On yer bike
12-22-2017
, 05:22 PM
It's been an interesting few weeks UberEATS has proven to be enough to cover my expenses although I have started working at a friends bicycle shop which is in small shopping plaza whose occupants include; head shop, tattoo parlor, pizza parlor, West Indian food, and a gas station on the adjoining lot.
Here is a cool mural from one of my pickup sites Firehouse Subs, don't think this is the appropriate way to roast an alligator.
PrimeTime lounge is a frequent stop, they have a sweet logo and low wait time.
A very cool folding bike I've admired from afar for some time finally found a good place to capture it on I phone
, sometimes I think about getting a folding bike for ease of transit on international tour but not sure if I could sacrifice the speed of 700cc wheels.
Just a sad situation all around
Self automated bike rental has arrived here and you can use an app for rental and redocking at a multitude of locations. The bikes are pretty sweet; 5 speed internally geared hub, dynamo in the front for lighting, nice v-brakes, and fenders!
Ran into this fellow on an UberEATS run, cargo bike hauling a mini bike!
At the old 672 West Tennessee st McDonald's I came across this cowboys very cool belt lock system, he was able to keep an eye on it from one of the booths.
Svën's new Martha Stewart parka
My first customer at the new bike shop brought in his wicked motorized beach cruiser that he used to tow a trailer down to the estuary for crabbing expeditions. He just needed a new tire/tube installation, the bike had 2 chains and was filthy as could be.
Him test riding his mud bigger.
Sadly the International Book Mine burned down it was the last Quonset hut standing from an old armed forces installation, the owner Jay is a good friend and he poured so much into the space really a tragedy to lose that space as it will certainly be replaced by student housing which we have plenty of.
The fire Marshall has not come to a conclusion but it was quite an event and the building burned for over 12 hours enveloping the neighborhood in a noxious plume of smoke.
Tallahassee is really a seasonally driven economy with the students and legislators driving the action I've taken a break from UberEATS in their absence and as fortune would have it gone on a nice little online poker run turning my $25 deposit into $2400 most of which I've cashed out. Planning on a trip out to Ebro soon maybe with my little pal Svën to hit the cash tables.
Here is a cool mural from one of my pickup sites Firehouse Subs, don't think this is the appropriate way to roast an alligator.
PrimeTime lounge is a frequent stop, they have a sweet logo and low wait time.
A very cool folding bike I've admired from afar for some time finally found a good place to capture it on I phone
, sometimes I think about getting a folding bike for ease of transit on international tour but not sure if I could sacrifice the speed of 700cc wheels.
Just a sad situation all around
Self automated bike rental has arrived here and you can use an app for rental and redocking at a multitude of locations. The bikes are pretty sweet; 5 speed internally geared hub, dynamo in the front for lighting, nice v-brakes, and fenders!
Ran into this fellow on an UberEATS run, cargo bike hauling a mini bike!
At the old 672 West Tennessee st McDonald's I came across this cowboys very cool belt lock system, he was able to keep an eye on it from one of the booths.
Svën's new Martha Stewart parka
My first customer at the new bike shop brought in his wicked motorized beach cruiser that he used to tow a trailer down to the estuary for crabbing expeditions. He just needed a new tire/tube installation, the bike had 2 chains and was filthy as could be.
Him test riding his mud bigger.
Sadly the International Book Mine burned down it was the last Quonset hut standing from an old armed forces installation, the owner Jay is a good friend and he poured so much into the space really a tragedy to lose that space as it will certainly be replaced by student housing which we have plenty of.
The fire Marshall has not come to a conclusion but it was quite an event and the building burned for over 12 hours enveloping the neighborhood in a noxious plume of smoke.
Tallahassee is really a seasonally driven economy with the students and legislators driving the action I've taken a break from UberEATS in their absence and as fortune would have it gone on a nice little online poker run turning my $25 deposit into $2400 most of which I've cashed out. Planning on a trip out to Ebro soon maybe with my little pal Svën to hit the cash tables.
12-23-2017
, 07:03 PM
Assembled my fist bike at the Link!
12-24-2017
, 03:52 AM
Those are great photos Hank - so many of them seem like they might be rather unique to Florida, like the mural of a roasting alligator? And the big bicycle culture, with all the different types serving different functions for people - all in the middle of Winter! 
