El Paso, Texas

Landed safely in El Paso yesterday afternoon. On the road yesterday we were as close to the Mexican border as you could be. Police and border patrols were everywhere. Saw men and women being stopped, searched, held at gun point and cars being torn apart. It didn't feel like we were in the US. There are fences everywhere with spiral barbed wire on top. Even a hospital had that kind of fencing. We were not stopped anywhere. Glad we made the decision not to visit Mexico.
We are in a slum motel in El Paso! $30.00 for a room that we share. The towels are so thin that I would've made them my rags. No wash cloths, no bath mat. But an inspection of the sheets didn't reveal bed bugs. What more could you ask for? After all, it's a step up from some of our places!
We took the bus down town last night but everything closes up early so we just looked around and hopped the bus back to our swanky motel.
This morning we headed out in the traffic to get to the bike shop that had ordered tires and other supplies for us. I bought some heavy duty insulated water bottles that should help with water supplies in the desert ahead of us. Dean and Ron stayed at the bike shop for maintenance help. They still don't have the problems totally fixed and it cost them a fortune in labor. Bob is still working on the tandem. He changed both tires and greased all the chain, gears and derailer. He has the tools and knowledge to do it all himself and he enjoys it. We took a break to have some lunch and a little walk. Mailed a few more things home. That will lighten our load a bit more. Bigger mountains are coming!
Tomorrow night we will be staying with Warm Showers hosts in Las Cruces, new Mexico. They sound like quite interesting people and have invited us to be part of a house concert that they are hosting. The performer will be staying in their home also and many of their friends are invited. They will have dinner and wine. Sounds like a late party night for we early riser bikers. But we deserve a little entertainment too. The host couple are both Mac computer geeks who work from home. He has a web site and I could only check out a few of the many things that they have going. Will be fun to meet them.
The winds have picked up again today. Hope we can get to our destination tomorrow before they get bad again. John from Long Island who left us told us that when he tried to ride up one of the mountains the wind blew him right over on his side. He ended up pushing his bike up the mountain six miles! Not fun.
People have no lawns here. Either it's sand and dirt or they hauled in stones. Mountains all around the city. It gets cool at night but in the 90's during the day. But no humidity makes it feel good. The trip gets tougher from here, especially going west with the winds.
Posting may be difficult tomorrow with the house concert and party.

Fort Hancock, Texas

We're back on the bike after two days of hurricane strength wind. We got up at 5:30, ate our oatmeal and were on the road as light barely broke the dawn. We all have lights on the bikes so are allowed on the road before daylight. It was quite cool and although still windy, nothing like yesterday. We had a couple of long mountains to climb almost immediately but then heading toward El Paso the terrain again lost altitude. That means that we'll have that same climb plus more when we leave on Saturday. At that time we will finally leave Texas too!
The winds picked up today to 38 mph hour but we were able to get to Fort Hancock. It was a hard 69 mile ride. We met a few cyclists on the road today, all of them going east. The strong winds are in their favor but they too said they had to get off the road yesterday. They couldn't control the bikes and were blinded by blowing sand.
More winds are predicted on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. hope they are not as bad.
We are now on Mountain Time. That means a 2 hour difference from Michigan time.

The mountains were beautiful against the blue skies today. I'll try to post some pictures on Facebook but Verizon service is very poor here.

Fort Hancock sounds like a decent size town but don't be fooled! It too is a dead, nothing here place. One restaurant in town with the only vegetarian choice being retried beans, again!
Had some when we got in to town and will have to have them again when we walk over for supper in a few minutes. I'm so hungry for fresh fruit and vegetables. No wonder obesity is such a problem with poor people. They don't even have fresh stuff in their stores or restaurants.
Off for some retried beans!

