Me, Deirdre, Ken and Phil before leaving Eutaw

We began our day with eggs and grits that Deirdre made for breakfast.  Grits actually reminds me of cream of wheat, but most people put butter and salt in it.  Phil and I enjoyed ours with pure maple syrup.  Real maple syrup is one thing I really wish was more popular down here.

After cleaning off our bikes and packing up, we said goodbye to Deirdre and Ken (George and Nola were still sleeping) and left Eutaw.  The ride was a gradual, steady uphill for most of the route.

The river between Boligee and Epes, Alabama

We rode for 26 miles, non-stop except to snap a few quick photos of the river from a bridge we crossed over.  A woman driving by in a minivan slowed down to let us know there was a historical fort nearby, in case we were interested.  We stopped at the Touch of Home Bakery in Livingston, by the University of West Alabama.  For the next 33 miles, we were on the same road.  The weather was pleasant, but the ride was long – almost 70 miles.

Welcome to Mississippi!

We made it to Meridian before dark and were greeted by the large dog Crystal shares with her neighbor as we approached her trailer.  We were Crystal’s first couchsurfers, and she kindly welcomed us to join her family for Thanksgiving the next day.  We showered in her newly redecorated bathroom and ate some tasty sweet potato casserole that Crystal had made the day before.

Wanting to contribute something for the holiday, we went to Walmart and bought ingredients for pies.  I made a coconut sweet potato pumpkin pie with a gingersnap crust from a recipe I found in a newspaper on the counter, and Phil made banana bread.  With all the leftover pumpkin and sweet potato, I made a bread as well.

Don't worry - this is NOT where we stayed in Meridian

Crystal’s friend, Donald, came over for a bit, and I made drinks with the rest of the coconut milk.  Sky juice, a drink I fell in love with while in the Bahamas last summer, is made with coconut water, condensed milk, and gin.  I already had some coconut water, so with the gin that Donald brought over, I made some sky juice with ice in the blender.  After Donald left, we watched Napoleon Dynamite and went to bed.