So lucky to have the nice weather to be able to ride bikes year round - and it seems like maybe a city that's very bike friendly as well? Maybe not so many cars that everybody winds up jockeying for road space in the middle of rush hour, and stuff like that ... or enough room for bike lanes?
Have heard you mention your friend and the book mine in previous posts - so sad to hear about the fire
It sounded like the two of you have had some great times together at that spot? Would be great if he's up for starting fresh with rebuild if he's able to find alternatives digs ...
Sven!! He looks so dapper in his Winter finery!! Some little girl is going to be over the moon to see her princess bike working better than ever, and now outfitted with a new basket companion - i sure would be!!1! 
So lucky to have the nice weather to be able to ride bikes year round - and it seems like maybe a city that's very bike friendly as well? Maybe not so many cars that everybody winds up jockeying for road space in the middle of rush hour, and stuff like that ... or enough room for bike lanes?Have heard you mention your friend and the book mine in previous posts - so sad to hear about the fire
It sounded like the two of you have had some great times together at that spot? Would be great if he's up for starting fresh with rebuild if he's able to find alternatives digs ...Sven!! He looks so dapper in his Winter finery!!
Some little girl is going to be over the moon to see her princess bike working better than ever, and now outfitted with a new basket companion - i sure would be!!1!
Last edited by TrustySam; 12-24-2017 at 03:58 AM.
01-04-2018
, 01:38 AM
Am used to seeing snow reports on the news - am not used to seeing reports of snowstorms in Tallahassee! 
Lester Holt on the NBC Evening News was saying it's something like the first snowfall for you guys in something like 28 years? And that it's been unseasonably cold and many roads have gotten slippery.
Hope you guys are managing to stay warm and safe on the roads down there Hank!
Lester Holt on the NBC Evening News was saying it's something like the first snowfall for you guys in something like 28 years? And that it's been unseasonably cold and many roads have gotten slippery. Hope you guys are managing to stay warm and safe on the roads down there Hank!
01-04-2018
, 09:58 PM
Hey Sam! It did indeed snow for around an hour with pretty minimal accumulation, best part of the whole thing was seeing the excitement of folks who had never seen snow fall in real life. The cold snap has extended into South Florida causing iguanas to fall from their perches into a catatonic state, hope they aren't dying off something cute and endearing about them despite being an invasive species.
Things are going well and I'm feeling good, maybe not on this young man's level who was dancing to James Brown's "The Big Payback" at the frequently visited W. Tennessee St. McDonalds but close.
Apparently dancing is a thing at this UberEATs pickup partly because one of the guys who hangs out using the wifi brings a nice PC tower connected to a powerful speaker which he likes to blast late at night. If you look at the opposite side of the glass a fellow was attempting to mimic our dancing machines moves, all this took place while I was waiting for a pickup.
Been taking some time off from UberEATs while the students are away but plan to resume this Monday when they come pouring back in. The bike shop gig has been fun very little business but that could change with positive additions like the ashtray I constructed from odds and ends laying around my landlords little scrap yard.
For the first time in what seems like months we got 6 players out to play polo on NYE it was a blast, our captain Bob made everyone custom candles for Christmas here's mine.
I keep my polo bike locked up at the parking garage where we play on Thursdays, on Sundays when we play outside a few miles away I bring along the trailer to tote Sven and my gear.
Preparing for my first feral hog hunt not sure if taking Sven is such a good idea as he might not serve any purpose other than company and photo ops but perhaps he would be brave enough to follow a blood trail should that need arise. The Ecofina Creek wildlife management area is on the way to Ebro and has some swine, another option would be the massive Apalachicola National forest to the south west. Going to the range Sunday with my recently purchased Remington 700 SPS, got a decent deal on it at a local pawn shop. It came with a Leupold VX-2 3-9 scope, harris bipod, and soft case. Florida is second only to Texas in terms of feral hog population, no hunting license required and they can be harvested nearly year round. The "Sus Scrofa" is an invasive species that causes a lot of agricultural and environmental damage, they are also very tasty although my meat consumption is very low I'd like an excuse to be out in the woods for a few days get some return on investment for the rifle.
Regarding the Bookmine Sam things never cease to amaze me, after the inferno I told the owner Jay if he needed help with anything to let me know. Shortly thereafter he had me climbing around the rubble placing tarps over the burnt out debris in anticipation of rain then later on we returned to pick half charred water logged books out to be hung and dried.
