DAY 199: BAINBRIDGE - DONALSONVILLE - JAKIN, GEORGIA

As can well be imagined, I have difficulty just sitting / sweltering / with over a thousand or so miles to Oklahoma City. So, this morning, sore ankles and all, we lit out down US 84.

We walked two sessions...one 5 mile and one 10 miles (with 2 rest stops). Right ankle is doing great. Left ankle - the one twisted in the fall - is still sore and tentative. Wanted to do a third leg this evening, but decided to call it quits for the day.


This is in the town of DONALSONVILLE, GEORGIA. From here, walked our second leg to the town of JAKIN. GEORGIA. where SPIA is settled attached to the working garage of Doug's Trailer Service, complete with electricity...WOW, we have Air Conditioning for the night.

This is a Cotton Gin Facility near DONALSONVILLE.

Two major crops are grown in this part of Georgia: Cotton and Peanuts.

With the high price of corn, some corn was planted this year.


The Peanut Shelling Plant...not too much to see from the Highway.

This was a welcome stop. Some of the most delicious looking veggies and fruit I have seen. Bought a vine ripe tomato which I ate like an apple. Had an interesting chat with a local farmer about crops and WATER. Seems this part of the South East is sitting on one of the largest aquifers in the United States...and not yet tapped. He talked about drilling wells to 14,000 feet - yes, 14,000 feet - for water. Most local wells are 100 - 150 feet deep. Old wells under 50 feet deep have dried up.

This is - am guessing - is a Peanut Plant. Seems kinda skimpy to be a cotton plant.

This is the field of "peanut" plants.

A tractor Spray Unit traveling US 84. It takes up two lanes of the 4-lane roadway.

SPIAs Air Conditioner just shut down - did not blow a fuse -, so I shut it off. Will have it serviced before I try to use it again. The itty bitty fan does an OK job of keeping inside SPIA tolerable.

We are about 5 miles from the border with Alabama. If my left leg is OK in the morning, we walk. If not, we sit.

Have found new uses for the Ice Chest. In addition to keeping things cold, I drain off some ice water into a Plastic Dishwashing Pan and use it as a foot bath...also wrap ice cold towels around my owie ankles.

In addition, soak a small hand towel from the ice water spigot to bathe many times a day. It is quite refreshing and keeps my body cool - and clean -, especially just after walking.

Have also purchased a second HD Bath Towel. This towel is draped over the lid of the Ice Chest, giving more insulation. In over 100 F. the ice is still surviving after 24 hours...not much, but surprisingly there is any at all.

Also now make Ice Tea and Iced Gatorade whenever I want - have powder for both -. Tempted to pick up a bottle of Rum, but decided against it.