first half mile on any other street.

When I pulled off the Parkway, I found myself in Colonial Williamsburg, much to my surprise. The main street for Colonial Williamsburg was one block over, but I could still see people, in colonial dress, giving tours and talking with the tourists. Before long, I pulled up to my motel. At check in, my registration did not show up. They had me down for last night. Fortunately, there were plenty of rooms available. Thank you Lord.

Tonight I am having dinner with Jack Ingorsol's daughter, Katheryn Osmunson. Jack is Karen's cousin with whom I stayed in Bloomington, Minnesota. We will walk through Colonial Williamsburg, and eat in a tavern there. All employees are in period dress, and musicians go room to room entertaining the guests.

I was a little surprised that my shirt and shorts were so soaked with sweat. Then I turned on the weather report, and the heat index was 105 today here in Williamsburg.

Tomorrow it will be a be a bit warmer, and more so every day thereafter. However, Williamsburg is typically warmer than other communities. Katheryn asked if she could support me in a car by carrying my panniers, and following me to Suffolk, my stop for the night. I quickly agreed. The lack of a load should result in faster speeds. It was a very generous offer.

I am behind in doing my homiletics. This involves breaking down scripture so that truths jump out, that one might miss if just reading but not studying. So tonight, homiletics is on the agenda.

Blessings to you all.

Smoking or non-smoking?

Despite the pathetic room that I was in last night, I slept soundly. Apparently, my body did not care that the sheets had never been bleached or that the waste basket was an old five gallon paint can.

The agreement that I had with my cousin, Mike, was that we would agree to a route to Charlottesville, then he would leave around 10:45 AM to meet me enroute. He would be towing a trailer for the bicycle.

Once finished with devotions, I checked email, and discovered that Mike had a new route for us. Since I was not going to be riding the whole distance to Charlottesville, I took my time getting ready and having breakfast.

To me, the difficult part of today's ride would be getting out of Fredericksburg. Most of what I have seen in Virginia towns were roads that were unsafe for bicycling, and I hoped that this route would be different. It wasn't.

The trouble started when I reached a four lane highway, with tons of medium speed traffic, no shoulders and no sidewalks. There is nothing to do but enter traffic and make all the cars go around me, at least until things changed. The change happened when a third lane for "right turn only" occurred. From that time on, I rode in a continual right turn lane. I would not want to ride a bicycle on that road again. It was far too dangerous.

Finally, the route took me off the busy highway, and onto much quieter roads. It took me through the beautiful Virginia countryside. Occasionally, Mike and I would exchange texts as to our relative locations.

Virginia is full of historical events, and today I took time to read some of the interpretive signs. In particular, I rode through the Spotsylvania battlefield area. Apparently, Grant had Lee in retreat to Richmond, and was trying to push him away from Spotsylvania for purposes that would be advantageous to the North. The southerners, seeing what Grant was trying to do, put up a tough defense in retreat, and were able to take the most direct route to Richmond. It felt funny to look across the road and see the tavern that troops slept in. Soldiers battled along the road I traveled. I tried to imagine the chaos, the smoke, the shouts.

Finally Mike texted me to let me know that he had entered the same road that I had just turned onto. Before long we were on our way, by car, to Charlottesville. It had rained for 30 minutes, or more, before we met, but not a hard rain. My rain gear and shirt were soaked, but my resourceful cousin had brought along a set of dry clothing. 

Before leaving Everett, I remember talking with some men about this upcoming trip. One memory from 2008 was how my mental acuity diminished the last few weeks of the trip. Today was testimony to the fact that it was happening again. I was following the route instructions, which said to turn right at the light. I turned left, exactly the same mistake (but different location) I did eight years ago. Fortunately, the mental acuity does return (although I am sure there are people who aren't convinced). Once at Mike and Kathy's house, I had a load of laundry. The bicycling clothing, of course was dirty and smelly. The rest smelled like cigarette smoke from the room last night. Tomorrow will be devoted to time with Mike and Kathy, then Wednesday the end is in sight. After riding for five days, I will be in Raleigh. Thank you, Lord.

Uh oh. Where's my map? Oh no!

For some reason, I awoke exactly at 4:00 AM this morning, and decided to get up. The likelihood of falling back into any type of meaningful sleep was slim, so maybe I could be productive.

Productive, perhaps, but I was not efficient. I left at 8 AM. The distance to Fredericksburg was only 50 miles or so, but there were three problems: First of all it was probably going to be very hilly. Secondly, the map and directions had an inordinate number of turns and roads. It would be easy to get lost, something I already am inclined to be. Thirdly, the traffic here is so bad that I mostly rode on the sidewalk yesterday. Maybe Sunday will be kind to me today.

It took a long time to figure out how to leave the city, and get onto the route suggested on the map. Finally, I was out in the sticks, and traffic there was not bad. In fact I was making such good time, that I remembered that I needed to see if there was a church in service which I could attend. Sure enough, one loomed in front of me as the road turned. I pulled in, sweaty, smelly and all.  They graciously welcomed me.

This was an all black church, and a wonderful experience on several levels. I am used to casual attire, but here, everyone was dressed to the nines. Women wore hats and the men wore suits and ties. People were addressed as brother so and so, or as sister so and so. The music was rocking. The choir consisted of six men, who were outstanding. The only song which was average was the one sung out of the hymnal.  Occasionally someone would stand up to give testimony. The sermon was energetic, probing, and inspirational. The only down side was that it lasted over two hours. I was hungry and anxious to finish the day's ride.

