Total KM = 427

Boy, what a storm last evening. We went for a walk and it was starting to sprinkle - distant lightening too. When we got back to our motel Doug put Raindancer under the cover of the stairs as we could see the storm coming. The skies opened and it was torrential with lightning all around. We figured it must have rained several inches in just half an hour. We had seen the weather man on TV talking about the "shelf clouds" which is where there is light sky below and above the black clouds. These clouds are loaded with moisture. This is what we had been seeing earlier in the evening.

No more rain this morning and in fact it had pretty well dried up and was very warm and sunny with the humidity at 90%!

Managed again to stay on the minor roads. You see some pretty interesting things and meet some great people this way. Our first stop was to see the big chicken made out of Volkswagon bumpers at the "Art Wurks".

Next we stopped for a break at the Rutledge, Alabama town hall under shade of a big old oak tree. We soon had company, as one of the Public Works fellows came over to talk to the "furreners" (his words, not ours). He told us to stop by with some "pickters" next time we was down this way!

As we were riding along we saw a sign advertising Souse, Hoop Cheese, etc. so stopped at the little country store and were told by one of the truck drivers that they make the best sandwiches (and he was definitely right) so we decided to have one for lunch. Souse (headcheese) comes in mild or hot and hoop cheese is like cheddar but comes in a large round that used to come in a wooden band but now comes in "a cawrbourd boux". The man makes the sandwiches on the scales and then charges for them in accordance to how heavy they are once he has the meat and cheese on them. Lunch, which was the closest to home made we have had so far and very delicious, cost us a total of $4.81 for both of us!

With our sandwiches in our cooler bag we headed to a lakeside park/boat ramp and had our lunch. While we were eating this very nice African American fellow pulled up in his boat and talked a while with us about the area, etc. He showed us some of the largemouth bass he had caught. Norma keeps saying she needs to email Obama and let him know how friendly and hospitable the American people have been this entire trip. She also wants to suggest they put sidewalks in all their towns as a way to help encourage people to get out and move their booty!!! Might just help the obesity problem. This is one of the things we have noticed as we try to walk each evening.

It was getting very warm and felt even more humid as we got back on our way. We made our planned stop at Eutaw, Alabama with the intention of staying at an antebellum plantation home we had found on the net. When we got there we were told they only do tours (which we did) and had not offered accomodation for almost ten years. We did tell them their web site was a little outdated and was why we had travelled that way but only got some excuse that they couldn't find a way to change it! Anyway, it was a beautiful old home with lots of wonderful antiques.

We continued on our way just a bit down the road and are now spending the night at Livingston Alabama. Again tonight there are severe storm warnings but mainly for areas south of here.