MY Did It Rain by Betsy

“This has got to be the worst weather yet, don’t you think,” asked Carole.  “And I’m getting really cold.”

No wonder.  We had been pedaling our bikes since day break in the pouring rain.  We were completely saturated and it was barely mid-morning. 

“Let’s stop for coffee if we ever come to a shop.”  We had seen nothing but flooded farmers’ fields for the last 10 miles.   “We’re going toward the river road.  The next town should be coming up soon,” said Cathy hopefully.

Another five miles and we did reach the river road.  No sign of the town or our support vehicle known as Bo Peep--so named because she was always losing us--her sheep.  Nor had there been a sign of tour company’s van and the trailer hauling our luggage and traveling kitchen. 

“It’s getting so dark, “yelled Cathy. 

“The weather just keeps getting worse.  Let’s just hope we don’t get serious thunder and lightning.  We’ll have to hole-up for awhile if that happens.  Meantime, I would like to get to a coffee shop as soon as possible,” I said. Privately I was thinking, “I MUST get to a coffee shop soon.”

This was Mississippi in late April.  We had completed 2/3 of our cycling trip from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic.  Up to now--from California to Louisiana-- the weather had been pretty good.  Not perfect, but mostly dry and benign.   It had obviously been raining here for quite some time.  The fields in this rural area of southern Mississippi were badly flooded and the rivers were very high.

Just when the rain did let up a bit we came upon a low-lying section of road about 1/4 mile long.  The water was completely covering the road; so deep, we could not actually be sure we were on the pavement.  We had no choice but to carry our bicycles through the two feet of water to the place beyond where the road became visible again.  Not only was the road covered, but also there was a rather formidable current running across it coming out of a nearby swamp.

          As we were emerging from this quagmire almost home free, we heard a vehicle droning along behind us.  It was our tour van and trailer.  The van was doing well to get through the flooded road.  The attached trailer on the other hand, was literally floating atop the water, its wheels having most definitely left the ground, moving at an angle in the current while at the same time holding on for dear life to it’s life support, the van, which we all prayed would not stall in the flood.  We stood gaping in horror at this sight each of us going over in our heads the condition our belongings would be in by the time they reached dry ground. 

“My computer is in there, cried Carole.  Mine, too,” screamed Cathy.

Talking about the events of the day at our group gathering that evening Cathy, Carole and I learned that we were fortunate to be one of the first groups to finish that ride that day.  We were indeed glad of this when one woman said “ Walking our bikes through the water wouldn’t have been so bad if someone hadn’t told us beforehand to watch out for the snakes and alligators!”  The three of us agreed we were much better off not knowing about those hazards. And we were relieved to learn that the van trailer kept our belongings dry and secure.

“Of course,” I thought.  “It was floating.  It must be water-tight.”  A good thing! 

We had stew for dinner that night.  Claudia, our cook and heroic van driver, had purchased everything for tonight’s dinner early that morning before the watery event.  It was all safe and sound in the trailer kitchen she assured us.  But I’m not so sure.  I could have sworn that stew meat had a gamey, reptilian taste to it.

About the Author

Betsy has been active in the GLBT community including PFLAG, the Denver women’s chorus,  OLOC (Old Lesbians Organizing for Change).  She has been retired from the Human Services field for about 15 years.  Since her retirement her major activities include tennis, camping, traveling, teaching skiing as a volunteer instructor with National Sports Center for the Disabled, and learning. Betsy came out as a lesbian after 25 years of marriage. She has a close relationship with her three children and enjoys spending time with her four grandchildren. Betsy says her greatest and most meaningful enjoyment comes from sharing her life with her partner of 25 years, Gillian Edwards.