June 11th 2023 Day Nine

 June 11th – Baker Fl – Day 9

 

Day 9 and after a 6-hour ride I am still in Florida, it’s hotter than all hell, the humidity is terrible and I’m on Central time. Wrote a blog and looked at the clock and it’s still early, but for me coming from being on Eastern time now for about 5 days it sure seems later than it is. Turned out nice that I have Shelley’s sister Audrie and her husband Will to stay with tonight that’ll put me that much closer to New Orleans than where I had planned on staying…oh and by the way Audrie and Will are the graduate Jimmy’s parents. The ride to their place wasn’t bad and once again I was fortunate with the rain missing spots where it had just rained and getting thru others before the rain hit. Like I said around one bend and it looks like it’s taking you straight to the rain and the next and it’s clear. Apparently, I passed Will pulling the trailer I got to spend the weekend in twice, so I pulled into their driveway just before it started raining and was able to put the bike in the shed to keep from getting too wet. I guess maybe a rain would have done it some good and cleaned off some of the road grime.

 

As the day started which seemed like a third day of the graduation party, Shelley and I decided to take a ride to visit our Happy Hour friends from Minnesota who now live in Florida, Rob and Deb that they are only 30 minutes away so we should visit while still close…and this was the couple I was going to stay with Sunday night which would’ve made my trip to New Orleans about a 9 hour trip. And when I say happy hour friends, they were a couple that would usually show up to the bars like many of us on Friday nights who we all became really good friends. Most of them worked together, some still do, but for some of us it was just doing it on the regular basis that you then get the title of part of the happy hour crew. We had a really nice visit it’s still hot and humid, but their house is nice and comfortable that a little brunch at their place definitely hit the spot. Thanks much for feeing us breakfast.

 

Back to the plantation where the graduation was and not as many people around anymore and the campers are gone that there are only a few people left hanging around. Those who still have to make a trip to the airport for their ride home. For me I stayed around a little longer so I could say goodbye to Stephanie and Danny, Shelley’s daughter and after our goodbyes it was time for me to ride north to Will and Audrie’s. Like I said, a long ride today, still in hot and humid Florida, but it’ll make tomorrow’s trip to New Orleans that much easier, and I’ll be able to take the road along the gulf to see how things are 17 years after I was thru the last time…which happened to be just after hurricane Katrina had hit. Stay tune for another day’s ride and what I did see.