On The Way There

In an earlier post I mentioned we had gone to Lake Martin and the swamps yesterday. What I didn't mention was the experience in getting there.

We were on Hwy90, a four lane highway separated by a wide median strip of soil. The speed limit is 60mph on this stretch of road. We were in the left lane of the double westbound side of this highway. Suddenly in the right lane beside me appeared a guy with a motorcycle helmet on and a windbreaker and jeans. The strange thing about this was he was looking DOWN at me as he kept the same speed beside me. I had to look up to where a normal height would be for someone in a 4-wheel drive vehicle.

For a few seconds my brain wasn't processing what I was seeing. I couldn't quite understand how he could be looking down from such a height until I realized he was riding his rear tire only. He rode that wheelie at 60 miles an hour for the next 1/2 mile beside the car I was in. I watched as gusts of wind would slam into him and he would compensate by leaning into the gusts. Behind him was his buddy who was riding his cycle with his body to one side of his bike, both feet together barely missing skimming the pavement. When we approached the next stop light, the wheelie rider dropped his bike back to two wheels and his buddy swung his body astride his bike. Safe!

Riding beside someone on a motorcycle makes me nervous anyway. I'm always in fear they will wreck and slide under my car so I always drop back and let them get some distance between their bike and my car. To watch this guy ride that wheelie at the speed we were going and in the wind that was gusting gave me a queasy stomach. I was relieved when we reached the intersection and made a turn off the four lane highway.

I chalk this up to it being Mardi Gras. Always something crazy to be seen on Fat Tuesday.

The streets downtown were lined with large crowds for the parades. Getting around was impossible. Streets were barricaded. Cars were trying to reverse out of line when they found they were stalled in a long line of cars in front of a barricated road. Any place that had a bare area was taken by campers, bbq pits, chairs and people. Rules of the road are pretty much ignored. I think the only thing the police are patrolling for is drunk drivers. The drive in Daiquiri stores were having a booming business day.

A couple of murders here, a couple in Baton Rouge and more in New Orleans. Yep, a typical holiday for us.