Tour de Dixie (Part Six)

Tour de Dixie (Part Six)

My delay in Florida had keep me nearly a full week longer than originally thought, so the rain I’d been trying to beat home had become a moot point. But, soon enough the time had arrived for this solitary nomad to hit the road again, so off ALI and I wandered… more or less towards home, lacking any other inspiration… That didn’t last long, however.

The route down had been so enjoyable; I’d decided to take it again on the return. It more than lived up to expectations! I cruised into Thomasville in the early afternoon. I’d departed a couple of hours earlier in the day that morning, so the distance was easily covered during daylight. I’d also made no meal stops, having had an excellent breakfast just before departure.

It had become quite cloudy as the day had worn on, though, and there were maybe three small rain drops that had landed on my shades… it had also become colder the farther north we’d traveled (those Gerbigs have proven to be a really great acquisition!). Once in Thomasville and half a mile or so before the motel, I stopped at a Sony’s BBQ for one of my favorite meals. No disappointments here either!

I then proceeded to get a room and put ALI to bed… Once inside the room I realized that I was becoming really drowsy, so I placed my semi-conscious carcass on the bed… and my eyelids slammed shut like the heavy steel doors on an empty steel warehouse building! I wonder if that echo might have been heard throughout the motel? No one mentioned it later, however, when I wandered down to the lounge to chat with Rod (the bartender) and whoever else might be in there.

Even though it was a Saturday evening, there was virtually no action at all. Only a couple of patrons, and nobody seemed inclined to chat or even make eye contact with others… Oh well, it happens that way sometimes… Rod and I got better acquainted, though, and that turned out to be the highlight of the evening…

During the ride that day, a couple of thoughts had crossed the barren expanse of my thinker muscle… For starters, I’d embarked upon a ‘Tour de Dixie’, but so far at least, I hadn’t been west of central Alabama… Entirely unsatisfactory, I concluded, and if my tour was to live up to its name, then I’d need to cruise through at a minimum a couple more states…

I’d gotten my atlas out at a gas stop and perused possible ride-to places. Hmmm, this might be a good time to go back to Lorman, MS, for some good ol’ southern fried chicken… Yeah! And since that place is just a few miles from the ‘Big Muddy’, Louisiana is just down the road and over the bridge at Natchez… From there I could always ride over to Winnie, TX for an evening at AL-T’s Cajun Restaurant (and bar) … Things were definitely shaping up here! It got better…

While inside Sony’s BBQ, an old familiar tune came on the speaker system that entertained diners with background music… “Let’s Go to Lukenbach, TX” … It’d been nearly a year since I’d last been there, and this time I’d be solo, so far less danger of me making anyone angry. Yep, all those ideas would do for a start, and who knows, something else might pop up along the way, too!

I decided to go ahead and swing by the house anyway, since I’d forgotten a couple of minor items when I’d left a week and a half before… Besides, the next day would be Super Bowl Sunday, so I might as well watch that game, too. I don’t give a flip about professional football any more, and my interest in sports generally has fizzled to nearly nothing… still… what the heck, right?

I pulled ALI into the garage and dismounted. Napper pulled in right behind me, and a chat naturally developed, as I began the de-layering process… leather jacket first, then Gerbig jacket liner, and then chaps… I’d informed my unexpected guest of my tentative plans… Well, speculation then followed as to whether or not I’d actually ‘watch’ the big game or not… napping instead… It turned out to be the latter!

Yep, I woke up once just before half time, then missed the so-called big show and all of the second half, because I slipped back into a coma. I finally got up at 4am Monday morning, having spent the entire night in the recliner! I was wide awake, so no need to go to bed… Coffee became the next order of business… and a check of the weather forecast…

Hmmm, cold had returned to my area, and it appeared it would be there for a couple of days. I called Jim, one of my riding buds hereabouts, and we made plans to do breakfast in a couple of hours. I’d then begun to think I may hang around the house for two or three days to do some needed laundry, regroup a bit, rest up some more… and to more thoroughly consider where I would go next.

Over planning is a sure way, at least as far as I’m concerned, to muck-up an otherwise good ride. On the other hand, some sort of ‘tentative’ plan is often good if for nothing else than to simply overcome inertia and to offer a general direction.

So, lacking anything better to do, I figured I’d soon continue on to Lorman, MS, for some fried chicky at the Country Store… If necessary, I could always proceed onward to Winnie, TX, but I could still shift my ride and plans if anything interesting popped up in the meantime… I’d pick my routes ‘on the fly’, so almost anything would be possible! Just right, a vague plan just barely enough to get me rolling, then… who knows?

Jim and I met for breakfast, and then everything changed. Jim is an excellent rider and a great riding partner. He and I over the years have traveled many miles together in many parts of the country, plus more than a few in Canada, too. It was he who was seated next to me in Calgary, AB, that fateful day when ALI was broke and Terry, t-man403, walked up and introduced himself. Jim is also the primary reason I bought CALI, a VTX 1800, up there and rode it back home.

Jim hasn’t been able to do any riding for a while, but we still meet up for breakfast, usually once or twice a week when I’m in town. He says he is ‘riding vicariously’ through me and my ride reports. Anyway, he was mildly surprised I was back home so soon, so he was eager for an explanation… I gave him one, plus I shared ‘in progress’ the latest development… My phone got busy, as he smiled and watched in knowing admiration as a new plan unfolded…

Jim and I were chatting and sipping coffee, when another thought had crossed the fertile field of my mostly unplowed contemplator… Reckon anybody else might want to do some chicky too? Jim couldn’t make it, so I called Dennis, Troutdude, to see if he might be interested… Mitch, MITCHO, answered his phone, though…Hmmm, now that’s a mite peculiar…

Mitch was down from Illinois visiting Dennis in Louisiana to help with some auto repairs, and to justify a mid-winter ride of his own. They happened to be standing at a parts counter at some auto store when I’d called… Dennis was talking to the counter person, so Mitch took his call for him… They both were interested, but they needed to get back with me because of their own schedules, and because they thought another two folks, at least, might also be interested.

By the time I’d finished my grits, eggs, and country ham (I don’t always eat bacon), my phone rang. Dennis informed me that he, Mitch, and two others wanted to join me, and then he wanted to know my plans… After considering a couple of options, it was decided I’d just ride on down to Mandeville, LA, and hook up with them there instead of trying to time a rendezvous along my route someplace… One other little detail…

We needed to do the ride the next day! Shelia would be off work then, but she couldn’t make it otherwise. Brother Darryl would be trying to get the day off at work… We’d know more later that evening when I arrived down there.

DDT