According to the messages my stomach was giving, it wanted food. The service ended around 1 PM, so I pedaled down the road a mile, and pulled out a sandwich I bought that morning. Fifteen minutes later I was pedalling again.

Every time I came to a turn on the route, I would pull over look at the map and note where, and how far away, the next turn would be. I had been riding for quite some while over a number of dips and climbs. Finally, coming to a turn, I pulled over to check the map......and it was gone! I must have dropped it or not put it away properly. Nuts! How was I going to get to Fredericksburg? I did not even know where I was. What about tomorrow's ride to Richmond?

For now I was going to use Google Maps to direct me once I could not remember any more turns. It was a surprise to find that I actually remembered turns for quite a while. I figured I was at least 22-24 miles from my destination when the map was discovered missing.

Ironically, it seemed that the route that Google Maps suggested was exactly like the one I had been using. After a while my water bottle was getting low, so I opened a pannier to get some water. When it opened, out fell the map!

This was a hot sunny day with high humidity, and I was starting to get tired. When, after 52 miles, I pulled into my motel for the night, I was ready for bed. No such chance.

I am used to staying in motels in low places, and this one definitely lowered the bar a little more. Oh well, it has a bed and hot water. That is all I want. 

Tomorrow, I ride to Richmond, Virginia. Sometime before I actually get there, my cousin, Mike McMahan, will meet me, pick up myself and the bike, and transport us to his house in Charlottesville. I will take a day, Tuesday, with he and Kathy.  Wednesday morning Mike will drop me off on the east side of Richmond, and I will ride every day, Lord willing, until I reach Raleigh. 

Every Sunday, I have worshipped in a different church building, in a different city. I thought today might be the first day which the Lord would not bring me to one, but He did. He has always been there for me since I left Everett 69 days ago.

Blessings. 

A little bit of sun, a little hit of rain

The last day and one half have been joyful,  spending time with Arlie and Martha McMahan, my uncle and aunt. However, today is all business. My goal is to get 1/3 of the way to Richmond, Virginia. A town, called Woodbridge, will work nicely.

The first leg of the trip would be a continuation on the same rail trail that I came in on. It is called the Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) trail, and it would take me close to Washington, DC. Then I would join the Mount Vernon trail until I reached George Washington's residence. The rest would be on rather busy roads.

It was around 7"30 AM when I entered the W&OD, and it was full of bicyclers and runners. I do not recall ever seeing such a large number of people running. Today is Saturday, but a lot folks around here take their exercise seriously. The trail lasted for 30 miles, and the Mt. Vernon trail lasted for 12 miles.

Although thunderstorms were forecast, there was not a cloud in the sky. Out came the sunscreen as the temperatures started to clinb.

Nearing Woodbridge, I consulted Google Maps, and saw that I was less than 5 miles to my motel for the night. Getting there was another question. Slowly working my way over, the thunderstorm hit. Compounding the problem was the fact that the traffic began to get intense, which translates into being very dangerous for a bicycler in this weather.

Exiting onto a side road, I sought sanctuary, and found it on the front porch of a business which was crowded with customers who did not want to get soaked getting to their parked cars. Yet in 15 minutes, the hard rain lightened, and within 30 minutes it had stopped.

Eight hours and 45 minutes after departing, I arrived at my lodging. Soaked. Ah, they offer a washer/dryer. At least I will use the dryer.

This seemed to be a good evening to study scripture. I enjoy an author named N.T. Wright, who has written countless books, but my electronic ones are about different books of the Bible. Every morning and most evenings, I use one of his books in devotions. So far, I have completed his writings on I Corinthians, II Corinthians, and most of John. He writes so well and his illustrations helps one understand what he feels the scripture is trying to say. 

Tomorrow I will be in Fredericksburg, another 60+ mile day. I may have difficulty finding a place to worship while riding. I guess I will leave that up to the Lord.

...Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen. 

 

Welcome to Virginia!

This should be a good day. The weather was good, the distance was not too far, I was to cross the Potomac River on a ferry, and I was to meet my uncle and aunt, Arlie and Martha McMahan. 

 The distance on the E&O Canal was only 20 miles before I reached the ferry. Some of the path, at first, was surprisingly muddy, but quickly gave way to dry paths that made for easy riding. Although I was anxious to get to the ferry, I had to stop several times to examine the locks and structures along the way. 

Finally, I reached Whites Ferry, the only cable drawn ferry on the Potomac. It can cross the river in five minutes, so I did not have to wait before it was loading myself and three cars. On the other side were 8-10 bicycles and two cars. Letting the cars go anead, I then set out up the hill up from the river. It was not near so onerous as I had been told.

Pedalling out to the main highway, an approaching car honked and slowed down. It was Arlie and Martha. We agreed to meet at the motel. To get there I had to enter Leesburg, find the Washington and Old Dominion bicycle trail, follow it for 12 miles, then exit close to our lodging.

It took me a while to find the W&OD trail but once on it everything went smoothly. It certainly was not a level trail, but the grade was not that bad. I will be getting back on it Saturday morning.

Now, a day of rest with family. Thank you, Lord.

Praise Him, above you heavenly hosts....