No ants- yay! Maybe I finally outran them. As soon as I got out of my tent, I found out that the weird sound I had been hearing earlier was a lawn mower. Hopefully I can sneak out of the woods without him noticing. I got almost to the pavement when he turned and probably saw me. He didn't seem to care though. I just wizzed on by. I went past a few signs that said "don't feed the alligators" but I have a feeling that was just for show. I stopped by a Dollar Tree and stocked up. While packing up, a guy chatted with me about my trip. He was really enthusiastic and genuinely interested. He pointed me to the bike shop just accross the road. That's convenient. Unfortunately, it was closed. On a Monday. How dumb. I asked the nearby shell station if they knew where I could get a postcard. They pointed me back to the previous shell station. I didn't remember seeing it, and I didn't want to go back when I was pretty confident I would just be disappointed again, so I just kept on going. I checked out another small town- nothing. I passed by a bike route sign, but I don't know what it was referring to. Once I got into Florida, that's when the road was finally marked for biking. It felt weird, but I was so glad to be on the side of a highway and know I was supposed to be there. I made it on the outskirts of Pensacola, and the traffic increased dramatically. Luckily I had my bike lane, so it didn't bother me. I went to the closest bike shop. It was a bit out of the way, but I desperately needed it- my tire liner was showing through on my front tire. Yeah, there was an actual hole. The guys there were really quick to change them out and give me a new chain. I did a few back and forths in the parking lot to make sure everything was in good order and then left. Only about 100 feet down the road, I put it in the highest gear. Clank, clank, clank, clank. Crap. The gears were slipping. I knew this happened in 2nd and 8, but not the highest gear, the one I stay in practically all day. I thought about going back, but I had already spent 100 bucks. Maybe it would fix itself over time. Dispite this, I made great time, and decided to go past where I originally intended. I got on a red brick road. It was nice because I didn't have to worry about other cars at all, but it wasn't the smoothest ride. When I found out the road next to it had a bike lane, I switched over. I found a cranny in the woods and went in, slowly, with my flashlight. There was a giant spider blocking the entrance- that's not going to work. I kept going, a little stressed now. It was getting dark. I got back on the red brick road. It paralleled a rail road. A road crossed it, so I took it and started going along the side on the tracks. I got to a spot that was far enough away from the road that had a bush to block me from view. It was so dim that I couldn't see the ground or any spiders, so I got out my phone's flashlight. There was only a small spider near the bush- no problem. I set up my tent, forgetting to spray Raid. Oh well, I bet there's enough on the bottom of my tent that none will want to come in. I sprayed a line all the way around my tent. I climbed inside. Finally. I was getting ready to put my basket in a trash bag when my ankle started iching. I checked. Yep, darn, a few must have been under the tent as I was setting up. Then I looked around. It was like Armageddon. I paused, not really knowing what to do. There were more ants than I ever had to deal with before. I put everything in the trash bags and moved them outside, on top of my bike. I sprayed the ground- it was just enough for a tent spot, and then it was all used up. I shook out my tent and then set to work with duct tape to get the remaining few out. It was during this that I saw the nest. Yeah, I'm gonna have to move. I moved my tent to the ditch nearby. It was really rocky and surely uncomfortable, but it would have to do. As I moved my gear over, ensuring no ants were on them, I kept checking the ground. I think I saw like one ant. I was too close to the nest anyways. I moved to the other side of the tracks- still in the rocky area. But then I decided to check the spot above it. It was much more flat. I checked carefully for ants- nothing. There was what looked like a nest though. I smashed it with my shoe. I'll keep checking it. I shook my tent and got the rest with duct tape one last time. I put everything back in my tent, being careful to check for ants. I finally went to receive my bike. I grabbed the handle and quickly released- it was covered with ants. While I was moving my gear and tent, I left my bike directly on top of the nest. I'm sure my handlebars were covered with the smell of food. There were also several on the can of Raid. I thought about just leaving my bike there, but I imagined them chewing the crap out of my handles. I grabbed my bike by the tire and dragged it 20 feet away. At least it would be a pain for them to attack it. I finished up with my tent and then moved my bike again, down to the rocks, just for good measure. I climbed inside my tent. Finally I could relax somewhat. It was only 9, but that means it took almost 2 hours to finally get to this point. I managed to get some sleep and then was awoken a little after midnight by an ant crawling on my legs. I'm sure I just missed one. Nope, they were all over. I think I must have realized that these were from my basket originally- they must have swarmed it before I put it in the bag. I carefully took out the stuff they hadn't gotten to yet- mostly sealed food. Then I tied it back up and tossed it out of my tent to the rocks in the ditch below. It'll be easier to deal with tomorrow morning. I used duct tape to get the rest- I was so afraid that they would just keep on coming. Somehow I got them all though. I tried to get some sleep, but there was someone on the loudest dirt bike in the world who would go back and forth on the road pretty close to me. Then a train went by. I watched it for a bit- it was kinda cool to see one so close, at night, from inside a tent. Somehow I eventually managed to sleep. I woke up throughout the night to check for ants. I was in my sleeping bag now, so I wasn't able to feel when they invaded.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Day 82
