december 15 : austin to smithville more than 30 miles

i know things have changed because tonight i sat in the backseat while we drove with our host from the grocery store in bastrop to their house in smithville. i sat in the backseat! james asked questions, and talked motorcycles, and carried it, man, when all i could ask was, "what are banditos?"

we had awesome hosts, natasha and randall, and are staying in natasha's dad's back house, where we are nuzzling our faces in animal skin rugs, drinking whiskey in rocking chairs, swaggering in this silver fox's cowboy boots, and enjoying the sweetness of companionship.

central texas is getting the rain it's been desperate for, and who am i to wish it would hold off a few weeks?

yes yes, serious and endeavoring, we are.

oh, and james solved the mystery of my generous odometer

4 realz

assurances

I didn't give up, I didn't quit, I am not in New Orleans.

I took a break, hung out with people I love.

I'm still in Austin, and James, against all odds, has arrived to shepherd me home.

The circus, my friends, is back in town!

Dec 5

46 miles. Kerrville to stonerville
Closing in.
Cold cold cold and colder tomorrow

Reasons to not always love central texas

Rode 35 miles today, in rain, wind, 40 degrees.  This is after swimming in a river and taking off my shirt yesterday. The hills won today, and my cold feet were the sore losers. Made it to kerrville, not all by myself. Weather forecast looking wet. Good for droughty texas, but couldn't it have waited till Wednesday? Met a friendly sheriff, and the nicest woman ever, my bag-lunch fairy god texan, ginger.

Reasons to love central texas

BBQ. Christmas. Trees. 60 degree mornings. Limestone. Old folks.
I rode 78 miles in 70 degree weather yesterday, went swimming in a river, got sunburned, slept outside.

Getting on with it

I realized I've been complaining a lot. Sorry about that. It's kind of an emotional roller coaster these days. And by it, I mean me.

Today it was supposed to be rainy and windy but it was wonderful ; overcast, in the 50's, light tailwind, and the road flattened out a lot. So I rode for a while. Made it 100 miles to bracketville, although if you looked at a map of langtry to bracketville, it's more like 92. What is that about? Is my odometer off? Do I really weave that much on the road? At any time, I'm about 3 miles ahead of road mileage. This, people, is one of the reasons I'm going crazy.

In other news, I'm not in the desert! I'm not in the desert! I'm not in the desert! Woot! Big ups to trees!  What I am in is fort springs, a private homeowners assoc. aka central texas disney land, with limestone activities center, theater, museum, and rv park tucked way in back where it doesn't lower property value. I had to pay inflated rates cause I'm not a member... but what hoa member would pay to camp in a tent? Anyway... I'm happy about central texas. It's kinda cool to be back! Even if the $2 hot shower was cold. The park attendant was so gracious, and careful!