3/28/2015
The rowdy kids returned to the parking lot. It appeared to be the place high school students parked their cars to carpool. The noise was minimal and short but it was enough to get me out of bed. Once that had happened I couldn’t get back to sleep. The dark clouds threatened to unleash rain upon me from the moment I started stepping. My knees were not happy with the bumps and obstacles in my way. I thought I had safely cleared a large wooden branch but I was mistaken. My foot got snagged and I stumbled. The mishap made my heart skip a beat as an oncoming sportscar sped just past my face. It was a blur really. As I continued, the inevitable rain fell. I was lucky it was sporadic and light. I found that I was often chasing patches in the clouds where beams of light were breaking through. It just became a game. The object of course was to keep warm and dry.
The highlight of the day was the Sewee Visitor’s center. I met up with Crystal there because it was halfway to Maclellanville. The place had an informative learning center about the wildlife and nature. The staff informed us of all the animals in the care of the center. When we heard they had two red wolves, we had to see them. As I approached their living habitat I noticed it was a bit sparse. I couldn’t imagine them enjoying life in such a small area. When the two wolves spotted us, one began to pace while the other slowly paced back and forth. Along with the wolves, the center also had three gators on the premises; a mom and two babies. They laid around like they had no cares in the world. After running past hundreds of them while in alligator alley, I knew they would not move much.
My tummy rumbled. My appetite dominated my schedule. I enjoyed a quick egg sandwich before hitting the road once again. Not too far from the center was the city limit for Maclellanville. Of course our destination was still many miles from the sign. My legs rebelled from the accumulation of miles. It was a complaint that had been more frequent from my body. More than anything I just wanted to change into dry clothes and be warm.
The day ended at a Shell station/True Value hardware store. The owners were kind enough to let us park on their property overnight. They were in the process of building an RV park but it had not yet been completed. We had no electricity for heat and the temperatures were rapidly dropping. We were happy we had so many blankets in the trailer.
The next day started with the sounds of cars pulling into the service station. I figured it was a good idea to start running early. The logic behind that decision was that movement would create warmth. For a good few miles I regretted that decision. The flat roads were my only allies. There was lots of country to cover. I found a country store a few miles out that had built a city for their chickens. Around the area were displayed signs of produce for sale. The place looked like it could have been on a postcard with their old gas pumps in the front of the shop.
My main obstacle of the day was the bridge into Georgetown. It wasn’t the height or the length of the bridge that gave me trouble. Little pieces of dirt were kicked into my face by oncoming traffic. I squinted and tried to protect my face with my arm but I still needed to see. I chose to walk towards the peak. When I reached the top of the bridge and stopped squinting, I saw a huge factory to my left and a mill to my right. Traffic subsided and I was able to sprint to the end of the bridge. I continued into town so that I would be on time for a scheduled interview. The reporter, Max, had just moved to town. It seemed like many of the reporters I had spoken to on this trip were new in their towns. It seemed like an occupational norm. As I was being interviewed, Crystal secured a Bed and Breakfast for the evening.
The town of Georgetown consisted of only a few blocks. A magnificent expanse of dried out rice fields provided the backdrop of the grand Shaw house. Mary and Joe greeted us at the front door. They were a wonderful older couple with southern accents and southern hospitality. They were from a generation where people helped each other and trust was given. I did enjoy their company.
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