Van Horn, Texas

Wind! Wind! Wind! Sand blowing everywhere! It's like a hurricane with the sun shining. Lining the town of Van Horn are a range of mountains. With the blowing sand they aren't even visible today. We spent the day going over the bikes, doing laundry visiting around town and reading. We rode up to Papa's Pantry for lunch. It's a real home cooked Mexican restaurant. Even homemade bread. Had fun meeting the locals. Don't know how they make a living in these towns. Bob wanted to get a haircut and thought today would be perfect. Two barber/hair stylists in town but neither opened up. When we went for lunch we noticed that one had opened. She said she was going to go for lunch to check later. At 2:00 she finally ended her lunch but said she wouldn't have time to trim his hair today. You'd think they'd grab any opportunity to make a buck.
Met a young man, his wife and 14 year old daughter today. Neither has worked in four years.
But the amazing thing is that they all love it in these small towns. They don't suffer from ulcers, I'm sure.
The wind is supposed to die down after midnight so we are heading out as early as we can. The wind will pick up in the afternoon to 30 mph and that's hard to manage too. They haven't had any rain here since October so it's nothing but dry leaves and grass and loose sand and dirt. Hope we can make our 60 miles tomorrow.

Ft. Stockton , Texas

Couldn't blog yesterday because of no wifi or AT&T service in the dead town of Iraan. You can't believe what a sad place that was! We bicycled 14 miles off the route to find it. The town was made up of empty stores and trashy tiny homes. It was unbelievable. The people who still live there are oil drillers. They had a couple of restaurants. We ate lunch when we arrived around three in one of them. But the waitress made it very clear that she had been working since 7:00 and wanted us to hurry up because she was tired. When I ordered the salad bar, even before she took the other orders, she told me to "then hurry and get what you want because I want to put it away". She then started to sweep the carpet with a broom, dust flying everywhere. When she brought the plates out she carried the food with one hand and held on to her broom with the other. When we left we asked if there was a place we could get supper later after we cleaned up. The reply, "The only other one is Isabella's but she only opens if she feels like cooking". Darn, wouldn't you know it, Isabella wasn't in the mood last night. So off to the gas station to pick up whatever we could call supper.
We left Iraan at 7:00 to try and beat the hottest sun. Getting out of Iraan involved a steep mountain climb that was exactly one mile up. Good way to start a long day.
Just yesterday we had drawn the conclusion that the only armadillos that exist are dead ones. Then this morning we spotted our first live one. Now we know why they are always road kill - they are rather slow moving, At least our one spotting was. Also saw several skunks wandering around and then a herd of wild boars. (not sure if the plural is boar or boars, and not sure if a bunch of them is really a herd). Anyway, they were pretty interesting to watch. I hopped off the bike to try and get a picture but I freaked them and they ran off pretty fast.
The ride to Ft. Stockton was long and hot. 67 miles in sun that was dangerous. No place for water or shelter. You just have to keep going. Ft. Stockton is a bigger town but not much going on here either. We tried to walk to one of the many restaurants but they obviously didn't feel like cooking today either. We talked to a man who was from Vietnam and asked him if he'd drive us somewhere to get supper. He had a pickup but since the back seat was full of beer we had to ride in the bed of the truck. He had to go quite a distance to find a place open. We offered to buy his dinner if he'd stay and drive us back to town. He said he wanted to go get his wife first. So he came back with his wife, a teenage boy and both of his wife's parents. It turned out to be an expensive taxi. But after dinner, back into the back of the pickup.
Tomorrow is Easter. Bob was so nice and suggested that I look for a church for Easter morning and we would just get a later start. I started calling all the churches on my phone app. The catholic church only had a mass in Spanish at 11:30. The others didn't even answer. I even tried the "cowboy church".
So I will spend Easter Sunday in the same bike clothes, sitting on that hard seat again.
I will be waiting for pictures of my precious babies in their Easter outfits.
Happy Easter to all my family and to Bob's family too. We will be thinking of you. More tomorrow, if we have service.

