Three States in One Day

Yes, sir. This is quite weird to say for a Texan. I usually takes me one day just to get to the Texas border when I go West. But this morning I left Florida, and cruised right through Georgia, and a good chunk of South Carolina. Tonight, I am outside Myrtle Beach, at another state park. These things are just marvelous. They offer, with the exception of a bed, many more conveniences than hotels, such as laundry rooms. Well, not that I use that too much.

The roads today were just wonderful. I started out of Fort Clinch, in the outskirts of Fernandina Beach, and quickly started navigating North. Soon it started becoming obvious that the tropics were staying behind. The vegetation started changing to one that is dominated more by pines, with the palmettos becoming less frequent. Further North, oaks and sweet gums became more prevalent.

I also felt that I was leaving the land bridges behind. These always make me think about our friend Steve Capper who has quite the fascination with them. Especially interesting were the Harriet Tubman bridge, just in the middle of nowhere, really, but significant nonetheless, and the bridge over Charleston, I believe, which seems like the big brother to the one we have just south of Houston, except this one has white cabling, instead of yellow.

Weather was, and will continue to be, a consideration over the next days or so. This morning I packed under the assumption, aided by the weather app on my phone, that it would rain today. As the weather cooled down, I saw the deep gray clouds grow denser in the sky. Just as I was getting ready to pull over and get my rain suit on, a turn in the road showed me a lighter colored horizon. With this sight, came the hope that I would avoid rain. Still, several miles ahead, I decided to play it safe and pulled into a gas station to suit up. It was at this point, that I noticed that I had lost a retaining screw on Mr. GPS. It was time for a road-side repair, but without tooth-picks, my standard for micro screws, I had to bind the system with electrical tape.

The rainy forecast in Virginia for the next two days has made me revise my accommodation plans.  Instead of staying at First Landing, as I had planned, I will stay at a ‘Motelito’, like an old BeaMer riding Hungarian once told me.

Finally I crossed into South Carolina. My favorite sign of the day was the store that advertised ‘Bad Antiques’.

My musings today were centered around change. I am starting to get convinced that bringing about the end of many of a problem will more and more rely on small systems, and individuals that support each other, using their gifts to touch the lives of those in close proximity. More and more, I doubt the effectiveness of large institutions, which seem to loose sight of the small elements, and of the individuals, who become a statistic. Where this shall lead me I do not know, but I believe it does apply to bringing about the Kingdom of God, and the end of slavery.