Day 20 - Kinder, La, 51 miles, 919 miles total

The weather report was good today, calling for a slight chance of rain and highs in the 80s.   And it did turn out to be a nice day for riding.

When I first started out Mr. Google had me zig-zagging through town again to save a little distance in getting back to Hwy 190.  After a couple of miles I stopped to check the map, and noticed a pickup approaching slowly from behind.  It rolled up next to me and the passenger window came down.  It was a black couple who looked to be on their way to work.

The guy says, "You gotta be lost."

I started to tell him I was just checking my map, and he says, "Man, you gotta be careful around here.  You ridin' through the ghetto!"  He then told me the quickest way to get back on 190, and I thanked him profusely.

The people on this trip have been absolutely great.

I had another tailwind today, which is almost becoming the norm.  Besides a couple of days with moderate headwinds for part of the day, I've been pretty lucky where wind is concerned.  I'm trying not to get used to it because it can last just only so long.

I don't think I've mentioned that so far Louisiana has been flat as a pancake, at least the part of it that I've ridden through.  I did encounter a hill today, but it was a puny one.

A hill in Louisiana that isn't also a bridge.

This looks like a place where someone once said, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

I passed through a few small towns today, such as, Basile, Elton and Eunice.  Many of these small towns have cemeteries near the highway, and there seem to be an inordinate number if tombstone manufacturers.

The St. Augustine cemetery in Basile, Louisiana, circa early 1900s.

There also are, of course, bayous.  Louisiana's bayous are like Florida's in that they have no gators.  One can infer this by taking note of the many turtle inhabitants who gleefully frolic in the bayous without a single care in the world.  If there were gators in there with them the turtles would be screaming all the time, and they certainly aren't doing that.

A roadside Bayou near Basile.

This Bayou had turtles on a pipe that dove in when the scary human stopped to take a look.  Do you really think they would have done that if gators were lurking below the surface looking for a little "crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside" snack?

This wide load was escorted by about 6 cop cars with lights flashing.  As it passed, I heard a lot of cows mooing and shortly afterwards smelled them.   Maybe this is something recommended by Temple Grandin, I don't know.

Train tracks in Kinder.  Scenes like this always intrigue the travel bug in me.

"Feels like 115?"  It feels like high 70s to me.  And the skies are dark, lightning is approaching and rain is starting to fall.  Some of these national weather sites are waaaaay off.


NEXT---)