A Living Magazine - Day 289 - Homecoming - Bensley to Richmond

Late during the night I woke up to go pee, and when I shone my light around the inside of the tent I found a medium sized white female spider with what looked like large black fangs hanging out at the top spine. I've looked for the species online, but have not been able to absolutely identify her. She was probably a "Longlegged Sac Spider" (Cheiracanthium mildei)--"mildly poisonous"? There was another similar looking but smaller spider (possibly a male of the same species) on the outside back of the tent. I wasn't sure how these spiders were getting in. The only thing I could think of was that they were transported in on Saggy--despite my best efforts to check the pack before bringing it in. The only other explanation would be that somehow they were waiting to climb up or drop down into the flap whenever it was opened. Remember, it had been raining and they get serius about shelter in the rain. I know how they feel!

I have a method of dealing with this now, but it isn't perfect. I use a plastic sandwich bag that I keep in the pack specifically for spider "capture and release." It is tricky business to say the least. At first I pulled the open bag slowly over the spider then wiggled it around. Unfortunately, my right hand lost the edge of the bag and the spider fell into the open leg of my shorts (I was sitting cross legged)! Avoiding the temptation to freak out, I got to my knees while holding the shorts leg open. The spider fell out onto the sleeping bag and made a dash for the edge of the tent. But I grabbed the plastic bag again and swept the edge of it under the spider which then fell into the bag. I unzipped the tent flap and pushed the outer tarp aside to shake the spider out. I saw her drop onto the wet leaves and stagger away.

I examined everything in the tent to make sure I was alone again. It looked good. I finally did my pee. Recall from past posts that I keep my beer can or juice container for such late night circumstances. But - believe you, me - I DO check these containers very closely for any spiders hanging out in them! Ha! Can you men imagine?

Although I was pretty wide away, and the hour was about 3:45 a.m., I was able to get back to sleep fairly easily. 

In the morning I woke fairly late--about 8:00 a.m. The sun was shining again, and the green tarp had been completely blown off the fly. I packed up and headed back out and up the way I'd come in. The very first thing I did was go to the Dollar Tree and buy my paper binders--ten for $1.00.

I knew I had a long walk ahead of me to get to Richmond and walk through it to camp north on the outside of the city somewhere. I didn't want to leave too early, or I would have the cover of darkness later when the sleep spot needed to be located. But, conversely, leaving too late would mean walking along the highway at dusk; not my favorite time to walk along a busy road.

This time I went to the Meadowdale library (the one I'd planned to go to before finding McDonald's the day before)...

This was a nice library, befitting the quaint upscale community in which it was located. I'd seen no part of the area south of Richmond that I could call "poverty level." The only things was - and I've run across this quite often - AC outlets were not easily accessible. I found one near a desk by the printer. I just had to put up visiting patrons who needed to print things out...

Post-It mosaic mural.

I worked for quite some time, when a disturbing thing happened. A completely engorged deer tick fell onto the desk from somewhere on me. Besides grossing me out and giving me those heebeegeebees, I knew that now I had one more thing to watch out for. As I mentioned in the last post, I have had Lyme disease in the past (2013) and was not enthusiastic about the prospect of contracting it again. For the next two weeks I must be extra vigilant--especially of fatigue... 

Seen too late.

I've been through so much in the last two years, and seen it all. One thing that I can say for sure: Worry gets me nowhere, and about 98% of the time, it is a total waste of energy. I kid around about having lower standards now. But, in fact, lightening up about the potential for harm from small improbable things is something we could all benefit from doing. After months of just assuming that no harm will come, and seeing that, indeed, no harm does come, one finds a strong sense of confidence that the world is not just random, nor is it out to get us.

There were about 10 miles to cover (3 hours). So, knowing that the sun sets around 7:20 p.m. and the sky does not really darken until an hour later, I left at about 4:30 p.m., to allow for stops, etc...   

Bamboo. It has such a distinctive sound when it rustles in the breeze.

The walk back to Route 301/1 was quite picturesque.

Once back on 301/1, it seemed a hugely long walk to Richmond proper...

Finally I came the Robert E. Lee Bridge, which crossed the James River and ran far above Belle Isle...

This vine was incredibly high, about 60 feet. I got a bit of vertigo just photographing it.

Name of the white building?

Virginia War Memorial.

Virginia Housing Development Authority.

Murals on a long red wall celebrating the UCI Road World Championships at VCU last year.

One man's solution for shelter. Give thanks that this isn't you. I did.

Neat little tiny penthouse or office, complete with solar panels.

I stopped into a McDonald's I found after passing through Jackson Ward. And checking the area on Google Earth, it became evident that there might be sleep spots about 2 miles further, near the bridge over I-95. I set off just as darkness bled down like a dark liquid purple over the city.

It was a bit tricky, in that Route 1 separated from 301 at Azalea Street. I managed to get that right, but it seemed like a far longer walk than I'd anticipated. I'd miscalculated the distance, and then recalculated how close I might be to the area where the sleep spot might be. This actually made it shorter for me once  I was finally on Route 1...

Just after an apartment complex, I saw an ideal spot and went immediately in; flashlight discreetly in hand. There I found a bunch of what Natalie Conrad might call "stepables" (green plans that can be walked upon). It was great place. It gave me a chance to try my tarp-clamping idea with the new paper binders, even though there was no rain forecast for this night...

Neat as you please--finally rainproofed.

The new clamp system worked even better than I'd planned. My rain issues were now, finally and essentially...over. It had only taken me almost 18 months to escape my greatest foe (the rain). I was VERY happy with the result. As an added feature, the tent blended almost perfectly with the green of the area.