Taking A Walk

by Dwayne Phillips

The rain  caught me today. Prior to today, I was able to watch the weather radar on the Internet and the iPhone, wait out lines of showers, and walk in the good weather. It didn’t work today.

I was on the road at 7AM – in the rain. I called it quits after five miles. Later the rain stopped. I went out on the road again, and the rain started. I called it quits after five miles. While sitting here in the afternoon entering this blog it is not raining. No, I will not try it again.

I did walk ten miles: five into and five out of Meridian, Mississippi. Meridian is a city of 40,000 people. It is the largest city on this half of the walk after Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Route 11 skirts the southern edge of Meridian, so I didn’t see much of the city. There is a bunch of frontage roads that parallel I-59. I don’t know who designed these roads. I don’t think anyone designed these roads. What a mess, around and around in circles.

Meridian has one of every major motel in America. Meridian has one of every major fast food chain in America. Yikes.

The Old Building at Key Field

Meridian has an aviation history. Here is a photo of the main “old” building at Key Field. This building pre-dates WWII. The field is named after the Key brothers who set an time aloft record in the 1930s that stood for decades. Then the two Key brothers served with distinction during WWII.

Meridian has an Air National Guard base at Key Field. Meridian also has a Naval Air Station.

I hope to pile up the miles starting Monday. My older brother (who once worked at Key Field as a mechanic) is going to do some support driving for me.