IT'S BEEN A LITTLE WHILE

So it's been almost a month since the last update, and I apologize for that. There were some wifi complications during the time I was in Cairo, IL, actually more of a lack of wifi connections. Although I wasn't able to update this blog due to those reasons, it was actually nice getting away from the internet for a while. My stay in Cairo, IL was great though. I was able to catch up with a friend and make many new friends as well. I'm in Memphis, TN now for the Anarchism and Christianity Conference, but I will talk more about that in another update soon.

During my first two weeks of being in Cairo we worked on getting the second floor of the building (Ace of Cups) dialed in. The second floor mainly consists of a living quarters and common space for those whole live there towards the front and right side of the building, and a show/workshop/anything else space in the back left part of the building. Most of the first floor, which is where the coffee shop/record, bookstore/health food co-op is going to be, was already near finished by the time I had arrived. By the end of the second week we had most of the major work out of our way and we were hoping we would be able to rest a bit more than we had been and maybe even explore some of the ruins of empire also known as downtown Cairo, unfortunately the weather had other plans for us. Just 30 min after spending a whole day painting the store front, and putting up a sweet Ace of Cups sign, and doing some tidying up in the coffee shop, we got hit by a terrible Storm which blew off half of the roof to the building and which then allowed for a tremendous amount of rain water to make it's way in and through all three floors causing a lot of water damage. After about an hour and a half of trying to battle the rain and trying to salvage everyone's personal belongings we finally caught a break in the storm for about 20 min and then it picked up again and we ended up battling it for another four hours placing buckets everywhere to catch all the water and mopping and soaking up water in all the other places that we were lacking in buckets. Once the rain died down again we immediately started scurrying around looking for tarps to cover the completely exposed roof. Unfortunately there are only three little stores in Cairo which had all closed by 8 PM if not earlier, so Chris made his way to the closest store that had tarp which was 29 miles away. By the time Chris got back and we got the tarp put on the roof it was about 5 AM and we were exhausted. Thankfully it didn't rain anymore that night. Since all the rooms on third and second floor and everything in them were completely wet we all just slept in the parts of the first floor that hadn't got wet.

We got up around lunch time the next day still exhausted and decided that we wouldn't do much cleaning or water damage repair in the building until we could get the roof fixed. We figured that if another storm would hit then we probably wouldn't be able to save the building. So my friend Zack spent the day calling different roofing companies to come out to give us quotes for a new roof. After two days had gone by none of the roofers came out. So by that point the only option left was to do it ourselves. None of us knew anything about roofing so we called friends to see if we could get any advice from their dads, who were roofers, and we also looked up some tips on the internet. It took us the remainder of my stay to get the new roof put on and to get the inside of the building somewhat clean again. Due to the to the problem we ran into with the roof, the opening of the Ace of Cups has now been set back a few weeks. It's looking like it should be up and running by the end of September though. So if you're in the area stop in and get some coffee or tea or both.

All in all my stay in Cairo was an amazing one. I got to ride in a awesome school bus, eat some amazing food with and made by my new friends Sara, Jerry, Chris, and Adrian, take part in some urban exploration, finish and start a new book, work on a sweet old building, see some new movies, listen to some new music, dumpster some amazing fruit and angel food cake, sow clothes, ride bicycles with locals, watch community flourish, and although the roof ripping off the building sucked, it was really fun learning how to put on a new one with friends. Oh yea and I got to help make a very short film with Chris, and Zack called "King For A Day", which I will hopefully put up here soon if I can find it online.

I left Cairo, IL last Monday night and set out for Memphis, TN, which was 185 miles away. By the time I got about 65 miles outside of Cairo my trailer frame snapped in half and collapsed to the ground while I was riding. If that wasn't bad enough, I was in the middle of cornfields, my cell phone was dead, and I was about 10 miles from the closest town, I hadn't seen a car for miles, it was about 10 PM, and I only had one can of beans. Since I had everything I own on my trailer I couldn't just leave it on the side of the road and go 10 miles into town and hope that someone would drive me 10 miles back into the cornfields to pick it up. Though it was 10 PM and I figured no one would probably drive by till the next day, I didn't want to take that chance, which left me stuck. Not having much else to rely on by that point I figured I could try relying on the one who has sustained me thus far, so I prayed. Thankfully 15 min later a guy and two girls in a SUV that happened to be just big enough to fit my trailer, my bike, and myself in, were heading into the next town to by cigarettes, so they picked me up and dropped me off at the gas station. Getting to a more populated area, and having access to food and water was a huge help, but since my trailer was broken I was still stranded, so I just camped out behind the gas station for the rest of the night. The next morning I got up early and met a guy at the gas station who told me there was a welding shop two blocks away, and he gave me a ride there. Once I got to the welding shop I took everything off my trailer and stripped it down completely. The welder then re-welded the broken frame and added gussets to other weak areas on the frame, which helped a lot, and then charged me very little for it, which helped me even more. Once I got my trailer fixed I got back on the road and the rest of the trip to Memphis went smoothly. Huge thanks to Zack, Sarah, Chris, Adrian, Jerry, Milo, Stacy, and Jessie for letting me share in their lives for the last 3 weeks, and for sharing in mine, and to Joe McBride for doing a dialed weld job on my trailer, and the folks who picked me up in the middle of nowhere. Grace and Peace.

