Wow how are you holding up C? your training paying off I hope? It can't stay cold and rainy forever! keep on truckin. well bikin anyway.

Cold, wind, & hills -- sounds like Connecticut. You should have trained here with me! So true about making drivers go over & out, otherwise they make no effort to give you space. Do you find that vans & trucks are the worst? I sometimes wonder if the working class doesn't like bicyclists :)

Aw rats -- sorry Diane didn't stick it out. What you're doing isn't easy, though, so it's understandable. Hope you like the new gal from Pensacola.

Hang in there Caroline! The weather WILL improve. Blessings to you all.

What an adventure. Thanks for letting us live through yours. Intense fun, huh?

I love reading your reports! Florida can be surprisingly cold in February and early March!

Too bad you are traveling against the prevailing winds. The best you can hope for is a calm day.

My hat goes off to you!!!Good luck with your journey. ;o)

Hey Sue. we are holding up great. We had sun and very little wind to day so that was great. We are in DeFuniak Springs today. Shorter day. So we will do laundry and rest for tomorrow.

awm _ you got that right !! Fewer hills and warm and sunny and no wind today...beautiful ! Thank you for your best wishes. Having a lot of fun. We miss Diane but it just wasn't meant to be....lots of reasons. Gal joining us is from Syracuse NY...flying in from there to Pensacola to join us.

golddust---VERY intense but lots of fun !

Graywings - I am glad you are enjoing my funny reports LOL> Many of the winds have been North so it wouldn't really matter if we were travelling west to east...plus it is always a head wind when you are on a bike...it seems LOL.

THANK YOU Patty, they are a great group...I am very lucky. c

Caroline,

I wanted to ask you specifically where you were going to come through in Louisiana--couldn't quite tell from the map...? If it's near me, maybe I could be of some kind of help to you. Or just come out to lend moral support!

Keep going, you're so strong !!! I too wish you more clement weather.

Trailrunner - do you have intercoms between the bikes? Or do you have signals? What do you do when someone needs a pee break?

Hi Caroline,

Watching your progress also, and thinking you must be riding on I-10? If so you will be passing right through my neck of the woods in Texas! I am just inside Texas from Louisiana. Between Orange and Beaumont. There is a nice visitors center just as you cross into Texas, although I have never personally been there. Then when you get way out by San Antonio you have to stop at Buc-ees if you get the chance! You'll see billboards for it. Anyway, I would also like to say hi or do something to help if I can when you come though my neck of Texas!

Caroline, I don't think there has been a day gone by that I haven't shared your adventure with someone!

You are amazing! Just know, with all of the mini setbacks or tough days, there is a family each day getting food that they may not have received if it weren't for you. I know it's not a lot, but for each mile you ride, I have pledged to donate at least 10 cents, which is in excess of my regular donations....so you ARE making a difference!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

imsoconfused, don't know if you'll see this, but we must be virtually neighbors--sounds like I'm less than an hour away from you--in La.!

Well howdy neighbor to jbrig! You must be in Lake Charles or closer like Sulphur maybe?

You're good :-)

just catching up to this..limited computer time if we are in a motel. I am sorry I missed the questions and thoughtful responses.

jbrig: we will be in Poplarville MA tomorrow night. We are in Ocean Springs today and last night. Took our first day off. We will be in Baton Rouge soon after that and then on West of there. my email address is : carolinedonnelly(at)bellsouth(dot)net. I can get emails if you want to send me one.

THAK YOU Mitch...the rain has not materialized but we are enjoying a day off. Wind at our backs ! I do feel strong . Thak you so much.

graywings we all have cell phones. But we are never very far apart. We decide to stop usually ever 1 to 1 1/2 hrs. We usually wait till we see a likely Mom and Pop restaurant or gas station. Also whoever is in front pulls over and the others look for the bike that is parked outside. It always works out so far.

imsocunfused. No we are using all back roads. We rode on Hwy 90 as it has a wide shoulder but we usually stay to back roads. We will pass through Baton Rouge and St Francisville LA and then Austin TX too...a straight line west. 880 miles in TX !!!

Oh Marlene...how you touch my heart. What a fantastic tribute to the human spirit...I hope you don't mind if I share your comment with the Food Bank Face book page...I am so pleased that we can all work together to make a difference. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

jbrig : I sure try :)

Caroline, I just re-read my post and I wrote that it's in excess of my regular donation, but what I meant was that it is "in addition" to my regular donation (a bit of a brain lapse...I blame it on menopause).

..and please, feel free to share my comments....sometimes people don't realize how little it takes to help others. I just read that $10.00 will pay for an emergency food box to feed a family for four days.

I know I've said it before, but I will say it again, you are an inspiration!

I understand Marlene...you are really special. Thank you for your wonderful heartwarming thoughts. c