Oyster Tour #6June 9-12
960 Mile
Day 1
My scooter buddy Walt called a few weeks ago and wanted to
know if I would ride with him to Apalachicola as he had some business to do up
there. I said sure depending on
construction. Well construction still ain’t going. The city zoning found two
items that did not meet zoning. I thought that it is what I paid the architect
thousands of dollars for. So….Vicki dove right in to get the variances which
will take another two to four weeks to get if at all.
So, I hoped on the scooter and Walt and I headed north. Day
1 was like every other day one just different face. The weather was great and it is always a
pleasure to ride with Walt.
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| Walt going one way |
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| Walt out of his element in the lead |
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| The famous blt |
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| the now famous club |
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| Walter back where he belongs in the rear view mirror |
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| Walt believes in the theory you find what you are looking for. Feathers are a reminder to him of that philosophy. |
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| Walter is not a oyster man |
Day 2
Walt went to show the property he is auctioning off and I
headed to Richland Georgia. The weather yesterday and today was prefect.
Beautiful blue skies and dry air. The ride up FL65 through the Tate’s Hell
Forest and the Apalachicola Wildlife Management Area was busier than normal. On
a week day, you may see five or six cars, but today being a Saturday, there was
more traffic. Not heavy just more and
though all were exceeding the speed limit they passed me politely. However, like on
most summer trips, someone was in too big of a hurry and there was an accident.
Once I got to the top of 65 at Hosfard the traffic turned to
almost nothing the rest of the trip. The scenery changed for the better also.
Some rolling roads, hardwoods instead of pines, and some open farm land.
By midafternoon I was in Richland and asleep on my niece’s
couch. She arrived home and woke me and we drove to the big city of Columbus.
Vicki and I have been commenting on the TV ad’s for Red Lobster and how great
the food looks, so that is where we headed. Sara, Wanda’s daughter and I guess
my great-niece, met us there. The food was good but more expensive than I
anticipated. That meal that they show on TV all the time was $28.
Richland, Georgia
Richland is a picture of rural America and why Donald won the election. The population of 1,427 is down 20% from 2000. Household income is $19,000 down from $24,000. Only 64% of the residents have a high school degree. There is are no major business's and the hospital shut down. The biggest employer is the town with 8 police and 5 city workers
It is a microcosm of our political system. A large portion of the revenue comes from traffic tickets on US82 the main road between Columbus and Fort Benning to Albany, two of the major towns in the state. Sorry, you whiners, if you are breaking the law and get caught it is not a "trap". It is the law.
Now here is the political part. A former politician who owns a probation company. Evidently this is a private business option in Georgia as in other states. Actually, I can not print the whole story here as it could affect people unintentionally, so we will leave at that. Except to say, one company helped get the speed on the revenue road, as I will call it, raised to 70 mph thinking it would reduce the number of tickets. It did not. People just drove faster.
Richland, Georgia
Richland is a picture of rural America and why Donald won the election. The population of 1,427 is down 20% from 2000. Household income is $19,000 down from $24,000. Only 64% of the residents have a high school degree. There is are no major business's and the hospital shut down. The biggest employer is the town with 8 police and 5 city workers
It is a microcosm of our political system. A large portion of the revenue comes from traffic tickets on US82 the main road between Columbus and Fort Benning to Albany, two of the major towns in the state. Sorry, you whiners, if you are breaking the law and get caught it is not a "trap". It is the law.
Now here is the political part. A former politician who owns a probation company. Evidently this is a private business option in Georgia as in other states. Actually, I can not print the whole story here as it could affect people unintentionally, so we will leave at that. Except to say, one company helped get the speed on the revenue road, as I will call it, raised to 70 mph thinking it would reduce the number of tickets. It did not. People just drove faster.
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| In Hosfard these kids wanted to cool Fred off |
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| They are in the 8th grade and raising money for a cruise in December |
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| John's train |
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| Fred is going to get another bath |
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| Georgia road block |
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| Leary Ga is a sad little town |
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| Dawson |
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| Richland police collecting for my niece's retirement fund |
Day 3
I left around 8:30 to arrive at the Maranatha Baptist church
in Plains, Ga. by 9:00 to get a seat in the sanctuary. I am fortunate as Jimmy
Carter is teaching Sunday school as he does often and it is a big deal. I am in
no way religious but I have great admiration for President Carter as human and
a humanitarian. It was well worth the effort. There is security screening, complete
with bomb sniffing dog proved by the USMC, local sheriff deputies and six to
eight Secret Service agents., and an orientation by the church staff of what
will happen and how you will behalf. It is a small church and President Carter joined it when his
old church that he had attended all his life would not let him include “everyone” in his class. He even left the Southern Baptist Convention because of their
beliefs were not inclusive of everyone.
In his class he talked of the funerals he had attended recently. One was Greg Allman's, the musician, in Macon. They were long time friends. Greg and his band had been big supports President Carter was running for president. They played many concerts with a admission price of $15 and all the money went to the campaign. With out it, he said, he would not have made it to the White House
In his class he talked of the funerals he had attended recently. One was Greg Allman's, the musician, in Macon. They were long time friends. Greg and his band had been big supports President Carter was running for president. They played many concerts with a admission price of $15 and all the money went to the campaign. With out it, he said, he would not have made it to the White House
His class was uplifting and encouraging to all. He is still in good health at 93 and his mind is sharp. I most enjoyed his sharp sense of humor. The minister for the church spoke at the orientation and he is only 23 years old. He was very sharp and interesting and though I started in the church service I did not make it through to the end. Three hours is more than my attention span can bear.
I had some great conversation with one of the owners of the peanut buying companies that the Carter family competed with. It is a family business and he is ready to retire. Interesting listening to his discussion about his two nephews who set in their air conditioned and heated offices and don't do much while he and his brother set in their non-air conditioned and non-heated offices. There is a buyer for the business and he hopes they close, but if not he is gone by the end of the year no matter what. He and his wife want to travel more. His wife was Amy Carters elementary teacher.
There were a couple of secret service agents that I talked with for fifteen or twenty minutes and I was surprised when I snuck out of church they walked up to shake my hand and not arrest me.
From there I turned south and headed for Newberry. Any hopes of getting there ahead of the rain
were wetted down in Albany and the next four hours it rained, often torrential.
I was soaked to the bone by the time I arrived.
Day 4
It had continued to rain into the night…hard. Dawn brought
gray skies and drizzle and I saw no advantage in waiting around, so we saddled
up and headed home. Fortunately the rain was never more than a drizzle and I was
home before noon.
