Day 19-Thurs. Nov. 5, Krotz Springs, LA- 112 miles

Well I need to make a correction. I said Texas had the worst roads. Wrong! The honor now goes to Louisiana. For 75 miles of the 112 miles I rode today, the road had no shoulders! Very dangerous considering the logging trucks whizzing by my in both directions. Thankfully never two of them passing me at the same time. Then when I finally did have some shoulder to ride on, they were littered with all sorts of debris. So as I'm riding I'm constantly on the alert and just about as often dodging the rocks, tire pieces, scrap metal, bolts, trash, wood, road kill, not to mention all the many cracks, bumps, and potholes. And then to top it all off, I'll be riding nicely on the shoulder, and up comes a bridge (and there are many of them) where the shoulder disappears, and you just hope and pray that you get across the bridge before both coming and going traffic has to pass you on that bridge. I praise the Lord for keeping me safe today! I know my guardian angel must have really been working overtime to keep me out of danger.
But there are many bright spots today as well. The weather was great--sunny and hi of 78, with light headwind. I can tell it is getting more humid now that I've entered into the deep south, because when I sweat it doesn't evaporate as quickly.
Also, we stopped for lunch in Ville Platte, LA. We parked in front of some shops/offices. One of them was Edward Jones. The financial advisor came out to inquire of Dave and Faith as to where they were from and what they were doing. Faith told of my biking across the country. He thought it would be great to get the local newspaper reporter over to do a story on it. This all happened before I got there. So when I rode up, he came out with the newspaper man to interview me and get my picture. We asked if we could get their picture as well. So below you see the man on the left of me is Edward Jones advisor, and on the right is the reporter.
The owner of the complex also came out, ( who has a barber shop next door), to inquire as to our whereabouts as well. Faith gave them both books of Desire of Ages, and Steps to Christ. They were very thankful for that.
Rode by many bayous today. The land is very flat now and mostly at or below sea level. Where we are staying in Livonia it is 5 ft. below sea level. Lots of swamp land, and standing water in the woods from all the rain they had earlier. In Ville Platte I saw some huge, old wide overspreading live oak trees in front of these old historic homes. Very beautiful. (sorry, no picture).
I also rode by many fields of rice and sugar cane.
Tomorrow I'll be riding through Baton Rouge, and north of New Orleans, and will stop just short of the Mississippi border.
Can't wait to see my family and all my friends back in Dunlap! Pastor Ryder may join me for the last few days of riding in FL. And Janine will do the last day of riding with me to St. Augustine, on Tues, Nov. 17.