No Chicken Ride… But, Definitely Not Chicken!!!
Ever have that happen to you? You call a ride, do some leg-work, nail-down some details, have a clear vision of it all… Then, you have to cancel it yourself because of an unexpected situation popping-up! I hate it when things go array like that, but… Yep, there is always a silver lining: Some we can see, but even if we never see it or know what it is… it’s probably out there.
We’d hastily departed Ocala, FL, on November 30th (a Friday) around 1pm, trying to avoid rain as much as possible… We were mostly successful, by the way. ALI transported this simple rider to just over into Mississippi, where we paused for the evening after dark to rest, recover from the hard ride, and to allow the rain that had just found us to pass over during our slumber… Again, mostly successful!
We were bound for Nashville, TN, and a doctor’s appointment scheduled for the following Monday, December 3rd. We made it more or less OK, but we did arrive in Nashville aboard a tow truck, and we had to leave with ALI strapped to Harley Joe’s trailer! A long story already posted on here… but the long and short of it is that we wound-up in Mandeville, LA; and, following repairs, we were headed back for Ocala and home… Only, when we got to Mobile, AL, a wild hair came over me, and we headed in another direction… We finally arrived home… January 10th…
Yeah, it was another of my famous ‘long-cuts’, I suppose, but those unexpected detours along our path have produced some of the best memories we have, and they have certainly enhanced, extended, and expanded our journey together! I have to admit, it does help immeasurably in doing these unscheduled, unplanned, unexpected jogs and extended forays onto undetermined directions, that I’m retired and matrimonially unimpaired… Yes, I am truly blessed!
We’d ended up in Morehead City, NC, at my cousin/brother’s house of harmony and home of humongous hospitality, plus the location of some of the best eating I know of anywhere! He is a superb cook, and he is particularly skillful in preparation of ‘southern/country’ culinary offerings… which just happen to be favorites of mine! ALI and I got ‘trapped’ there a week longer than I’d expected, however, due to rain…
Near the end of my stay, a call from Crazyhorse had made me aware of a ‘Chicken Ride’ to Lorman, MS, that upcoming Sunday… I couldn’t make it due to not being able to leave Morehead City until the day before… again, due to rain! Yes indeed, wild hairs aren’t the only thing that influence my direction and long-cut taking!!! Anyway, facing yet another conundrum, I did what I so often do… I sought the sage counsel of a trusted advisor, Troutdude…
He suggested I just call another Chicken Ride for the following weekend… Sounded simple enough, so that’s precisely what I did… It appeared there might be a couple of takers for that event, but attendance would be sparse at best. One of the potential riders, however, was Big Wolf (Jerry), and he was interested in doing even more riding than just going straight down and back for fried yard-bird… We agreed on a meet-up place and time, and the next phase of this adventure was set in motion…
On Monday afternoon, he and I met in Oxford, AL, at our motel for the evening, and we did what we usually do… flap our gums ‘til they were blue and our jaw muscles sorely in need of rest! This guy is interesting and has had a rather curious trip down the path of life, as has everyone, but his is one worth learning about and pondering…
Anyway, it helps that we have much in common, and that we share similar views on many things, but it also adds much spice to our interactions, that we have different perspectives on some things, too! Chatting with him is not like being in an echo chamber at all, and I’ve found it to be a most worthwhile pursuit!
Guess what? It was raining again when I arose the following morning! That had been in the forecast, though, as had its cessation around dawn… and this time they got it right! We lollygagged around and made a somewhat late departure… we weren’t in any hurry anyway, and it wouldn’t hurt to let the roads dry some…
First stop was on the way up to Cheaha State Park… Still cloudy and very foggy up top!
We pulled off the road at the entrance to the lodge, but fog was so think you couldn’t see anything of it… or anything else that was more than thirty feet away! He would just have to take my word for it being a quite scenic view from there, the highest point in the state. It reminded me of the time I led MitchO on his first exposure to the Talimena Trail… Mitch did get to ride the entire trail, but he didn’t get to see any of it on that trip! Only the pavement right in front of him and ALI’s tail light…
We made our way southward on scenic backroads, and we did have a rather delightful ride at that! The weather slowly, almost grudgingly improved throughout the day, and we did eventually have a photo-op in Union Springs, AL, at the ‘Bird Dog’ statue… Nearby are held field trials (competitions) for bird dogs, and this locale has become somewhat famous for that… Like in so many other towns, the folks in this one decided to commemorate their sole claim to fame…
We continued our ride to Eufaula, AL, for the evening. As we entered town from the north, another photo-op gave us a reason to pause briefly at the ‘Shorter Mansion’… the loveliest place in Eufaula that I’ve seen, and one often photographed… I’ve seen no small number of prom and wedding photos being snapped there over the years, as well… and now we have one, too…
anthropology jobs salary While checking into our motel for the evening, I inquired of a good place to dine… Our host stated that there were many, but he only mentioned one by name… ‘The Cajun Corner’ up the road a few blocks… I took that as an indication that was the best one, so that’s where we went!
