Drawing The Line - 9

The Line Segment of the Line Around The World Project I'm showing you in this post was rolled out on Friday December 3^rd. As you recall the previous segment ended as I was passing by an Elementary School. So, I had to continue on from there during the school day. I didn't wear my new hat which was probably a good thing. 

After preparing four rolls of tape, I walked the 2,920 feet to where this segment would start. I rolled out the first roll of tape, reached into my pocket for the camera, and the hatch for the memory card was open. I had forgotten to retrieve the card from my laptop. Darn! A teacher looked over and asked if I was Okay. “Yes, I'm just drawing a line around the world,” I replied. To her credit she merely answered, “Well, good luck,” as she hurriedly disappeared into her classroom. Once you see my hat you'll understand why I say it was probably a good thing I wasn't wearing it that day.

Anyway I had to gather up the roll of tape, walk back to my place, get the memory card back into the camera, roll up the tape so that it would be ready and finally walk back to the start again. As I was walking back to my place I happened to see the Drill Instructor dude. I went up to him and explained what had just happened. He smiled nervously and said, “Well, be careful.” He hurried away too. He wasn't around as I was walking back to the starting spot again. I wonder why?

Here is the end of the 23^rd roll.

Here is the end of the 24^th roll.

The end of the 25^th roll.

And finally the end of the 26^th roll.

Here is the very end of the Line.

As has become my habit, I stopped by the gas station for some Pink Popcorn. The daytime attendant knows me pretty well now. He was trying to explain directions to an older lady at the counter. He asked me if I could help explain. I looked at a hand drawn map the woman had in her hand and quickly realized that she only had to follow the road I have been heading down. If she kept on the road heading North for two miles or so she would reach Agnews Road which was where she was trying to get to. There was once a Mental Hospital called Agnews, but I don't think it was around there.

She was not confident about her ability to find her way, so I walked with her out to the sidewalk so there I could point her in the right direction. Still she was unsure. She asked if I could go with her, she

would pay me five bucks. There I was with my backpack overflowing with cash register tape and she was actually asking me, a strange stranger to get in her car for a two mile ride. I would have gone if I hadn't already walked almost two and a half miles to do the Line.

Instead I told her I would go back to my place, get my car and come back to lead her to her destination. She seemed okay with this idea and I took off to get my car. I tossed the backpack into the boot of my MINI and drove back to the gas station. As I pulled up, I could see her car was gone. I rolled down my window and heard the attendant say, “She took off. You try to help her and she takes off.” Well, she probably realized that it wasn't all that difficult to find her way. I don't think she was as afraid of me as the Drill Instructor dude was.

I should be able to show you the hat next time.

Jonathan