Day 2 Vega TX to Galveston , 728 miles, 16 hours drive time (Sigh!) Did not get in and settled at Moody UMC until 10, too pooped, so this is coming late. Left Bonanza motel @ 5:15 am, temp 56. The first thing we see across the street is a lighted cross reminding us we had not prayed as our custom, which we promptly did! We are leaving our bicycle route of 2003 which angled southeast to Houston, and driving now on 287 across the top of Texas near the OK border, as it is interstate rather than the back country roads we ride on bicycles. However, remembering in Texas was where we invented our leapfrog technique of movi ng the van out of desperation. The head wind from the south was ferocious every day, hardly able to move. So we decided to load bikes, drive 10 miles, unload 1 bike, 1 person then bicycle and 1 person drives the van back the 10 miles we had driven, now with the wind at our back (fun). However, gave it up because too much time, too much gas. Next we tried Marie driving the van very slowly to break the wind and I close behind near bumper, but soon gave that up as too dangerous. Then decided to try leapfrogging and not being together (which was scary). I continued struggling in the wind, Marie drove the van a few miles, got her bike out and began bicycling in front of the van. I then bicycled to the van, loaded my bike and drove to catch up with Marie, go around her and park the van in front of her, then get out my bike and go ahead, thus leapfrogging us and the van and discovering we were okay alone, nervous when vehicle goes by at first, and then pleasantly discovered with both of us bicycling, we covered the distance faster, as previously we had always been waiting on each other. So, have used that technique since. The next day we are in cotton country, red soil horizon to horizon, a few scraggly trees, only 1 farmhouse or so, bicycling alone as we leapfrog. Still nervous about being along, but adjusting. Marie had parked the van and was bicycling ahead. I loaded my bike, just ready to drive, waiting for black pickup behind to pass, but much to my distress the pickup pulled in behind me. A tall, lean man in cowboy hat got out, walking toward van. My heart leapt into my throat, I locked all doors, got cell phone handy, reluctantly rolled down window with a big smile. Hello ma’m, I was checking my fields this morning, saw your van (we have signs on each side)what is HD? After my disjointed fumbling explanation, he said, just a minute ma’m and walked back to his pickup. My heart still pounding, not one vehicle in sight. He walks back and hands me a check, This is for your cause ma’m. I was stunned, fumbled now with words of appreciation. You’re welcome, ma’m, tipped his hat and walked back to truck. I went ahead, he turned around and went other way. When I looked at the check, it was $100!, Tears still come to my eyes as I recall this as this was the 7th year of drought in this area and farmers having a hard time here! Back to today—surprised how long it took us to drive through Amarillo. Water standing all along today from rains last night, and here is sign to Hereford where we bicycled in 2003, recalling with much laughter Hereford. We leapfrogging, struggling with head wind again. Marie driving van and asked at church if okay to park van there, and I coming along on bicycle and would get the van. Lady there said, sure and you are so lucky THE WIND IS NOT BLOWING TODAY!. When Marie told me this later when we connected for lunch, we were hysterical with laughter. We had been bicycling hours against the wind, barely moving, exhausted and at the time we were sitting at a picnic table, holding down our lunch stuff with our arms, bottles, grabbing things as the wind kept blowing things off. For the rest of Texas every day, that was out motto in the wind-- We are so lucky it is not windy today, which would double us over with laughter every time! And discovered as passed at the high school that this was the home of the Thundering Herd and the Lady Whitefaces! Back to today, we stop at very spacious, sumptuous rest stop. A sign says watch out for rattlesnakes. This is small museum, rock floor, shiny clean, reminding of us the rest stops in West Texas (sorry another 2003 story). As bicycling in desert of West Texas, we notice ladders occasionally over the fences, like step ladders with steps on both sides. I assumed it was for ranchers to check livestock. We laughed when a lady told us, thinking she was kidding us, as she said these were rest areas—you climb over the fence via the ladder, find a bush, and there you have it—a West Texas rest area! Back to today, huge wheat fields, huge fields of yellow sunflowers—beautiful. Fill gas tank at White Falls for 3.29 a gallon as compared to 3.89 in Trinidad, CO. See headline in newspaper that says the mild weather is bring out snakes including rattlesnakes. Cool all day in 60s and 70s. We are counting Sonics today in memory of Sandy from Neb who biked with us a few days in 2006 in Nebr when we started at Kearney, NE, heading for Milwaukee. Sandy had to stop at every Sonic she saw. We knew where to find her if she disappeared from the road! We turn south at Fort Worth and the rest of day was very stressful, as we are immediately in several lanes of very fast traffic clear to Galveston—and from 1:30 until 8:30 – 7 hours, the rains came- - a downpour and then clearing, half hour later another downpour, then clearing, all of this in 4 lanes of very fast traffic. Then downpour so bad could barely see any white lines, so 8 times we held our breath until could exit off to wait. Thunder, lightning, one time hail (luckily we pulled into covered gas station, as did many other cars when after hail stopped, people got out and inspected their cars for hail damage. At 4:30 Gary calls, he and Devon at church, arriving from Ohio—it is sunny and 95 at Galveston! Houston a nightmare even though we on the Beltway north of city, then on east side, lots of traffic, lots of highways, tense reading signs in rain! Finally to church.. Hopeful more tomorrow! Charlotte
Posted on: Fri, 07 Jun 2013 22:27:11 +0000
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