A Living Magazine - Day 268 - Homecoming - Oak Grove to Chartwell

This would be my last day in Oak Grove. I rose and packed up my very wet tarps. The tent itself was damp. Hitting the road and heading back toward the little strip malls, I decided to check out whether the Subway up the street had Wi-Fi. And, I knew they had coffee. Maybe it would be better than the thin water-flavored spoiled-creamer coffee of the Shell station (<<< read the reviews)? You never know.

When I arrived there, sure enough, Subway used the Keurig system so the coffee was right up to snuff. I worked on their Wi-Fi for a few hours (they had an AC outlet too). Before heading to the library to finish some work, I stopped by the Food Lion to pick up some lunch items. 

Then seeing just how sunny and hot it had become, I walked to the back of the parking lot and up onto a grassy hill where I pulled out all the wet items from the backpack and laid them all out on the ground. It only took about five minutes to dry everything. I continued on to the library...

I liked this idea and had never seen it before.

Old asphalt roofing shingles, recycled--cut up and used on a rock driveway.

Camellia japonica v. Professor Sargent

I'd forgotten it was Super Tuesday. There was a long line of voters coming in the side door all day. After working for a while inside the library I was getting a bit peckish. So, I ventured outside with my food bag, across the line of patient voters and to the patio bench I'd sat on the day before to eat...

Above: fried chicken, multicolored carrots and pine nut hummus. 

I've been trying to eat grocery store food whenever I can now. It is less expensive and healthy.

I like this shot. You can focus on the reflection, the interior, or both.

I got a bit more done and then it was time to walk to Chartwell...

More voting at the fire station.

It didn't take long to get dark. And I had left later than I thought I would. The two hour walk (about 6 miles) was going to get me to the sleep spot by 9:30 p.m. I decided to take some video footage along the way, and also once I arrived at the clover leaf where 98 meets 50. It was a nice night for walking temperature wise. And the unsettled weather was long gone. It was only the traffic that made the trek a challenge...  

I was quite satisfied with the camping spot when I got there. It was a good choice. I always prefer being surrounded by roads. And the clean dry pine needle ground was just ideal. There were no critters, and the likelihood of larger animals was remote. I stayed up past 11:00 p.m. just walking around about half of the twenty acre parcel of public land before turning in for a restful sleep. I had to be back on the road between 7:00 to 7:30 a.m. in the morning...

Chartwell Sleep Spot.