Here are some photos from my stay in Cairo, and my ride from Cairo to Memphis.

Sun peaking up from behind the trees as I was making my way to Cairo.

This thing was about 15 miles out side of Cairo. Got to be a tall person to ride that thing.

This was the scariest bridge I've ever ridden across. It connects kentucky to Illinois.

The land of Lincoln and I'm sure a of a lot more to.

Couldn't believe I made it. Psyched to see that sign for sure.

This one to.

Ace of Cups before.

Ace of Cups after.

Close up.

That mattress on the right is where I slept for the majority of my stay in Cairo, it was nice.

Future home of the Cairo Co-op.

Future main Coffee shop/community/record, tape, cd, bookstore/community space.

Bike lot with a guard dog.

Mississippi and Ohio river confluence.

Chris and Zack walking through what was at one point downtown Cairo.

Chris ready for camera shred at any point in time.

Zack showing affection to the bloody dummy in the bus.

Riding the bus into town for groceries, and to drop off scrap metal.

Exploring abandon hospital in Cairo.

More of downtown Cairo.

and more.

Zack assessing the roof damage.

View two of the roof.

Zack and I climbing up abandon grain silo.

Far shot of abandon grain silo. This place was tough to get in and out of.

More abandon downtown Cairo. So many cool things can be done in this town.

One of the sweetest girls I have ever met.

Old heater in a abandon foam factory.

Sunset over the farm land on my way to Memphis.

Stripped down my trailer so it could be welded.

Glad this worked out.

big welding project going on outside of the shop. Although I think this is for hunting, it would be way better if it was a kids fort.

The sunset Just before I got into Memphis.

BREAK IN LEXINGTON, TN

I just stopped in Lexington, TN to charge my phone for a few. I wasn't planning on doing an update just yet but there is a internet connection from the Days Inn right next to me. 

Things have been going very well since I left Hartselle, AL. Some very sweet people have helped me out with some meals, so I'm very grateful for that and very full from that as well. I've been able to get some good rest the last two days and the weather has been awesome, it's currently 58 degrees right now, can't beat that. Oh yea and I got to eat breakfast this morning on a cliff right along the Tennessee River while watching one of the most beautiful sunrises. I'm hoping to pedal another 40 miles North of Lexington tonight, and then rest for a bit, and then shred it the rest of the way to Cairo, IL on Sunday night.

More updates soon, hopefully.

Grace and Peace,

Johnny

Two more signs that I was psyched on riding past.

This was the cliff I ate breakfast on this morning.

This was the sunrise that joined me.

HARTSELLE = SWIM SPOT CAPITAL OF THE WORLD maybe?

Sorry for the lack of updates. It's been hard trying to find internet access while riding & camping along the back roads & back woods of Georgia, and Alabama. I did manage to get a digital camera from my good friend Greg while I was in Atlanta and have been able to take a lot more photos so hopefully that makes up for the lack of updates.

Just before leaving Atlanta my friend Jordan helped me dial in my bike after it had gotten pretty beat up from the first half of the trip. I was able to get some new cage pedals, a seat, and new drop bars after snapping mine on my way to Atlanta. My bike rode the best it had ever ridden after leaving Atlanta. The only thing that was a bit hard to get used to was the cage pedals. I kept forgetting that my feet were locked into my pedals, which led to a couple nice falls, one being at a major intersection in Gadsden, AL in front of a lot of people. Not much else you can do though but get up and laugh it off. I just about got the hang of them now so I should be good to go. All my travels this year have been solely based on the practice of interdependency with friends, family, and people I didn't know at all prior to leaving home, and in trusting that God would provide (Matthew 6 25-34), So huge thanks to my friends, family, people I've met along the way, and to God in helping sustain me thus far.

I'm now currently in Hartselle, AL, and I've been visiting my good buddy Seth since last Sunday. We've gotten to do a lot of catching up, laughing, eating PBJ& Pecan sandwiches, swimming, and a little riding as well. I've also had a chance to hang out and ride a bit with a bunch of the Hartselle locals while I've been here and it has been such a great a time, what a great bunch of guys they are! I can't wait to make my way back through Hartselle again on my way back to Atlanta after Memphis. Also thanks to Seth, Elizabeth, and all the Hartselle locals for their great friendships and hospitality.

I'm leaving Hartselle in a few hours and heading for Cairo, IL, which will be the farthest stop of the trip. Cairo is about 250 miles from Hartselle so I'm hoping to arrive there by around Monday afternoon, maybe Tuesday. Hopefully I can update the blog with more of a detailed reflection on my Hartselle visit before then but if not then Tuesday it is.

Take care all,

Johnny

More photos from the trip.