Here is a cache of books drying at the nearby NAPCON construction headquarters a longtime neighbor of the BookMine.
Another lot drying in his yard
For a while he has been talking about renting a piece of heavy machinery with a scoop or thumb to pick apart the steel beams and corrugated steel in order to unearth his hidden treasures which apart from books and cases of vintage Playboy mags include a hand crafted broad sword that his friend made. Guy sure does love books, it's kind of funny that in the end we were literally mining for books in that ruined Quonset hut.
The legal ramifications of all that are still being settled but Jay hasn't missed a beat he's taken over the used book section at a faith based thrift store and is also hawking his charred smoke infused salvaged tomes online.
Things are going well and I'm feeling good, maybe not on this young man's level who was dancing to James Brown's "The Big Payback" at the frequently visited W. Tennessee St. McDonalds but close.
Apparently dancing is a thing at this UberEATs pickup partly because one of the guys who hangs out using the wifi brings a nice PC tower connected to a powerful speaker which he likes to blast late at night. If you look at the opposite side of the glass a fellow was attempting to mimic our dancing machines moves, all this took place while I was waiting for a pickup.
Been taking some time off from UberEATs while the students are away but plan to resume this Monday when they come pouring back in. The bike shop gig has been fun very little business but that could change with positive additions like the ashtray I constructed from odds and ends laying around my landlords little scrap yard.
For the first time in what seems like months we got 6 players out to play polo on NYE it was a blast, our captain Bob made everyone custom candles for Christmas here's mine.
I keep my polo bike locked up at the parking garage where we play on Thursdays, on Sundays when we play outside a few miles away I bring along the trailer to tote Sven and my gear.
Preparing for my first feral hog hunt not sure if taking Sven is such a good idea as he might not serve any purpose other than company and photo ops but perhaps he would be brave enough to follow a blood trail should that need arise. The Ecofina Creek wildlife management area is on the way to Ebro and has some swine, another option would be the massive Apalachicola National forest to the south west. Going to the range Sunday with my recently purchased Remington 700 SPS, got a decent deal on it at a local pawn shop. It came with a Leupold VX-2 3-9 scope, harris bipod, and soft case. Florida is second only to Texas in terms of feral hog population, no hunting license required and they can be harvested nearly year round. The "Sus Scrofa" is an invasive species that causes a lot of agricultural and environmental damage, they are also very tasty although my meat consumption is very low I'd like an excuse to be out in the woods for a few days get some return on investment for the rifle.
Regarding the Bookmine Sam things never cease to amaze me, after the inferno I told the owner Jay if he needed help with anything to let me know. Shortly thereafter he had me climbing around the rubble placing tarps over the burnt out debris in anticipation of rain then later on we returned to pick half charred water logged books out to be hung and dried.
Here is a cache of books drying at the nearby NAPCON construction headquarters a longtime neighbor of the BookMine.
Another lot drying in his yard
For a while he has been talking about renting a piece of heavy machinery with a scoop or thumb to pick apart the steel beams and corrugated steel in order to unearth his hidden treasures which apart from books and cases of vintage Playboy mags include a hand crafted broad sword that his friend made. Guy sure does love books, it's kind of funny that in the end we were literally mining for books in that ruined Quonset hut.
The legal ramifications of all that are still being settled but Jay hasn't missed a beat he's taken over the used book section at a faith based thrift store and is also hawking his charred smoke infused salvaged tomes online.
Last edited by HankTheBank; 01-04-2018 at 10:21 PM.
01-05-2018
, 12:01 AM
Hey Hank - with all the hurricane stuff you guys have to deal with in the summertime, it's nice to hear you were spared the bulk of the snow cyclone, and that it turned out be was kind of a fun thing to have the snow fall for a little bit
Tallahassee looks so lovely - or maybe it's your zest for life that makes it seem that way
Your blog's always such a joy to read, with stuff like children breaking out into impromptu dance competitions at the local take-out spot, and your thoughtfully and creatively repurposed ashtray, the stories of good times with good company. And so great hear your friend's managing to rebuild ... and always fun seeing Sven
It looks like you had a nice relaxing holiday - hope all those college kids got lots of $ over the holidays and will be happy that their UberEats orders arrived so fast that they're very generous with their tips!
