Well, I’m Back in the Saddle Again
11/16/23 / Day 225 / Mile 1533
To be more accurate, I’m Back in the HOKA’s again. After a short sabbatical to mend a fence, (which I never did) I decided to stop the lollygagging and get back out there. As dad used to say, “Those roads aren’t gonna walk themselves ya know”. (He never said that). To be more accurate, it was the Wif who twisted my ear and sent me back out on the trail. (I get the feeling she doesn’t like my retirement as much as I do). Welp, it feels good to be upright and singing in the saddle again anyway.
As mentioned, I decided to expand the scope of the quest to bump up the mileage to equal that of the Appalachian Trail’s 2200. (I’ve just a scosche more to go). I put on the ole jewelers loop to examine the rural quadrants on the county map to select country roads that just might take me home where that magic number resides. I decided to tour the county by encircling the 14 communities already walked. If it looks like I’ll still fall short of that 2200 mile holy grail, there’s plenty of “spokes” on that crooked wheel that’ll lead me to my own version of Springer Mountain Ga.
In the East, I’ll saunter the Hickory Grove Road over to Glenn / Boring Pond Road. Then its North on Lake Park Road to Blanton unincorporated, East on the Howell Road to Lower Grand Bay Road, all the way up to Naylor Ga. And, from there I’ll familiarize myself with the Upper Grand Bay Road on up to Old State / Knights Academy Road.
In the Northern territory, I’ll stroll the Knights Academy Road east to Bemiss unincorporated. Then, I’ll pick up where I left off in Barretts unincorporated where I’ll go west on New Bethel Road, to Cat Creek Road, to Hambrick Road, to Ga. 122., and finally on to Hahira (my fair city). Finally, I’ll keep plodding west on 122 to Coffee Rd., where my journey got its start.
On the Western front, I’ll amble south on Coffee Road, to Miller Bridge Road, to Shilo Road, to I-75. Then I’ll pick up where I left off in Ousley unincorporated (out on West 84) and head south on the Ousley Road to the Old Clyattville Road.
Finally on the South side, I’ll do-si-do down Old Clyattville Road south to Clyattville unincorporated. Then the final leg will lead me East on the Clyattville-Lake Park Road (aka Ga. 376) to Lake Park Ga. Simple! Right?
Today I began that phase of the exploration and the first lesson I learned about walking the hinterlands was actually an extension of another one learned walking through sparsely inhabited woods. It was: Its not just the people who dwell in those areas that have a hair trigger and’re quick to act on suspicious activity (like walking on public roads that pass their houses), but their dogs also skip the warning bark and just go straight to the attack. During today’s 3 hour walk I was attacked as many times by unhappy pooches. One of’em was actually let out the screen door and, although the words of the shirtless owner were slightly garbled by the dangling cigarette, I’m pretty sure I heard that Sand Lot command, “sick balls”. Luckily my scrotum wasn’t torn, only the fabric of my LuLu Lemons. The other two attacks only brought on bouts of borderline incontinence. What to do about future attacks? Depends.
Quote of the week: “Theres a thrill to not knowing what you may encounter as you walk.”
Erling Kagge – Walking, One Step at a Time.