Sickly Smoothie and Smooth Sax

Even the most seemingly ordinary bicycle ride sometimes turns out to be not so ordinary.  Yesterday I went for a long solo ride (about 50 miles roundtrip) to Juliette, Georgia.  Juliette was made famous as the filming location of one of my favorite movies, Fried Green Tomatoes.  The Whistle Stop Café is a real restaurant that opened when the movie was filmed, and it’s done very well ever since.  In fact, the tiny locale has quite a thriving tourist business thanks to the restaurant plus shops that offer products ranging from honey to wine to antiques.  Since Juliette was my halfway point, I decided to visit the coffee shop for a smoothie.

I actually like the heat, but it definitely was noticeable yesterday.  After relatively cool temperatures recently, yesterday was more like the hot, sultry Georgia summer that we all know and love.  That smoothie sounded better and better as I pedaled along through the Piedmont Wildlife Refuge.

At last I crossed the Ocmulgee River, entering Juliette.  As I approached the railroad tracks, I saw – and heard – something that made me do a double take.  A dude in a bathing suit was standing on the side of the road playing a saxophone!  I slowed down and considered stopping.  However, I was really ready for that smoothie, and I so I continued on to the coffee shop.  More on Saxophone Dude in a moment.

I eagerly entered the coffee shop.  I thought I remembered from a previous visit that peach was one of the flavors.  Yes, there it was on the menu!  Maybe it’s because I’m a native Georgian, but I absolutely love peaches.  They are my favorite fruit.  I could hardly wait to experience their fresh, juicy deliciousness in my smoothie.  And where better to have such a treat than in this quintessentially small Southern town during peach season.  The girl behind the counter proceeded to make my smoothie.  Then, the horror…

She pulled out a jar of store-bought peach preserves from the refrigerator!  I was too wimpy (or too thirsty) to back out.  To add insult to injury, she gave me (and charged me for) a large when I had asked for a small.  Oh well, at least it was wet and cool and had some calories for the ride home.

I sat in the shade outside, drinking the smoothie and hoping to hear Saxophone Dude across the railroad tracks.  I caught a strain here and there, but the AC unit outside of the coffee shop mostly drowned it out.  I got back on my bicycle and headed toward home.

As I crossed the railroad tracks and approached Saxophone Dude, I had to stop this time.  He didn’t play anything I recognized, but it was lively and happy.  It was as if he had all this music inside and just had to share it with the world.  I was grateful to be there to scoop up a little of it.  When he finished his song, I applauded, and he smiled.  The smoothie had given me some fuel for the body, but the music gave me fuel for the soul.  Expect adventure.