Day 13 - Port Orange to Geneva
Only 2 more days to go!
Up at 4:30, and worked on the blog for the past 2 days. Then we got packed and headed out about 9:00am. We stayed last night at the Dusk to Dawn Motel, an older but clean motel that was recommended to us by a pastor at a Christian thrift store we saw just after we got off the Port Orange bridge.
After inspecting Earline's tires before we headed out, I knew we had to go straight to Walmart, to see if I could find a matching tire to the one right-sized tire that I was able to find Wednesday night in St. Augustine.
I knew that we would be going right past a Walmart on our way out of town, and 20 minutes later we saw it. They had the tire I needed, and I proceeded to change both of her front tires right in front of the store.
One problem with the Flat Attack goop that plugs punctures most excellently....if you need to release air from the valve, I find it does tend to clog the VALVE, which made taking the tires off MUCH more difficult.
Once I got the tires off, you can see why I needed to switch out to new ones as soon as possible:
I accidently punctured one of the tubes as I was inserting it in the new tire, so I had to swap out the tube for the one tire. Then after we got down the road a couple miles, and Earline was complaining about being so tired and not being able to pedal with any power, I noticed that the other new tire was flat.
I tried to pump it up, but couldn't get it to hold any air, so I took that tire off, and discovered that the tube was twisted and pinched inside the tire. I took it completely off, but was unable to get the tube to hold any air, and could not see where it was leaking!
So....we replaced that tube as well. [Which means we are operating today with NO spare tubes....not a good situation.] So after changing both tires twice, we finally headed out towards Geneva, but it was past noon, and I was not in a good mood.
Nevertheless, what did Paul say? In 2 Corinthians 6:4, he mentioned that they "patiently endured" troubles and hardships.
Patiently endured, huh....
Well, okay.
Almost all the day was spent on busy 415....much traffic and small shoulders [with lots of button bumpers thrown in for fun...these were usually ON the white line. So if the shoulder was too narrow for the trike, you had to straddle the white line by, you guessed it.... crossing over the bumpers.]
Patient endurance, huh?....mmm, hmmm.
We DID see 2 or 3 "Share the Road" signs....so at least SOMEONE was thinking about us!
No button bumpers above, but they soon appeared....like when this wide load was going by us.
We passed by a landfill with this old fire truck sitting proudly at the top. [And it was up there because.....????]
I had told Earline that the Port Orange bridge was THE last big bridge we had to go over, and that the only "bridge" left really wasn't a bridge, but just a highway that was slightly elevated over the St. Johns River [nothing like the Acosta bridge].
She said that if it goes over something, it is a bridge.
Oh, and then there is....ah, well, like maybe I....ah, er, kinda forgot about the Lake Jesup bridge. But then again, it is not really like a BRIDGE bridge....you know what I'm sayin'?
And it had a nice, wide shoulder....right???!!!
A little later we went past a farm that raised goats and sheep and emu. It was feeding time! [No....she said she had already fed them.....this was just snacks!]
The emu sure is an odd looking creature.
Then one of them walked right up to me, and said, "You sure are an odd looking creature!"
I had been talking with Asst. Pastor Mike Johnson about our late start from Port Orange, and thought we might not arrive at First Baptist Geneva until after dark.....maybe 7:30 to 8:00. But we made good time today.....less wind than yesterday, but we still pulled into Geneva around 5:30pm.....yea!
And guess what?! Pastor Mike and his wife worked many years on the mission field in Russia, working with the Deaf! How about that!
First Baptist Geneva let us put up our tent in their pavilion out back, so we have a dry spot with a roof over our heads and access to the bathrooms. Thanks, God, for AGAIN seeing to our needs.
[The outlets are turned off at the switchbox, but the computer has a good battery in it, and at the end of this blog I am still at 43%.....yea!]
Thank you, First Baptist Geneva, for YOUR grace and hospitality. Thank you for being obedient to Deuteronomy 10:18 & 19.