Lawn mower
No ants- yay! Maybe I finally outran them. As soon as I got out of my tent, I found out that the weird sound I had been hearing earlier was a lawn mower. Hopefully I can sneak out of the woods without him noticing. I got almost to the pavement when he turned and probably saw me. He didn't seem to care though. I just wizzed on by. I went past a few signs that said "don't feed the alligators" but I have a feeling that was just for show. I stopped by a Dollar Tree and stocked up. While packing up, a guy chatted with me about my trip. He was really enthusiastic and genuinely interested. He pointed me to the bike shop just accross the road. That's convenient. Unfortunately, it was closed. On a Monday. How dumb. I asked the nearby shell station if they knew where I could get a postcard. They pointed me back to the previous shell station. I didn't remember seeing it, and I didn't want to go back when I was pretty confident I would just be disappointed again, so I just kept on going. I checked out another small town- nothing. I passed by a bike route sign, but I don't know what it was referring to. Once I got into Florida, that's when the road was finally marked for biking. It felt weird, but I was so glad to be on the side of a highway and know I was supposed to be there. I made it on the outskirts of Pensacola, and the traffic increased dramatically. Luckily I had my bike lane, so it didn't bother me. I went to the closest bike shop. It was a bit out of the way, but I desperately needed it- my tire liner was showing through on my front tire. Yeah, there was an actual hole. The guys there were really quick to change them out and give me a new chain. I did a few back and forths in the parking lot to make sure everything was in good order and then left. Only about 100 feet down the road, I put it in the highest gear. Clank, clank, clank, clank. Crap. The gears were slipping. I knew this happened in 2nd and 8, but not the highest gear, the one I stay in practically all day. I thought about going back, but I had already spent 100 bucks. Maybe it would fix itself over time. Dispite this, I made great time, and decided to go past where I originally intended. I got on a red brick road. It was nice because I didn't have to worry about other cars at all, but it wasn't the smoothest ride. When I found out the road next to it had a bike lane, I switched over. I found a cranny in the woods and went in, slowly, with my flashlight. There was a giant spider blocking the entrance- that's not going to work. I kept going, a little stressed now. It was getting dark. I got back on the red brick road. It paralleled a rail road. A road crossed it, so I took it and started going along the side on the tracks. I got to a spot that was far enough away from the road that had a bush to block me from view. It was so dim that I couldn't see the ground or any spiders, so I got out my phone's flashlight. There was only a small spider near the bush- no problem. I set up my tent, forgetting to spray Raid. Oh well, I bet there's enough on the bottom of my tent that none will want to come in. I sprayed a line all the way around my tent. I climbed inside. Finally. I was getting ready to put my basket in a trash bag when my ankle started iching. I checked. Yep, darn, a few must have been under the tent as I was setting up. Then I looked around. It was like Armageddon. I paused, not really knowing what to do. There were more ants than I ever had to deal with before. I put everything in the trash bags and moved them outside, on top of my bike. I sprayed the ground- it was just enough for a tent spot, and then it was all used up. I shook out my tent and then set to work with duct tape to get the remaining few out. It was during this that I saw the nest. Yeah, I'm gonna have to move. I moved my tent to the ditch nearby. It was really rocky and surely uncomfortable, but it would have to do. As I moved my gear over, ensuring no ants were on them, I kept checking the ground. I think I saw like one ant. I was too close to the nest anyways. I moved to the other side of the tracks- still in the rocky area. But then I decided to check the spot above it. It was much more flat. I checked carefully for ants- nothing. There was what looked like a nest though. I smashed it with my shoe. I'll keep checking it. I shook my tent and got the rest with duct tape one last time. I put everything back in my tent, being careful to check for ants. I finally went to receive my bike. I grabbed the handle and quickly released- it was covered with ants. While I was moving my gear and tent, I left my bike directly on top of the nest. I'm sure my handlebars were covered with the smell of food. There were also several on the can of Raid. I thought about just leaving my bike there, but I imagined them chewing the crap out of my handles. I grabbed my bike by the tire and dragged it 20 feet away. At least it would be a pain for them to attack it. I finished up with my tent and then moved my bike again, down to the rocks, just for good measure. I climbed inside my tent. Finally I could relax somewhat. It was only 9, but that means it took almost 2 hours to finally get to this point. I managed to get some sleep and then was awoken a little after midnight by an ant crawling on my legs. I'm sure I just missed one. Nope, they were all over. I think I must have realized that these were from my basket originally- they must have swarmed it before I put it in the bag. I carefully took out the stuff they hadn't gotten to yet- mostly sealed food. Then I tied it back up and tossed it out of my tent to the rocks in the ditch below. It'll be easier to deal with tomorrow morning. I used duct tape to get the rest- I was so afraid that they would just keep on coming. Somehow I got them all though. I tried to get some sleep, but there was someone on the loudest dirt bike in the world who would go back and forth on the road pretty close to me. Then a train went by. I watched it for a bit- it was kinda cool to see one so close, at night, from inside a tent. Somehow I eventually managed to sleep. I woke up throughout the night to check for ants. I was in my sleeping bag now, so I wasn't able to feel when they invaded.