Have fun with the hunting!!
Tallahassee looks so lovely - or maybe it's your zest for life that makes it seem that way
Your blog's always such a joy to read, with stuff like children breaking out into impromptu dance competitions at the local take-out spot, and your thoughtfully and creatively repurposed ashtray, the stories of good times with good company. And so great hear your friend's managing to rebuild ... and always fun seeing Sven It looks like you had a nice relaxing holiday - hope all those college kids got lots of $ over the holidays and will be happy that their UberEats orders arrived so fast that they're very generous with their tips!
Have fun with the hunting!!
06-29-2018
, 07:28 PM
06-29-2018
, 07:47 PM
06-29-2018
, 11:15 PM
06-30-2018
, 10:45 PM
07-02-2018
, 11:14 PM
yo rexx, some dogs arouse primal flight impulse others just make u lol.
laptop keyboard still mucked, here is teh actual route i crossed the chattahoochee at columbus, appear to have made slightly less than 300 more like 275 but it's ok the 300 mile day will come perhaps with a different bike or on less hilly terrain the final stretch of 100 miles involved considerable elevation change.
close approximation of day 1 https://www.google.com/maps/dir/1520...31.4728706!3e1
hand gesture is meant as 300 miles not the ''shocker''
passed through the railroad hub of arlington ga so late couldnt find an open gas station so i hit up the georgia state patrol's unguarded spigot and drank hose water.
nice mansion south of Lumpkin Ga had this tennis court in their front yard just off old highway 27
the road 280 leading into benning was brutal,start then stop alwaays with the rumble strip right in the sweet spot .
didnt get to see much of the base long story, did have a silver lining thks sgt Santana
riverside columbus ga, love riding bricks/cobbles makes yaa teeth chatter.
biggest brick factory ive seen, the road this was take from; brickyard rd of course. know your bigtime when you have your own rail spur.
random stuff on the way to camp, abandoned structures always capture my lens, fascinate me.
got soaked by this storm cell
eufaula al has perhaps the greatest historic home stretch ive ever seen, very interesting place known for its world class bass fishing on ''lake eufala'' or the walter f george reservoir which impounds the chattahoochee river.
climbing them red hills
have a new fm And am radio which works great, caught some georgia public radio and one of the guests was jeff tweedy of wilco, they played a song id never heard written by tweedy sung by legend mavis staples reaally got me good.
im out there all alone on the road in a way but had some really nice human contact. the crew at wendy's in eufaulaa who were so interested in my trip onne even trotted out the old "forrest gump'' comparison which makes me laugh dont bother me a bit.
or the family at kolomoki mounds who brought me breakfast and a $5 bill which was a nice gesture.
also on the last bit of riding into the park saw about 12 white tail deer bounding away into the forest and grass just poetry in motion.
or the nice ladies i ate my breakfast and drank coffee with in tinny little lumpkin Ga where the only option waas a gas station and it's only seating was the 3 stools facing those awful video slots which operate under some convoluted gambling/vending loop hole.
ride home from camp was tough, reminded me of the day after my first real MDMa experience. hard to come down from the high i was on having not slept for 39 hours all the while riding hard. looking at fixing my laptop/phone then do another trip soon to a favorite place molasses junction just west of st augustine. hoping to do back to back 200 mile days on that one . been volunteering at the bike house regularly which provides me with lots of characters. heres al the hobo biker who hails from philly pa but somehow thinks Rocky is a "bum''? 
this dudes chain game is on point, lots of other characters ill try to document some of my favorites like mr 360 the black cowboy from cheyenne who wears racing bike kit with scooter helmet.
so this trip broke my 1 (275?)and two day (360?) mileage records. hoping to best my two day record on the next one which will be tough but doable
laptop keyboard still mucked, here is teh actual route i crossed the chattahoochee at columbus, appear to have made slightly less than 300 more like 275 but it's ok the 300 mile day will come perhaps with a different bike or on less hilly terrain the final stretch of 100 miles involved considerable elevation change.
close approximation of day 1 https://www.google.com/maps/dir/1520...31.4728706!3e1
hand gesture is meant as 300 miles not the ''shocker''
passed through the railroad hub of arlington ga so late couldnt find an open gas station so i hit up the georgia state patrol's unguarded spigot and drank hose water.