Only Through God's Grace,
jon
Up at 4:30, and worked on the blog for the past 2 days. Then we got packed and headed out about 9:00am. We stayed last night at the Dusk to Dawn Motel, an older but clean motel that was recommended to us by a pastor at a Christian thrift store we saw just after we got off the Port Orange bridge.
After inspecting Earline's tires before we headed out, I knew we had to go straight to Walmart, to see if I could find a matching tire to the one right-sized tire that I was able to find Wednesday night in St. Augustine.
I knew that we would be going right past a Walmart on our way out of town, and 20 minutes later we saw it. They had the tire I needed, and I proceeded to change both of her front tires right in front of the store.
One problem with the Flat Attack goop that plugs punctures most excellently....if you need to release air from the valve, I find it does tend to clog the VALVE, which made taking the tires off MUCH more difficult.
Once I got the tires off, you can see why I needed to switch out to new ones as soon as possible:
I accidently punctured one of the tubes as I was inserting it in the new tire, so I had to swap out the tube for the one tire. Then after we got down the road a couple miles, and Earline was complaining about being so tired and not being able to pedal with any power, I noticed that the other new tire was flat.
I tried to pump it up, but couldn't get it to hold any air, so I took that tire off, and discovered that the tube was twisted and pinched inside the tire. I took it completely off, but was unable to get the tube to hold any air, and could not see where it was leaking!
So....we replaced that tube as well. [Which means we are operating today with NO spare tubes....not a good situation.] So after changing both tires twice, we finally headed out towards Geneva, but it was past noon, and I was not in a good mood.
Nevertheless, what did Paul say? In 2 Corinthians 6:4, he mentioned that they "patiently endured" troubles and hardships.
Patiently endured, huh....
Well, okay.
Almost all the day was spent on busy 415....much traffic and small shoulders [with lots of button bumpers thrown in for fun...these were usually ON the white line. So if the shoulder was too narrow for the trike, you had to straddle the white line by, you guessed it.... crossing over the bumpers.]
Patient endurance, huh?....mmm, hmmm.
We DID see 2 or 3 "Share the Road" signs....so at least SOMEONE was thinking about us!
No button bumpers above, but they soon appeared....like when this wide load was going by us.
We passed by a landfill with this old fire truck sitting proudly at the top. [And it was up there because.....????]
I had told Earline that the Port Orange bridge was THE last big bridge we had to go over, and that the only "bridge" left really wasn't a bridge, but just a highway that was slightly elevated over the St. Johns River [nothing like the Acosta bridge].
She said that if it goes over something, it is a bridge.
Oh, and then there is....ah, well, like maybe I....ah, er, kinda forgot about the Lake Jesup bridge. But then again, it is not really like a BRIDGE bridge....you know what I'm sayin'?
And it had a nice, wide shoulder....right???!!!
A little later we went past a farm that raised goats and sheep and emu. It was feeding time! [No....she said she had already fed them.....this was just snacks!]
The emu sure is an odd looking creature.
Then one of them walked right up to me, and said, "You sure are an odd looking creature!"
I had been talking with Asst. Pastor Mike Johnson about our late start from Port Orange, and thought we might not arrive at First Baptist Geneva until after dark.....maybe 7:30 to 8:00. But we made good time today.....less wind than yesterday, but we still pulled into Geneva around 5:30pm.....yea!
And guess what?! Pastor Mike and his wife worked many years on the mission field in Russia, working with the Deaf! How about that!
First Baptist Geneva let us put up our tent in their pavilion out back, so we have a dry spot with a roof over our heads and access to the bathrooms. Thanks, God, for AGAIN seeing to our needs.
[The outlets are turned off at the switchbox, but the computer has a good battery in it, and at the end of this blog I am still at 43%.....yea!]
Thank you, First Baptist Geneva, for YOUR grace and hospitality. Thank you for being obedient to Deuteronomy 10:18 & 19.
Only Through God's Grace,
jon
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