These are three signs I never thought I would ride past on my bicycle.

Soon after crossing the Alabama/Georgia state line I got lost on some back roads and ended up in front of a house on a road with no name. I got to talking with a guy in the front yard of the house who was tending to his garden and he picked these peppers and gave them to me.

 

Riding through the mountains was one of the best and worst parts of the trip. It was amazing scenery, and riding down the mountains was blast but walking up them was pretty rough.

I was welcomed into Hartselle by this beautiful sunset and by the police pulling me over because they received a call that a man wearing a red turban was blocking traffic.

The first night at Seth's I found these pecans in his freezer that had been picked up out of his backyard. I have been shredding these things on my PB&J's ever since.

Seth and I hanging out on the Tennessee River at the Teluca swim spot. This place is amazing.

Seth hanging out on the cliff.

Climbing through the cave to get to the top of the cliff to reach some prime jumping spots.

Seth flipping into the water at Teluca.

Hanging out at another amazing swim spot called the Rock Crusher. More of a detailed story about these swim spots to come.

Rare sighting of a corneye brown snake at the Rock Crusher.

Seth Shredding the vocals and the claw with his band Misery Chastain.

Round two shred fest.

DELTONA,FL TO ATLANTA, GA

Well I set out last Monday for the Open Door Community in Atlanta, GA. I left at around 1AM from Deltona, FL on my road bike and towed my banjo and BMX bike along behind me. The first place I stopped to rest was at the St. Francis house in St. Augustine, FL. I was able to meet some nice folks, eat a good meal, and take a shower and then camp in a park near by. Thanks to the St. Francis house for helping sustain me during the first leg of the trip and for their service and compassion for our neglected, and marginalized sisters and brothers in the St. Augustine area.

I've been doing most of my traveling by night due to the overwhelming heat and humidity during the day time here in the south, which has made for some great experiences and amazing star watching. During one night at around 2AM while I was riding from Douglas, GA to Hawkinsville, GA, google maps sent me down an old dirt road in the woods which because of the soft dirt mid way down it, I got stuck. After about 20 min of failed attempts to push my bike and trailer through the soft dirt an old pick up truck approached me and a old southern man that was about as big as John Coffee from The Green Mile named Clayton Clifton and his two nephews picked me up and took me Frog hunting with them and then dropped me off on a paved road just outside of Hawkinsville. Though my participation in froggin was that of a conscientious objector, it was such a gift to had been able to share that time and the conversations that spawned from it with Clayton and his family.

After a few more days of riding and camping I finally arrived at the Open Door Community in Atlanta, GA at around 6am Saturday morning.

"The Open Door Community is a residential community in the Catholic Worker tradition (we’re sometimes called a Protestant Catholic Worker House). We seek to dismantle racism, sexism and heterosexism, abolish the death penalty, and proclaim the Beloved Community through loving relationships with some of the most neglected and outcast of God’s children: the homeless and our sisters and brothers who are in prison. We serve breakfasts and soup-kitchen lunches, provide showers and changes of clothes, staff a free medical clinic, conduct worship services and meetings for the clarification of thought, and provide a prison ministry, including monthly trips for families to visit loved ones at the Hardwick Prisons in central Georgia. We also advocate on behalf of the oppressed, homeless and prisoners through non-violent protests, grassroots organizing and the publication of our monthly newspaper, Hospitality." - the Open Door

The one thing I love the most about the Open Door is how focused and intentional they are in their relationships with one another and the personalism they embrace. Though not intentionally, most of my trips this year so far have started with a visit to the Open Door, which is helping me learn how to be more focused and intentional in my own life and in how I relate to others and for that I give thanks.

After another wonderful stay at the Open Door I made my way just up the road to Little Five Points and had an amazing burrito and did some long over do catching up with my good buddy Jordan. Tomorrow night I will get back on the road and make my way up to Cairo, IL to visit some friends and help them with the renovation of an old building that will be turned into a coffee shop, convergence space, record & bookstore, and health food co-op, and then off to Memphis, TN by the 14th & 15th of August for the Jesus Radicals Anarchism and Christianity conference (New Heaven, New Earth: Anarchism and Christianity Beyond Empire).

Here are some photos from the trip so far.

Packing for the trip

I hope this trailer makes it it Illinois

First sunrise sesh while pedaling through Ormond Beach on my way to St. Augustine.

Sharing in the joy of the sunrise with the birds.

Found this full pipe while trying to find a shady camping spot in St. Augustine.

I passed through the Okefenokee not to long after I crossed into Georgia. This has been one of the best star watching spots of the trip so far.

Another beautiful sunrise as I was making my way into Douglas, GA.

This was the last town that I rested in before making my way into Atlanta. This was a beautiful little town with a river flowing through it which made for some great swimming/bathing. This movie was also filmed there.

Finally made it to the Open Door and got to hang out with my good buddy Clark.

The Open Door July 4th picnic about to take place.

Made it this far.

This much further to go.

Grace and Peace,

Johnny