An act of kindness

 Wide eyed and restless, I was out of my tent at 5:00.  In the dark with my headlamp on,  the tear tire and tube was replaced with my emergency tire and tube.  Not simple but the job got done and I packed up.  Tom, Steve and I rolled out of the RV campground in Emerald Isle at 8:12.  A block later we were climbing over another long bridge connecting the outer banks to the mainland.  Over the last several days, I have ridden over at least a dozen of these bridges.  New or old, all of them are stressful to get over. The shoulders are usually around six feet to eight feet but the debris which includes metal shards and fine wire from blown tires renders half of the shoulder unusable.  This where Tom and I probable developed our flats. About several miles later I had to turn south to get Sneads Ferry where my warmshowers host was located. Tom and Steve were headed west. Fifteen miles on route 24 bought me right into Jacksonville, North Carolina. There was a bike shop. A wave anxiety left me immediately.  There I had the rear tire and tube replaced.  The emergency spare was repacked.  Before heading down a block to have lunch I had a nice talk with a guy about my age.  He was impressed with my riding adventures. After lunch, I returned to the bike shop to retrieve my bike. The guy working on it informed that the man I had been speaking to return to the shop and paid for the new tire and tubes.  What a nice act if kindness to a complete stranger.  He left and the shop guys did not know who he was.  So I will simply pass on the favor when the opportunity arises. 

One on the road again I spotted off in the distance Tom and Steve again, recognizing their rear flashing lights.  Catching up  to them as they were taking a break, they had taken the long route on back roads and I had taken the more direct route on a busy four lane road.  Tom’s navigational skills rival mine....not so good. We bid farewell for a second time as they stayed straight and I turned left. A few turns and four plus miles, forty-eight over all, I arrived at Ray’s house, my warmshowers host.  Both of us born in 1949 two weeks apart and avid long distance bicyclists, we hit it off. He made lunch and dinner, did my laundry and we talked about our biking adventures and many other subjects.  Tomorrow morning he is making me waffles and with luck I hope to be with another warmshowers host tomorrow night.