Start: Halfway Creek
Finish: Grafton
Distance: 17
Total: 1017
Today was day two of me not knowing how I was going to execute my walking plan, because if you’ll remember, I planned to take the bus, but the buses don’t run out in the countryside on weekends. Today I needed to get back out to the place where I was picked up on the shoulder of the freeway yesterday, which was 17 miles away.
Back about a week ago I was walking along on a backroad and came upon a road construction site. The crew was working on a bridge over a river along my route. Most of the time I just stroll right on through construction zones like I don’t even see them and no one says anything. But this time it was a narrow bridge and the flag guy wouldn’t let me walk across the bridge where they were working. But they did give me a ride through the construction zone for about a half mile in their truck. So the truck drivers name was Jim (not really, I made that up to protect the innocent). Jim said he and the whole crew were from Grafton, where I’m at now, and where I’ve had a logistical problem this weekend with the buses not running. So I told Jim about how I needed a ride from my hotel out to the freeway on Sunday, 3 March because the buses aren’t running. He said “No problem. He’d be glad to give me a ride since he lives right here in Grafton” and he gave me his cell phone number to call. So yesterday afternoon I gave Jim a call to see if he was still willing to give me a ride this morning. He said sure, that he was at the beach at the time, but he would give me a call back and we’d set up a time. Well, I waited the rest of the afternoon and last night, and finally went to bed and Jim had not called. I thought maybe he’ll remember and call this morning. After all, I’m not in a big rush today. But no call this morning either. HUM? I think Jim just blew me off.
So I got out the door at 8:30 and walked 1 1/2 miles across town to the point where the highway leaves the city limits and cars are most likely going out of town in the direction I need to go and started trying to hitch a ride. After about 20 minutes and probably 75 cars and trucks, a nice couple picked me up and took me out to my drop off point at Halfway Creek on the freeway. When we got there it was showering so I put my poncho on for about 3-4 miles until the rain stopped and the roads dried up.
I made it back into Grafton just before the thunderstorms got cranked up for the afternoon. That’s a daily occurrence around here it seems. Now I’ve got my laundry in the washer and I’m sitting with my feet propped up listening to the thunder and rainfall outside. I wonder if I should call Jim? I guess not because I don’t think I’d have anything kind to say. JB.
