A second (or third) wind

I woke up this morning at Fort Pike State Historical Site just off US-90 approximately 30 miles east of New Orleans. My morning ride was on a narrow strip of land straddling Lakes Pontchartrain and Borgne and I couldn't help but predict that if sea levels do rise in the future, this will surely be one of the first spots on the globe that will be affected.

In Bay St. Louis I stopped for a quick breakfast and learned that the eye of Katrina actually hit this Biloxi suburb. Many reconstructive efforts are still underway and the actual highway looked as if was recently paved.

Stooping in Biloxi, I met my friend A and she took me on an architectural tour of the tri-county coastline. We ate at a new restaurant that could compete with Mixt and chatted about the last six years. (We last saw each other at Pres. Bush's second inauguration.)

Over the past couple of weeks I have been feeling the 3100 previous miles weighing me down. But after cycling through a part of our nation that has suffured more than I can imagine, all of my troubles seemed infinitesimal. I also want to thank you all for your support as I continue on this mission. It's nice to know, as I pedal anonymously through these parts, that there are folks back home that are wishing me well.

Tomorrow: Alabama.