Day 96

I awoke to church bells at 6 a.m. I was sleeping outside at Holy Family parish in East Bernard TX. It was before sun rise on Memorial Day.

I was a little disoriented, and didn’t get much sleep. I headed further into town. I made it to the high school football field. I decided to set up my hammock under the bleachers and try for sleep. 

I got some! It was quiet all morning. Around noon I broke camp. Clouds rolled in. It looked like it might storm. 

I went to a Mcdonald’s and got a big mac. I also drank alot of powerade and water to hydrate. It was a brief downpour.

I hit the road.

I changed the bandaid on the tire of the buggy. It had worn through. It was another 2 days of travel to make it to a Walmart. I was hoping it would hold up. 

The buggy seemed so heavy. It seemed I had been fighting against it all day, but there wasn’t much in it weight wise. I took a look at the wheels, they were all inflated. I tried spinning the front tire, it barely budged. I took it apart roadside.

I wasn’t sure exactly how the mechanics of the tire worked, but I opened up the bearings and cleaned them out. I took everything apart piece by piece. I realized after cleaning all the gunk out they probably needed to be greased, but I didn’t have any. I opened up a can on salmon David and his family had given me. I used the oils inside the can to grease the bearings. It was a tricky process, and at one point I briefly lost a part in the grass on the side of the road. Anyway, I got the buggy up and running again, and I had a snack!

What a difference! I put in the miles and made it to Eagle Lake, TX.

I needed food. I had snacked on almonds and dried cherries David’s family had given me throughout the day. It can be pretty easy to get into a calorie deficit when you travel miles and miles and miles, even if you have been eating all day. I hit DQ and got a chicken finger basket. 
I explored Eagle Lake. Long story short it was difficult finding a place to camp. Around 10 p.m. I found a little hidden corner behind an Episcopal church in the historic district. I laid down my sleeping bag for rest. I battled mosquitos all night long. I even went and bought bug spray at a 24 hour gas station at one point. I didn’t get much rest at all.