For many hundreds of miles I had highway sounds on one side of me and freight train sounds on the other. I miss the trains.
Fortunately, I also have the songs of many birds that filter through the vehicle noise, and often I concentrate on those.
At noon I stopped for lunch at a “Sub Express” adjacent to a gas station, and it was nice to get sliced mushrooms and sweet peppers on my tuna sub. Simple pleasures.
It was generally cloudy today, not too hot, with no rain expected until tomorrow. A nice breeze is keeping the air and me cool.
Today I’ve been listening to an audiobook: “One Click—Jeff Bezos and the Rise of Amazon.com.” I’m enjoying it, and there are no ads such as the ones that constantly interrupt podcasts. I am so sick of hearing about Zip Recruiter and Stamps.com.
Here’s a book recommendation: “Body and Soul” by Frank Conroy. I read it years ago and am enjoying it again. It’s a story of a young piano prodigy and his adventures as he makes his way in the musical life in New York City. Conroy himself was a jazz pianist. Not a surprise.
Eventually I arrived at an RV park along Hwy 50. The owner had said on the phone that I could camp on the grass along the stream. He didn’t mention money, and neither did I.
For several hours I hung out at the picnic table under a shade structure, rested, texted, and read. When I realized that none of the folks in the RVs were paying any attention to me, I just set the bivy up right next to the picnic table. If it rains, I’m covered.
Later, Garland came over and we had a long chat—he’s very proud of his family. Another man, Jim, came by with sandwiches and snacks for me. Although they didn’t know one another, each worked for a construction or oil crew, lived in their RVs during the week, and traveled home on the weekends. People are generally good, and they work hard.
16 miles today. Still dealing with right foot blisters.
@ Salem, West Virginia