We started our day on the road at 8:15 heading from
Utopia to Vanderpool where Glenn would hop on his bike
for a long day's ride to Blanco, Texas!
Lost in America!
Not us....just our stuff!
I should start by saying that it is very hard to stay
organized on a three week trip when you sleep
in a different place each night and you have a variety
of bags to carry in daily. One day, I realized that I
left my Ipad at the Casita in Gila and had it shipped to
Houston. Today was one of those days that made
Glenn feel like there was a conspiracy against him.
First, this AM, it seemed that all of Glenn's clean
underwear had disappeared. Since it was kept
in a plastic bag in his big duffel bag, we assume that it
was thrown away accidentally. Hoping to solve that
problem tomorrow if we pass a Walmart :)
2. As I was dropping Glenn off to ride,
he discovered that his bright, blinking
bike light was missing. It had been charged last night
so we had it then. Checked the car, I went back to
the place we stayed last night.....nowhere to be found!
It will turn up, I am sure.
3. When we met up to figure out
what route # we were trying to find, Glenn discovered
that his Adventure Cycling maps were missing!
Luckily, I had taken a photo of them before he left this
AM and we had a good old Texas map....crisis averted.
The maps were found in his pocket when we reached
our hotel this afternoon :) We'll be more careful tomorrow!
My photo of the Adventure Cycling map.
I think they speak a different language!
Many years ago, when our youngest was very little, he pointed to a field and declared "look at those sheep"! When we looked, what we saw were round hay bales like the ones in these photos. From the mouths of babes :) A fond memory to this day💙
MOOving Right Along!
It is no surprise that we have seen more cows and
steers in West Texas than anyplace else we've been.
In an article about the 15 Places in the US where the Cowboy
Culture is still alive, Texas is #1 on the list!
"Texas is known as the cowboy capital of the world. From South Texas mesquite trees to open prairies in the Panhandle, there are cowboys hard at work. There is still a great need on many ranches to brand commercial cattle so that they can be identified. On other ranches, tagging and tattooing registered stock will suffice. But there is no surprise that working cattle is a year-round job that takes dedication and commitment to the well-being of all animals."
In case you are interested in one of these
ranches, here's a current listing near Utopia!
27744 FM 470 , Utopia , TX | Bandera County, TX
- $1,499,000
- 103 acre
You might have noticed that all of the cows were standing
today. This is our scientific method to forecast whether it
will rain or not. Standing cows means no rain.
This was the case today!!
On the road from Vanderpool to Kerrville.
This stretch almost reminded me of roads to the Catskills in New York.
Serene Scenery!
We both enjoyed this portion of today's ride!
Since there were few cars on the road here, we
could enjoy the peaceful setting.
I have heard of boots being used as an
accessory for clothing outfits but not as an accent for a fence!
This place belongs on Roadside America, an online site for
for offbeat tourist attractions!
I met up with Glenn for an application
of sunscreen. He is quickly developing a rather
dark biker's tan! And this was on a cloudy day!
Even with several applications, this happens!
We actually had to use a real paper map!
I still enjoy this old fashion technique of
figuring out where we are going!
If you look closely, you can see the
route from Vanderpool to Blanco!
Stonehenge II was created as an art project by the late Al Shepperd, a Hill Country Arts Foundation patron, and his neighbor Doug Hill more than 20 years ago on Shepperd’s land in nearby Hunt, Texas.
It took nine months to build and is 90 percent the height
and 60 percent the width of the original. In an effort to preserve this true Texas landmark, the sculptures were relocated stone-by-stone to their final resting place beside the Guadalupe River on the campus of the Hill Country Arts Foundation and are visited by thousands of tourists every year!
Good thing that the speed limit is only 45 here and
not the usual 75 - 80 in this area!
Snack Stop! "Water"melon to help hydrate?!
As I was driving along today, listening to my usual
morning XM station, I heard my name mentioned again
today. Phlash Phelps read part of yesterday's blog
entry about I Care I Cure and the coincidence of Len
hearing the broadcast yesterday! I can't tell you how
much more fun this has made my hours in the car alone!
After riding for 65 miles on that little bike seat,
I'm sure Glenn was ready for some Comfort!
The Hill Country begins just north of Austin, continues
south to San Antonio, and sweeps west some
200 miles before the land begins to flatten out.
We are in Blanco, Texas tonight. This is the downtown
area which is very western looking but seems
pretty desolate now. The population as of the 2015
census was a little under 2000.
The little red dot is Blanco. We are slowly
making our way across this huge state!
We are moving right along!
We had a progressive dinner tonight!
Tomorrow's forecast looks just perfect!
Today's Stats
Somehow the computer shut off and came
back on again so we have two sets of stats.
It was a good day. Hills can be expected in
Hill Country so that was no surprise.
75.02 miles is a not bad for an old guy
on his 12th day of this ride!
Glenn's trivia question of the day!
There are two photos in today's blog that remind Glenn of trips to Europe. Which two and why? A tee shirt is up for grabs!
Stonehenge II, because it reminds him of Stonehenge. The boots on the fence, because it reminds him of Budapest shoes by the water.
ReplyDeleteBingo....but you are number 2 and already have a tee shirt :) You were at one of those places with us!
ReplyDelete