Yesterday, we crossed the Alabama state line and walked another three miles until the sun began to set. Normally at this time of day, we go through the ritual of stopping at the next house to get enough water for cooking dinner, coffee in the morning, and a few miles worth of drinking water for the next day. This evening, we were having trouble finding the next house, because we had taken a dirt road shortcut. We had already walked about twelve miles from where we had camped the night before, and we were both getting pretty tired. Finally, I saw a mailbox on the side of the road up ahead and breathed a sigh of relief. The walking day was about to be over.
We reached the house, and I breathed another sigh of relief when I saw a woman outside with her dogs. This meant that we could ask for water from the side of the road, instead of walking up to a house out in the middle of nowhere and possibly scaring someone half to death or getting bit by their dog. She said, "Where are you hiking to?" and we told her we were walking across America.
Her name was Laura, and she invited us inside for some iced tea and then asked if she could make us something to eat. We gratefully accepted both offers. During dinner, Laura told me that she rarely invites strangers into her home, and I tried to reassure her that we were safe and told her that people have said that very same thing to me many times on this journey. She had given us permission to set our tent up on her land, and I was surprised after dinner when she invited us to stay inside. We stayed up and talked until late (about 8:30 is late for us nowadays) and went to bed.
Laura cooking hamburger and grits for her dogs
We said goodbye to Laura this morning and walked south towards Grand Bay, Alabama. I had been in contact with a pastor named Paul in Grand Bay, who had invited us to stay with his family for the weekend. We have been walking extra long days this past week in our effort to get here by Saturday, and we are very relieved to have finally made it. Brandi gave me a hard time today for stopping to take a picture of the cotton fields along the way, but I'm from Iowa, and cotton fields are picture-worthy to my "Yankee" eyes.
Walking by cotton fields in Alabama
(while getting harassed by my wife for taking pictures)
Let's see if I can briefly explain how we know Paul. We met a man at First Baptist Church in Clinton, Louisiana, named Mitch, whose daughter, Charity, met a boy named Bryant at church camp. (Charity and Bryant have been tearing up the roads between Clinton and Grand Bay visiting each other on the weekends this fall.) Bryant is Paul's son, and Mitch gave us Paul's phone number since we told him that we were walking that way. (That wasn't as hard as I though it would be.)
Paul and his wife, Linda, have made us feel very welcome to stay with them this weekend. They are they type of hosts that tell you to "make yourself at home" and then proceed to treat you like one of the family. Linda took us to Super Wal-Mart to restock our walking supplies and then on a driving tour of Mobile this afternoon. Bryant is off visiting Charity in Clinton this weekend, so we get his room.
Sunday, November 4, 2001: Grand Bay, Alabama
It has been another blessed Sunday on the road for us, spent with kind Christian folks. We have sure had a string of good Sundays thus far. We went to church this morning and then came home for a huge Thanksgiving-like lunch. A ceaseless appetite can get a fella in trouble when such a large amount of tasty food is placed before him, and my stomach has appeared to be with child for most of the day.
We found out that Paul not only pastors New Fellowship Baptist Church in Grand Bay, but that on Monday through Friday he is the program director at the Waterfront Rescue Mission in Mobile. The mission houses transient and homeless men in Mobile, and they also have a six-month recovery program for addicts and alcoholics. After listening to some of my story, Paul invited me to speak tomorrow at the mission's chapel service. I am ecstatic about the invitation, and we will be staying here an extra day.
Monday, November 5, 2001: Grand Bay, Alabama
I had a wonderful day in Mobile today. Paul turned over the entire chapel service to me, and I shared some things that God has taught me over the past couple years as a recovering alcoholic. I found out today that all of the time that I spent developing a Sinner's Anonymous program last spring has become very useful in teaching what the Bible has to say about overcoming addiction. Although I struggled, labored and stayed up way too late many nights last spring, I can see how God planned to use that time to eventually use me.
Brandi and I had a chance to meet and talk with many of the men who work and live at the Waterfront Rescue Mission. It is a wonderful place, and lives are being transformed at this mission in Mobile. We also had a chance to walk to the Mobile Public Library and take care of our Alabama, Florida, and Georgia back-road map needs. It has been a blessed day indeed.