nice mansion south of Lumpkin Ga had this tennis court in their front yard just off old highway 27
the road 280 leading into benning was brutal,start then stop alwaays with the rumble strip right in the sweet spot .
didnt get to see much of the base long story, did have a silver lining thks sgt Santana
riverside columbus ga, love riding bricks/cobbles makes yaa teeth chatter.
biggest brick factory ive seen, the road this was take from; brickyard rd of course. know your bigtime when you have your own rail spur.
random stuff on the way to camp, abandoned structures always capture my lens, fascinate me.
got soaked by this storm cell
eufaula al has perhaps the greatest historic home stretch ive ever seen, very interesting place known for its world class bass fishing on ''lake eufala'' or the walter f george reservoir which impounds the chattahoochee river.
climbing them red hills
have a new fm And am radio which works great, caught some georgia public radio and one of the guests was jeff tweedy of wilco, they played a song id never heard written by tweedy sung by legend mavis staples reaally got me good.
im out there all alone on the road in a way but had some really nice human contact. the crew at wendy's in eufaulaa who were so interested in my trip onne even trotted out the old "forrest gump'' comparison which makes me laugh dont bother me a bit.
or the family at kolomoki mounds who brought me breakfast and a $5 bill which was a nice gesture.
also on the last bit of riding into the park saw about 12 white tail deer bounding away into the forest and grass just poetry in motion.
or the nice ladies i ate my breakfast and drank coffee with in tinny little lumpkin Ga where the only option waas a gas station and it's only seating was the 3 stools facing those awful video slots which operate under some convoluted gambling/vending loop hole.
ride home from camp was tough, reminded me of the day after my first real MDMa experience. hard to come down from the high i was on having not slept for 39 hours all the while riding hard. looking at fixing my laptop/phone then do another trip soon to a favorite place molasses junction just west of st augustine. hoping to do back to back 200 mile days on that one . been volunteering at the bike house regularly which provides me with lots of characters. heres al the hobo biker who hails from philly pa but somehow thinks Rocky is a "bum''? this dudes chain game is on point, lots of other characters ill try to document some of my favorites like mr 360 the black cowboy from cheyenne who wears racing bike kit with scooter helmet.so this trip broke my 1 (275?)and two day (360?) mileage records. hoping to best my two day record on the next one which will be tough but doable
Last edited by HankTheBank; 07-02-2018 at 11:36 PM.
07-06-2018
, 06:10 PM
10-08-2018
, 12:42 PM
10-08-2018
, 04:09 PM
My buddy Marvin "Mr 360" wearing his trademark outfit of compression tights, random Bicycle House dude with the strong chain game, and lastly the guy with motorized cruiser says he has topped it out at 60mph which seems kind of scary if true.
Sent from my SM-J337V using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-J337V using Tapatalk
10-08-2018
, 08:24 PM
Random bike tourist rolling into Bicycle House, might be more of a permanent nomad but didn't get to talk with him.
My friend/JJ'S coworker Vince before his bike ride out to Jacksonville on his single speed delivery bike pulling about 70lbs. He rode 35 miles east before realizing he left all his tools and Bike House and had to back track, ouch!
A few months ago I rode 30+ miles west past Quincy with a cat carrier and came back with 4 young hens (pullets). Took em a while to produce but here is the first one laid.
Built a coop attached to my shack where they stay at night, after regular use of the nesting boxes I built they started laying in a secret location behind a tree on the property which I eventually found.
Svën loves bullying them, they provide a lot more than tasty fresh eggs with entertaining behaviors like taking dust baths, begging for food and feasting on the abundance of plant and insect life.
Last picture is of some chanterelles harvested out on a Wildlife Management Area along the Highway 20, was on a hog hunting expedition along the Ocklochnee river where there was lots of sign but didn't have any encounters with them in the flesh.
It was around 3lbs 2/3rds of which I dry sauteed then froze, very tasty free food.
Sent from my SM-J337V using Tapatalk
My friend/JJ'S coworker Vince before his bike ride out to Jacksonville on his single speed delivery bike pulling about 70lbs. He rode 35 miles east before realizing he left all his tools and Bike House and had to back track, ouch!
A few months ago I rode 30+ miles west past Quincy with a cat carrier and came back with 4 young hens (pullets). Took em a while to produce but here is the first one laid.
