45: adventure, cape fear, colon ahead, coffee money, microwave mailbox, christians or not, rabbit, no wave from me, lake evacuation, cyclists 3 & 4, lost parrot, apex police, gumpish

May 1, 2025

Sanford to Apex

Knowing it's going to get hot(ish) I left earlier than my 10:00 usual start, and was on the road by 8:00, ready for today's Adventure.

the outside wood appears shredded, and I never knew there were two layers

Cape Fear 1962 and 1991, both excellent movies

there's.... a.... colon ahead?? I really need to get out of my medical brain sometimes.

Ka-ching! It looks brand new, and hasn't been out here long.

I have no idea, but note the ladle on the right side. Rich, you're up.

"Christian Chapel Christian Church," just in case you didn't know that the Christian Chapel is a Christian Church.

The Christian Chapel Christian Church is lovely, built in the early 1880s.

there were some great stretches of road, and with no cars

I stopped here for a snack and saw this sign a little bit off the main road, not visible to passersby. It makes me want to see if I'm below the dam or above it. And if above it, then what kind of disaster would warrant an evacuation.

With each successive day I see more hills. It was on this road that a logging truck passed. Unusual for a trucker, but in order to avoid braking this person squeezed past. As appears to be the custom among North Carolinians, he did it when there was an oncoming car, and as he whooshed by the logs were a mere four feet away. I felt like shaking my fist and saying, "You'll get no smile and wave from me, sir!" Because that would show him.

Today's ride was really pleasant overall. Very little traffic until the end of the day.

Again, I need to leave my medical brain at home.

I saw three cyclists today, making a total of only four in North Carolina. Nothing but a nod as they passed.

The reward is "$$$$." Is that four digits? Because if it is, that cat I kidnapped (and, weirdly, I can't say "cat napped") back in Dania Beach are going hunting.

I should be careful about admitting to alleged crimes, because these aren't just your normal police. These are APEX police, at the top of the police food chain.

I checked into my hotel and the person at the front desk asked if I was riding a bike. My first thought went to "He's worried that I'll get everything greasy," but when I let him know my bike is very clean (except for the saddle because it hasn't rained lately, but I didn't mention that) he said, "No, I was just wondering about the first or second floor, since we don't have an elevator." I realized that I'm a little defensive about it, or maybe protective of future cyclists, knowing when I leave it will be as clean as when I arrived.

I talked to a guest about my trip and received the oft-heard response:
"You're like Forrest Gump!"
To which I replied:
"That's what my wife says! Although.... come to think of it, I'm not always certain she's referring to my bicycling."

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Curious about where the earlier picture of the lake evacuation sign was in relation to the lake, I took this screenshot later.... so, above the dam. Flooding maybe?

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Suzanne GibsonNuclear plant related emergency?
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8 months ago

Mark BinghamTo Suzanne GibsonYou may be right. I just checked and there’s the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant adjacent to the lake. The reservoir was specifically constructed to supply cooling water for the plant.
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8 months ago

Today's ride: 32 miles (51 km)
Total: 1,195 miles (1,923 km)

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