Turned out to be a great choice, too, as a huge and mighty tasty meal awaited us there, seated outside at a curbside table looking right at our girls, and being in view of yet another statue… one of an approaching endangered species status, I’m afraid…
That night I received a call… and everything changed! A situation had come up, and I would need to return home right away… Nothing major or particularly serious, just one of those things that pop-up now and then, but they do require us to address. I changed our plans, made my apologies to Jerry for abandoning him, and set my course for home… No chickens here, just humans dealing with the vagaries of life…
Jerry and I discussed many things that evening, as we always do… He mentioned a time in his own life where an inexplicable notion had come to him, and it had saved his life! His underlying message was that seeming speed-bumps in our path can often actually be blessings in disguise… a silver lining to an otherwise gloomy cloud! My need to alter plans and abandon our Chicken Ride could be the cause of us or someone missing a dangerous or possibly life-altering event just down the road, so we shouldn’t view this as a setback… only for what it is, a change…
It had turned cool during the night; therefore, we weren’t in any particular hurry to head out the next morning… So, we went next door to the Waffle House for a more substantial breakfast than what was being offered in the motel lobby… We had our usual enjoyable banter during our time there… and then my phone rang…
No need to hurry so much, it turned out, and I could take another day, if I wanted to… so I did! That enabled us to ride over to Enterprise, AL, and to enjoy one last photo opportunity on this trek… More backroads riding, a stop or two in a tiny village, including one where we chatted with the chief of police for a while and had a most enjoyable pause from our primary mission…
There was this one moment when it appeared we just might have some chicken anyway! Yep, a chicken and a rooster were in the middle of our lane of the road as we approached… and, neither showed any inclination to move! I didn’t want to do any zig-zagging trying to avoid them, only to have one or both dodge at the last instant right into my path… I prepared for impact just in case, but a split second before feathers surely would have flown, both moved just enough for me to miss them… Jerry missed them, too…
Enterprise is a rural hamlet that had become almost totally dependent upon cotton farming by the early 1900s. A serious bowevil infestation almost a century ago had nearly destroyed the farmers and this town, but… a silver lining. That calamity had forced them to diversify their economy generally and crop planting in particular, and today it is a thriving, vibrant little community doing quite well. A statue to the bowevil was erected in the middle of town marking its role in having changed the whole course of events there and possibly even having saved them from a worse fate another time…
It was there that Jerry and I finally said our farewells, and we headed-off in opposite directions… No chicken in a few days, no chicken casualties along the way, and no 'chickens' in our modest group either! We’d ridden some, shared some miles and smiles, and we’d had an entirely worthwhile adventure… that neither of us had anticipated or planned… Ain’t that great?!
DDT
Supplement:
After Jerry and I split-up, I rode the next day and a half solo down some rather nice backroads... lost in my thoughts and longing for a return to wandering around... The rides home for me are always filled with mixed emotions... It would be good to be home again, but... My natural habitat, and my favorite place to be, is out yonder doing what I do with our girl... sigh...
I'd been looking forward to dining once again in Newberry, FL, at an old favorite BBQ place... One that had closed, then reopened in a better location... Well, either I just missed it, or they had closed again... or at least they weren't open that particular day, but... I didn't get to stop there! Alas, there was another favorite of mine just down the road another thirty miles or so in Williston, FL... They were open!
I stumbled upon 'Bubbaques BBQ' several years ago, but I'd actually only dined there a few times, owing to my absence from the Sunshine State most of the time... Yes, there is a hefty price to be paid for the lifestyle I've chosen... Anyway, I pulled into the parking lot, then paused before going in... It pays to engage in dietary foreplay, I've learned, to allow the salivary glands to 'warm-up' and get the juices flowing just right... you know, to maximize the experience and all...
The chow was very much up to expectations and a wonderful dining experience was had. I like this place... The food is always good, the restaurant is fairly new and in very nice condition... The ambience is appropriate and tasteful... And, there is a sign that confirms beyond any doubt that it is my kind of place...
DDT
