1/15/2015
I woke up surrounded by large trees and chilly air. I had planned to make my way toward the town of Mayo but my joints stiffened when I took my first step. The cold weather was affecting my body and my mood. I just wanted to have one day of real rest. Crystal saw my fatigue and asked if it would be better for me to take a day off to rest my body. She then called the KOA in Perry, which we had just left, and asked if we could stay for another day. They were very welcoming and they even started warming the hot tub for my aching body.
When we returned to the campground, I slept an ample amount of time. My moments of consciousness were spent reading by our heater. I lost myself in the book “A Map of the World” by Jane Hamilton. It was a day for my mind and my body to just relax. I wandered to the Jacuzzi after dinner and let the jets massage life back into my limbs. The quiet setting left my body limp. I could have stayed in the tub by myself for hours. It was a great prelude to my deep slumber.
The next day, the weather was a few degrees warmer. At least it was warm enough that my body wasn’t covered in goose bumps. The weather wasn’t my problem. I would be hindered by rain. Somehow, the drops of falling water worked to my advantage. After my first four miles I felt strong. The day of rest had restored life to my legs and they were very happy to perform. As the rain hit my skin and ran into my eyes I kept my focus on the oncoming traffic. Being splattered by a semi-truck was the last thing I wanted. After six more miles, I took a moment to change out of my heavy, rain soaked clothing. It was a quick affair because I didn’t want to lose any momentum.
I flew for another eight miles until I reached the town of Salem. This place was a couple of rundown buildings and a post office. Crystal and I figured the old abandoned gas station by the main road would provide adequate shelter for the evening. After I ran a four more miles she picked me up and returned to the covered spot. I ran into the trailer when she parked and I changed into yet another set of dry clothes. I sought warmth under the covers of my bed and quickly drifted into my dream state.
Suddenly a loud horn was honking repeatedly. I jumped out of the bed and went to see what the commotion was all about. I was greeted by an angry man in a gold Lexus. His mouth moved rapidly and little specks of spit were flying everywhere. I tried to speak with the man in a calm manner but it was a losing proposition. All I could hear coming from his foaming mouth was “Shoot… call the police… get off my property in thirty seconds… shoot.” Crystal put away a couple open containers and we drove into the pitch black night. When she turned onto the main road, I noticed a set of headlights creep up behind us. The maniac had disheveled white hair on the sides of his head that accentuated his balding head. As he followed us, I caught glimpses of his wife hiding her face; probably ashamed of his actions.
We wound up eight miles away in a town named Tennile. We were lucky enough to find an empty spot where truck drivers parked their rigs. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. In the middle of my deep resting state horns once again honked. This time a big rig needed extra room to hit the road. Luckily he only needed us to move a couple feet. It was the last of the distractions. I slept until 9AM. It was a late morning.
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