Day of Repairs

26 June 2012

Stats for today: Same as yesterday

As we mentioned in yesterday's blog, that was posted this morning because of a scarcity of WiFi, today has been an "off the bike" day.  We slept in, 8:30 a.m., and wandered up to Grandma's Kitchen for breakfast.  A lone gentleman sitting at a table, got up and joined another table so we could sit down.  A very nice gesture.  We had a wonderful breakfast and plan to go back tomorrow before we hit the road again.

During breakfast, we were treated to a very lively conversation of the local politics, people, and activities.  It was a wonderful start to the day!  Afterwards, we wandered over to the local market to get bagels for our travels, and finding none continued on to the Stewart's gas station and variety to make the purchase.  No problems there, plus we can stock up on the Gatorade there tomorrow morning as well.

New/Old/Jury-rigged hitch

Getting to the repairs of the day, we started with trying to find a hardware store.  In conversation with Bernie, the owner of Marina Campsite and Redneck Boat Yard, he told us there was no hardware store nearby, but he found us two very satisfactory hose clamps to assist us in attaching the trailer to the bike.  As you can see by the picture, it works very well.  Thanks Bernie. 

Just a note on Bernie, he is a proud, former member of the Army's 101st Airborne.  He gets quite a kick out of saying that he is getting used to "saving Marines" as his good friend staying at the campsite is a former Marine, and they banter back and forth all time.

New Sneakers for the Trailer

After making sure that the trailer would attach and stay on the bike, we changed out the tires on the trailer as the old ones were getting very thin.  Trying to get ahead of our challenges, we figured "do it now rather than later."  Our test ride showed no problems, so when we head out tomorrow we will hit a bike shop about twelve miles west and see if they can fix the bent spokes and true the wheel before heading on. 

Home Sweet Traveling Home

The rest of the day has been spent relaxing, reading, and Rick getting his butt kicked in Cribbage (what's new).  We went for short walk down to the point of land and the Canal, and sat just enjoying the quiet.  The campsite we were able to choose is very nice and open, and had power available so Nola can recharge the computer and phone.

After a leisurely supper, we plan to pack up what we can and prep for the next day.  The plan is to get to Verona Beach State Park, about 65 miles.  But our plan is not always what becomes of the day, so check back again and see how things go.  Remember, "What could possibly go wrong?"