CHOTARD LAKE TO ROY'S AT CHATAM, MS

April 24, Friday
49 miles

A couple of days ago we chatted with a fellow during a rest stop who said "If God had intended us to ride a bicycle he wouldn't have given us four wheels".

The author of the MRT book we are using said that there is potential for a problem with dogs so we came equipped with an air horn that he recommended. We mounted it on the handlebars of Rusty's bike. It is a dandy! Has a really loud blast that should sent any aggressive dog running back for home. We haven't had a need to use it on dogs yet BUT we have leaned over the big to get something out of a pannier or adjust something and have our wits blasted by accidentally hitting the levelr and we have it set on the lowest level. Watch out dogs! Don't mess with us! We'll scare ourselves first and fall off the bike!

We had ridden on top of the levee for about 20 miles total yesterday and today and came off onto HWY 1 North and back into some flat farm area. The first vehicle we saw was a huge John Deere tractor! This is John Deere country.

It was partly cloudy, not as hot, maybe mid 70's but breezy with the wind playing games with us sometimes pushing us along and sometimes holding us back.
We ate our lunch of PB&J and an apple, our main faire, along side the road. Rusty napped and I took notes. We had about 17 miles to go to Roy's RV campground at Lake Washington. It was a beautiful ride along the lake's edge for about ten miles. Homes of every kind across the street with landy/docks on the lake side. I took way too many pictures but everything where I looked something caught my eye that I wanted to remember. I have learned that it is better to take too many pictures than regret after you get home not taking them.

Roy's Country Store, was rebuilt in 1951 after a fire but was originally built in the early 1900's. While we were checking in and getting acquainted a darling blong souther girl about 12 years old seemed very interested in what we were doing. She asked the usual questions "where you from? Where you headed?" When we told her we were headed for Wisconsin she said in her charming Southern drawl and with extreme loyalty"Wisconsin!!!! Thats a Yankee state!!!"

But we are enchanted with the Southern accent especially the way they say "Y'all be safe now!"

Rusty Wisdoms:
R: "Sorry I slowed you down today"
G: "No, you didn't. We're a team"
R: "I feel like the second team"

If we had had a cooler day with a good tail wind we could have made it to Roy's yesterday.
R: "I don't think I was meant to go 80 miles in one day"