I hit the courthouse on the way to Mayersville and my eyes uncharacteristically widened to see its roof on the ground. Something obviously happened there. “Something” I later learned was an EF4 tornado that passed through town in 2023. Enough of downtown Rolling Fork was demolished that it made sense after the fact but, in that moment, I was puzzled. I could only tell that something of immense import had occurred. Based on older photos of it, I might have liked the courthouse in fighting shape, but I’m certainly not going to speak ill of it when it’s down. On the lighter side, it seemed Rolling Fork was a city of bears. I saw four or five bear statues, made by a local sculptor, with one at the courthouse itself. It not only gave Rolling Fork a further identity, but it also explained to an extent why there were so many bear-themed caches in the county.
My first attempt at a cache went poorly. The possibly keybox was not on the guard rail as far as I can tell. It might have been more clever, but whatever it was I didn’t find it. I got worried at that point: there weren’t that many caches in the county to begin with and the closer I got into town the less likely they were to be there according to logs. I had to pass back through Sharkey County once I was done in Mayersville, and there were two caches in the county between Mayersville and my hotel in Vicksburg. I entered and left Issaquena County and then hoped. I hit the first of my two chances as the sun was hitting the horizon. I had set a hard limit to my caching days, but I was prepared for the possibility that I might have to stretch it a bit if the first opportunity didn’t pan out. Believe me though: looking for a cache in the middle of the night in the Deep South may be my biggest caching nightmare. Luckily, however, the first one was there. The light from the sky had begun to dim when I pulled over to a guard rail and found a key holder with missing magnets. Inveni, inscripsi, reposui. And as night descended like the cloak of a brooding god, I made my way to Vicksburg to get to a hotel room, meaning rest and safety. I headed there with a sense of satisfaction as well. Though it only happened by the skin of its teeth, I managed to complete my goals for the day. The next day I would begin the trek home. Since I started farther out in Atlanta, I had a shorter trip back, giving me time to pick up some counties on the way to I-10 near Baton Rouge. I was up before dawn, sucked down a quick hotel breakfast, and then set off in the early morning darkness, bound for…
Geocaching While Black 