Built a coop attached to my shack where they stay at night, after regular use of the nesting boxes I built they started laying in a secret location behind a tree on the property which I eventually found.
Svën loves bullying them, they provide a lot more than tasty fresh eggs with entertaining behaviors like taking dust baths, begging for food and feasting on the abundance of plant and insect life.
Last picture is of some chanterelles harvested out on a Wildlife Management Area along the Highway 20, was on a hog hunting expedition along the Ocklochnee river where there was lots of sign but didn't have any encounters with them in the flesh.
It was around 3lbs 2/3rds of which I dry sauteed then froze, very tasty free food.
Sent from my SM-J337V using Tapatalk
10-08-2018
, 08:28 PM
10-08-2018
, 08:34 PM
10-08-2018
, 09:06 PM
10-30-2018
, 09:07 PM
Thanks Digi Fox!
In a few minutes my challenge ride to Molasses Junction will begin, worked from 12-7pm today came home and loaded up this is the tentative route
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/1520...5!3e1?hl=en-US
Once day breaks I'll be more inclined to deviate from Route 90, some of the anticipated sights will be the infamous Florida State Prison at Raiford home of Florida's death house where Ted Bundy and John Spenkelink were executed for crimes committed right here in Tallahassee. I've made dozens of deliveries to the Chi Omega house where Bundy killed 2 sorority girls but never have found out the location of Spenkelink's crime which was said to have occurred in a rooming house.
Crossing the St John's river at Green Cove Springs will be epic, previously I've crossed Florida's only north flowing river at Palatka. Google Maps bike direction won't route you over the bridge at Green Cove springs but I've confirmed with local Law Enforcement that it's open to bicycles and does appear to have a shoulder.
My bike and gear weighs a little over 50 lbs, I've had a new rear derailleur and middle chain ring installed so with the clean new drive train the bike is operating close to peak efficiency.
Today this fellow who goes by Lloyd stopped by to pick up an application and seemed surprised the franchise doesn't allow delivery on motorized bikes
My cabin was very nearly destroyed by a pine tree during Hurricane Michael, its crown punched a small hole in the roof and trunk clipped the corner inflicting some minor damage, I'm a lucky guy!
Probably will make the return trip by way of Gainesville which will add some miles but certainly have less elevation change.
Sent from my SM-J337V using Tapatalk
In a few minutes my challenge ride to Molasses Junction will begin, worked from 12-7pm today came home and loaded up this is the tentative route
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/1520...5!3e1?hl=en-US
Once day breaks I'll be more inclined to deviate from Route 90, some of the anticipated sights will be the infamous Florida State Prison at Raiford home of Florida's death house where Ted Bundy and John Spenkelink were executed for crimes committed right here in Tallahassee. I've made dozens of deliveries to the Chi Omega house where Bundy killed 2 sorority girls but never have found out the location of Spenkelink's crime which was said to have occurred in a rooming house.
Crossing the St John's river at Green Cove Springs will be epic, previously I've crossed Florida's only north flowing river at Palatka. Google Maps bike direction won't route you over the bridge at Green Cove springs but I've confirmed with local Law Enforcement that it's open to bicycles and does appear to have a shoulder.
My bike and gear weighs a little over 50 lbs, I've had a new rear derailleur and middle chain ring installed so with the clean new drive train the bike is operating close to peak efficiency.
Today this fellow who goes by Lloyd stopped by to pick up an application and seemed surprised the franchise doesn't allow delivery on motorized bikes
My cabin was very nearly destroyed by a pine tree during Hurricane Michael, its crown punched a small hole in the roof and trunk clipped the corner inflicting some minor damage, I'm a lucky guy!
Probably will make the return trip by way of Gainesville which will add some miles but certainly have less elevation change.
Sent from my SM-J337V using Tapatalk
10-31-2018
, 07:39 PM
I'm writing to you from the cozy pink confines of Angel's diner which sits in a retrofitted train car on the west bank of the St John River, Palatka Fl.
Sitting around 250 miles in things have gone really well, some challenges were the tree debris on the shoulder of SR 90 10-15 miles east of Tallahassee leftover from our last hurricane.
First 60 miles saw me rolling through 3 nearly deserted towns Monticello, Greenville and Madison. Live oak and east to lake city was nice, very few cars clear starry skies and crisp clean air.