No ants- yay! Maybe I finally outran them. As soon as I got out of my tent, I found out that the weird sound I had been hearing earlier was a lawn mower. Hopefully I can sneak out of the woods without him noticing. I got almost to the pavement when he turned and probably saw me. He didn't seem to care though. I just wizzed on by. I went past a few signs that said "don't feed the alligators" but I have a feeling that was just for show. I stopped by a Dollar Tree and stocked up. While packing up, a guy chatted with me about my trip. He was really enthusiastic and genuinely interested. He pointed me to the bike shop just accross the road. That's convenient. Unfortunately, it was closed. On a Monday. How dumb. I asked the nearby shell station if they knew where I could get a postcard. They pointed me back to the previous shell station. I didn't remember seeing it, and I didn't want to go back when I was pretty confident I would just be disappointed again, so I just kept on going. I checked out another small town- nothing. I passed by a bike route sign, but I don't know what it was referring to. Once I got into Florida, that's when the road was finally marked for biking. It felt weird, but I was so glad to be on the side of a highway and know I was supposed to be there. I made it on the outskirts of Pensacola, and the traffic increased dramatically. Luckily I had my bike lane, so it didn't bother me. I went to the closest bike shop. It was a bit out of the way, but I desperately needed it- my tire liner was showing through on my front tire. Yeah, there was an actual hole. The guys there were really quick to change them out and give me a new chain. I did a few back and forths in the parking lot to make sure everything was in good order and then left. Only about 100 feet down the road, I put it in the highest gear. Clank, clank, clank, clank. Crap. The gears were slipping. I knew this happened in 2nd and 8, but not the highest gear, the one I stay in practically all day. I thought about going back, but I had already spent 100 bucks. Maybe it would fix itself over time. Dispite this, I made great time, and decided to go past where I originally intended. I got on a red brick road. It was nice because I didn't have to worry about other cars at all, but it wasn't the smoothest ride. When I found out the road next to it had a bike lane, I switched over. I found a cranny in the woods and went in, slowly, with my flashlight. There was a giant spider blocking the entrance- that's not going to work. I kept going, a little stressed now. It was getting dark. I got back on the red brick road. It paralleled a rail road. A road crossed it, so I took it and started going along the side on the tracks. I got to a spot that was far enough away from the road that had a bush to block me from view. It was so dim that I couldn't see the ground or any spiders, so I got out my phone's flashlight. There was only a small spider near the bush- no problem. I set up my tent, forgetting to spray Raid. Oh well, I bet there's enough on the bottom of my tent that none will want to come in. I sprayed a line all the way around my tent. I climbed inside. Finally. I was getting ready to put my basket in a trash bag when my ankle started iching. I checked. Yep, darn, a few must have been under the tent as I was setting up. Then I looked around. It was like Armageddon. I paused, not really knowing what to do. There were more ants than I ever had to deal with before. I put everything in the trash bags and moved them outside, on top of my bike. I sprayed the ground- it was just enough for a tent spot, and then it was all used up. I shook out my tent and then set to work with duct tape to get the remaining few out. It was during this that I saw the nest. Yeah, I'm gonna have to move. I moved my tent to the ditch nearby. It was really rocky and surely uncomfortable, but it would have to do. As I moved my gear over, ensuring no ants were on them, I kept checking the ground. I think I saw like one ant. I was too close to the nest anyways. I moved to the other side of the tracks- still in the rocky area. But then I decided to check the spot above it. It was much more flat. I checked carefully for ants- nothing. There was what looked like a nest though. I smashed it with my shoe. I'll keep checking it. I shook my tent and got the rest with duct tape one last time. I put everything back in my tent, being careful to check for ants. I finally went to receive my bike. I grabbed the handle and quickly released- it was covered with ants. While I was moving my gear and tent, I left my bike directly on top of the nest. I'm sure my handlebars were covered with the smell of food. There were also several on the can of Raid. I thought about just leaving my bike there, but I imagined them chewing the crap out of my handles. I grabbed my bike by the tire and dragged it 20 feet away. At least it would be a pain for them to attack it. I finished up with my tent and then moved my bike again, down to the rocks, just for good measure. I climbed inside my tent. Finally I could relax somewhat. It was only 9, but that means it took almost 2 hours to finally get to this point. I managed to get some sleep and then was awoken a little after midnight by an ant crawling on my legs. I'm sure I just missed one. Nope, they were all over. I think I must have realized that these were from my basket originally- they must have swarmed it before I put it in the bag. I carefully took out the stuff they hadn't gotten to yet- mostly sealed food. Then I tied it back up and tossed it out of my tent to the rocks in the ditch below. It'll be easier to deal with tomorrow morning. I used duct tape to get the rest- I was so afraid that they would just keep on coming. Somehow I got them all though. I tried to get some sleep, but there was someone on the loudest dirt bike in the world who would go back and forth on the road pretty close to me. Then a train went by. I watched it for a bit- it was kinda cool to see one so close, at night, from inside a tent. Somehow I eventually managed to sleep. I woke up throughout the night to check for ants. I was in my sleeping bag now, so I wasn't able to feel when they invaded.
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