Sunday Afternoon Drive

15 weeks without dust in my hair...

Yesterday we planned a trip to Lage with stops along the way to see our Bible study people, but alas while some places in our area are reopening, others are locking down.  The county (Campo Formoso) around the little town of Lage is in a strict lockdown 

for the next few days.  In fact one of our former students who lives in the county seat is sick and awaiting confirmation of testing.

Novertheless, I wanted to go somewhere.  15 weeks!  My wonderful husband, at my insistent bidding, agreed to take me out for an afternoon ride and picnic to a closer location in the next county over from ours with less corona restrictions due to fewer cases and a smaller urban population.  We never go anywhere without a plan. So he checked his maps, and chose a route where he'd been hoping to do some survey work.

Master Mechanic has been upgrading our ride over the past 15 weeks. We have a new motor with lots of news parts 

and other gadgets, so in some ways this was a nice test drive.  Byron has been out on one long run a few weeks ago with a friend checking out the new improvements, but not with me!

Our route took us out the back way from our house in Sobradinho in the direction of Bon Sucesso.  We passed through a few small communities including one called Barroquinha where we met the cousins of the owner of our local auto parts store!  Funny thing was they all looked and talked like him!  Yes, we did not descend from our ride, we did have masks, and we kept a super safe social distance.  No one there had on masks.  They really didn't even mention the current situation of the world.  

Thankfully most of these small remote communities have been spared from the pandemic, inspite of a constant flow of many coming and going to the big city for this or that.  The big topic of the day?  How to get more water for the small farmer and the benefits of wind mill projects which are many in the area!

Byron's set GPS route included this small path.  We had to open a gate to access the "road."  Sometimes I do wonder about Byron's definition of "road."  Just as we were fixing to shut the gate, common rural courtesy, by the way.  We heard someone beeping their horn and calling out to us.  I was sure it was the owner of the gate and we were in trouble now. 

We had actually missed the gate just a few minutes earlier, and gone down a little past it near a house and turned back.  At the stop where we had done our u-turn, a part had fallen off the sand rail!  Thankfully the family was on their way out by motorcycle, happened to see it, had seen us, picked up the part, and waved us down!  Then they stuck around a bit while Byron figured out how to best put it back.  It was the brake fluid reservoir!  

We would have never missed it!  Thankful he always has plenty of tools.  We also had a small fuel leak that he had to check on from time to time.  Thankful for the man and his family.

And, I would have missed meeting this silly girl.  I offered her a little Bible story booklet and she refused!  Then she asked me questions about our yellow toy car and told me what she knew about the coronavirus.  I decided to try my luck with a wordless book bracelet and did my fastest explanation of the Gospel ever.  She accepted the bracelet and so did her brother.  I was able to give their mother a tract that gives the specs on the sandrail and a brief explanation of salvation.

Our final destination was São Pedro, Sento Sé to see a small canyon with a stream.  Byron had heard of it and it's marked on Google maps, but tourist friendly it is not.

To arrive at the trail to the narrow canyon which might be better described as a mountain pass, you have to go all the way through the small community of São Pedro.  There are about 50 houses, three churches, a school, a small library and a few markets.  We didn't stop to speak to people here, just smiled and waved.  

We got lots of curious looks and small waves.  There are no signs, but I got this feeling that everyone thought, "Ah, more city folk looking for our canyon."

To access the actual canyon we had to deal with a few fences.  Once more I could hear the town folk saying amongst themselves,  "Soon they'll come back and ask how to get in."  At the first we found a gate, but to get to it we had to weave through a patch of small cactus with thin, stinging nettle like thorns.  Byron discovered this feature quite by accident.  Glad he went first.  

Next there was another fence to apparently keep goats in or maybe out.  There was no gate, but we did find a place where it seemed obvious people could jump over with some ease.  Most people anyway.  I had to maneuver quite a bit.  Byron was swifter and more adept.  Thankfully he was a good natured assistant and I made it with only a few pokes from the barb wired fence.

The efforts were worth it to see a quiet, wet micro environment in the middle of the dry caatinga. There is a small flowing stream in the middle of high cliff walls with a wide variety of different types of rocks.  The path to keep you out of the water can be a little steep, no much, but there are a lot of small loose rocks with made for slipping.  I'd say it's an easy hike for most people.

On the way out with stopped to take a few photos of the Pedra Branca Windmill Park.  We got home in plenty of time to enjoy a good Sunday sermon from Winston-Salem, North Carolina and a late supper. Hopefully we can return to visit these places soon and our Bible study students, too.  Please pray for Romilton and his family, Nandialla and hers, Janailma and others!  Pray for the town of Lage under strict lockdown this week.  Pray for little Anne and her family who live in Piçarrão, and for the Araujos of Barroquinha.