Getting into the gritty sprawling strip mall lined Lake City around 5-30am was not ideal as the morning commute had started, also this is historically the time on these overnight rides where exhaustion sets in before the rejuvenating force of the sun.
I went flat out to get east of Lake City to begin my SE decent towards Lulu through vast expanses of commercial pine stands, the sense of relief upon reaching SR 100 along with the sunrise gave me a strong second wind.
Probably took too many pictures but that's okay I got a few worth sharing, not sure how to insert them with text in between on this app so here it goes.
That's the old clay county courthouse and jail, FSP/UCI or new river Corrections inmates mowing grass.
Crossing at Green Cove Springs was dicey but thankfully 99.9% of the motorists have been very courteous and cautious passing or holding back in some cases. The bridge at Palatka was much more chill with it's own pedestrian bike path.
It's another 200 miles to Tallahassee and since I started this mess around (30 minute stop at walmart)10pm yesterday I'm going to try and max out my 24 hour mark then crash out in my hammock for a few hours. Doing 180 tomorrow and arriving before sundown will be a long shot, just gotta put myself in the best position to do that. There are some WMA's and state park land up the way on sr20 that seem to have potential for the stealth campaign.
Sent from my SM-J337V using Tapatalk
Sitting around 250 miles in things have gone really well, some challenges were the tree debris on the shoulder of SR 90 10-15 miles east of Tallahassee leftover from our last hurricane.
First 60 miles saw me rolling through 3 nearly deserted towns Monticello, Greenville and Madison. Live oak and east to lake city was nice, very few cars clear starry skies and crisp clean air.
Getting into the gritty sprawling strip mall lined Lake City around 5-30am was not ideal as the morning commute had started, also this is historically the time on these overnight rides where exhaustion sets in before the rejuvenating force of the sun.
I went flat out to get east of Lake City to begin my SE decent towards Lulu through vast expanses of commercial pine stands, the sense of relief upon reaching SR 100 along with the sunrise gave me a strong second wind.
Probably took too many pictures but that's okay I got a few worth sharing, not sure how to insert them with text in between on this app so here it goes.
That's the old clay county courthouse and jail, FSP/UCI or new river Corrections inmates mowing grass.
Crossing at Green Cove Springs was dicey but thankfully 99.9% of the motorists have been very courteous and cautious passing or holding back in some cases. The bridge at Palatka was much more chill with it's own pedestrian bike path.
It's another 200 miles to Tallahassee and since I started this mess around (30 minute stop at walmart)10pm yesterday I'm going to try and max out my 24 hour mark then crash out in my hammock for a few hours. Doing 180 tomorrow and arriving before sundown will be a long shot, just gotta put myself in the best position to do that. There are some WMA's and state park land up the way on sr20 that seem to have potential for the stealth campaign.
Sent from my SM-J337V using Tapatalk
10-31-2018
, 07:45 PM
Oh yeh this area is famous for Florida's top potato production, furrows everywhere. Also passed by fort Blanding where they have a giant circular man made lake and training facilities for the National Guard, just before Green Cove Springs was Penney Farms which was a planned farming community paid for and conceived by the founder of J.c Penney it was meticulously well kept and had beautiful live oak lined main drag with great sidewalks something not always present in rural Florida 
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10-31-2018
, 08:24 PM
And thank you Rexx for reading and commenting, I failed to mention a big draw for me to ride out in these areas are the livestock and farming areas which in my view are among Americas finest. Livestock and wildlife are hard to photograph well with iPhone camera but I try, missed a great shot of some cows bathing in the mist of a rolling farm irrigation machine, behind these cows lays the infamous FSP.
Hopefully the ballot initiative here in Floridas upcoming election will restore released felons voting rights more rapidly and in greater numbers the current system is one of many blemishes on our criminal justice system.
Many of the late 19th and early 20th century infrastructure projects were completed using convicts who were treated very poorly resulting in great suffering and death although much better now there is a long way to go.
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Hopefully the ballot initiative here in Floridas upcoming election will restore released felons voting rights more rapidly and in greater numbers the current system is one of many blemishes on our criminal justice system.
Many of the late 19th and early 20th century infrastructure projects were completed using convicts who were treated very poorly resulting in great suffering and death although much better now there is a long way to go.
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