January 27, 2008

Today’s miles: 33.1 on bike
Old Creedmoor Rd/Hwy 50 to Green Wiley Road

The bike was late getting fixed at the shop, so I didn’t get to leave until about 1:30 pm. Which was good, I think. I believe in coincidence, like Tess. Amelia and Salam dropped me off at Hwy 50 around 2 pm, and we strapped Richard’s panniers to the rack, bungee corded my backpack to the top of the rack, cinched the brain of my other pack to the handlebars. They snapped a photo of me and the Trek-mamacita and I headed off with Amelia yelling to me, “Stay inside the lines!”

I responded into the wind, “What lines??!” and wobbled down the road, trying to figure out how to change gears and ride on Amelia’s bicycle. The day was sunny and warm, THREE dogs chased me down the road, and I passed from Wake to Durham to Orange County, with an ease that backpacking rarely feels like: flying (precariously) down hills, shifting up and down, letting the bicycle do the brunt of the work. I exceeded what I thought I was capable of, basking in the lowering sun and the bucolic scenery. The pastoral horizon is quite pretty, in its productive affirmation of human ingenuity, hard work, and ego.

I arrived at Green Wiley Rd at sunset, and knocked on a door. A young woman (28) opened the door with a smile, shushing her hyper little Chihuahuas. I asked if I could tent on their property, and she said, “Sure, but you can just stay in out house,” no questions asked. I am continuously impressed with the way people trust me – a stranger, and let me into their houses and offer me food and showers and company.

So here I am, once again indoors with Jessica and Tony. She is a dental assistant, and he is a contracted painter. They have been together for 13 years, since their mid-teens. A few people have swung by and I can already tell what it must be like to live here. Jessica is keeping me updated by linking everyone by family or friendship and the friends are usually related to other friends and family by marriage. Tony’s parents live next door, and they are surrounded by the cows of someone who leases the land next door.

They have well water (tastes good) but as soon as I filled a glass, Jessica ran and got some bottled water and filled up a glass with it for me. I didn’t have the heart to lecture my hosts about conspicuous consumption.