The men who work at Waterfront:
Bobby, Bob, John and Paul
Tuesday, November 6: 2001: Bayou La Batre
We walked nine miles today on a very busy highway from Grand Bay to Bayou La Batre. Although I felt uneasy most of the day with cars rushing by one after another at 60+ mph, I was comforted by the fact that if we could just stay alive for nine miles, we would be staying in a motel tonight. Paul had wanted to help us on our way and made a reservation for us at a motel in Bayou La Batre. I am happy to report that we made it to the motel alive.
Wednesday, November 7, 2001: Coden, Alabama
This morning, we packed up our things, enjoyed the luxury of one more shower and started walking towards Victory Baptist Church near a town called Alabama Port. Our friend Paul had been in contact with a man named Richard, one of the members of Victory Baptist, and Richard had given us permission to camp in back of the church. We made it to the church early in the afternoon and spent the rest of the day reading and relaxing on the church lawn.
Later in the day, Richard stopped by the church to meet us. We talked for a bit while fighting off the no-see-ums (these tiny little gnats that have a big bite.) We're close to the bayous and plenty of marshland now, and the no-see-ums are thick around here. Richard invited us to stay at his house for fear that the bugs would eat us alive.
On the way back to Richard's house, he gave us a tour of the area. It was our first look at the Gulf of Mexico as well as the shipyards and shrimp boats of Bayou La Batre. Bayou La Batre (pronounced Bi-luh-bat-tree by the locals and commonly spoken as fast as you can possibly say it) is a seafood town. It is actually where the character Bubba was from in "Forrest Gump." You know, Bubba-Gump Shrimp? Anyway, it was fascinating to see all the different aspects of what makes a seafood town tick; the bayous where shrimpers, crabbers, and oyster pickers bring in their catch, the shipyards where welders were busy piecing together some enormous boats, the net makers and repairers, and the crab houses (where folks pick the meat out of crabs for a living.)
Shrimp boats in Bayou Coden
Betty and Richard
Richard and his wife, Betty, treated us to Chinese food for dinner tonight, and then we went back to Victory Baptist Church for their Wednesday night service. Richard and Betty are retired now, but they still enjoy an active life in their church, conservative politics, Civil War reenacting and hunting. Their den/trophy room was something to behold. The elk above them in this picture was brought down with a bow on one of their hunting trips to Colorado.
Thursday, November 8, 2001: Dauphin Island
This morning, Richard and Betty took us on another short tour of the shipyards in Coden, so I could take more pictures. The size of these boats when they sitting out of the water is striking. I tried to get a picture that would convey their enormous size, but you really need to stand next to one for the full effect.
Shipyards in Coden
Tonight, we are camping at the Dauphin Island Campground. It is the first time that we have set up our tent in a week (and in the state of Alabama for that matter) due to the kindness and hospitality we have experienced. The weather has been so beautiful, and it is good to be sleeping outdoors tonight.
There is this little four-mile gap of sea (actually, its the Mobile Bay) between Dauphin Island and the peninsula of Fort Morgan (where we intend to continue our walk east along the coast.) All the way back in Louisiana when we met Biking Tom, he told us that the ferry from Dauphin Island to Fort Morgan would not be running until next Spring. There had apparently been an accident in Texas where a barge had run into a bridge, and the Dauphin Island ferry was called to help out with the traffic problems created by this disabled bridge. Although this information was confirmed many times along the way, we have continued our journey to Dauphin Island with the hope of meeting someone who will take us across to Fort Morgan in their boat. I guess we will find out more about that tomorrow.
Yesterday, we crossed the Alabama state line and walked another three miles until the sun began to set. Normally at this time of day, we go through the ritual of stopping at the next house to get enough water for cooking dinner, coffee in the morning, and a few miles worth of drinking water for the next day. This evening, we were having trouble finding the next house, because we had taken a dirt road shortcut. We had already walked about twelve miles from where we had camped the night before, and we were both getting pretty tired. Finally, I saw a mailbox on the side of the road up ahead and breathed a sigh of relief. The walking day was about to be over.