Ozona, Texas

Yesterday's ride and heat took it's toll on all four of us. When you become dehydrated it task more than a day to recuperate. We decided over coffee at 6:00 this morning to ride a shorter day. The only towns available were 37 miles or 77. We knew that 77 was an extreme in this heat and wind. So we opted for a landing in Ozona, Texas just 37 mles west. We even got another motel room. I did the laundry for all the men and they worked on bikes. That's fine with me to be the laundry woman because the bike maintaince is out of my league and I so appreciate that they can take care of that part.
We found Easter cards last night at a Dollar General. They were mailed this morning but it's still possible that they will be late. Aubrey, I sent one to your house addressed to everyone so if it's late, you need to just report to everyone.

We all got to bed late last night since Bob was trying to help Dean with his tire problem till after 10:00. We're planning to walk someplace for supper early and then get to bed earlier tonight. Uneventful day but still moving westward. Love to everyone.

Don't forget that you can also view pictures from the blog that Dean is forwarding to his daughter to post. Go to crazyguyonabike. Then select Journals. Then select Dean Fesette. He posts pictures daily.

Still Climbing out of Texas

Today was a long,hot day. We rode 67 miles and again no place for food or water after 9:30 this morning. At that time we went into the only place around - a real Texas General Store. It still had the same food on the shelves that was there when the wagon trains went through. At least that's what you'd think for the amount of dust over every can, box and bottle. I bought a can of sardines and a can of tomato juice. Sat down at the picnic table in there with Bubba, one of the locals. He began to brag about how many gun fights he's been in and said that he even shot three "niggers". We were so disgusted that we just got up and left. Texas is a beautiful state but the conservative and prejudice ideas of the people are unbelievable. There is Obama hate signs everywhere.

After leaving that place we had the hill from hell to climb. That was one of many today and they are nowhere what we will soon be climbing. We are up to an elevation of 2100 feet now. You just wouldn't believe the heat today! The air temp was 100 but on the road it registered 122 degrees! Ron had another flat out there. A small spring went into his back tire on a fast downhill. You just can't see little things on the road when you are traveling so fast. Then Dean's problems started. He had three flats today! Bob is trying to fix the last one yet. Dean just couldn't get air to stay. Bob bought real heavy duty tires. He changed one in Austin before it went flat. Just lucky that they are not blowing on the road. So much rough road today mixed with the heat! That's why the big 18 wheelers have blown tires all the time. You wouldn't believe all the junk on the roads too. Texas has signs all over "dont mess with Texas" $1000 fine for littering. People just toss trash at the signs.
We were on the point of exhaustion when we arrived in Sereno. We found a cheap motel since we are under severe storm watches again tonight. $38 for a room is pretty cheap!
We walked over to a Mexican restaurant. It was full of cowboys in their big hats and boots. They walk like they think they're hot stuff!
Tornados everywhere we already have been. Hope you don't read about us flying through the air in Texas tonight. Wind is terrible out there and thunder in the near distance.
Good night from Texas once again.

The Roads of Texas All Go Up and Up and Up

Not much new in our ride today except that we just keep climbing. We are at an elevation of 1800 feet now and it's all uphill from here. The temps are unbelievablly hot! On the road today it was 114 degrees andvthen Dean had a flat tire! There is no place to get into the shade. The three guys worked on the flat and I stood there frying some more. We rode on 290 most of the day but finally hit I 10 which we took for the last 20 miles. The road is rough chip and seal for most of the way but the traffic wasn't as heavy as I expected. Speed limit on it is 80 mph so those big trucks really come roaring by.
Road kill by the hundreds, mostly deer today. There was one right in our lane with the baby fetus ripped right out of it. Another huge one in our lane that was recently struck. The heat and the carcasses and bones all over make you think that you're going to just cook out there and die along the road too. Texas normally has 6 inches of rain at this time. This year they've had .05 inches. You can't believe how dry and brown everything is. There are burn ban signs everywhere. The dryness mixed with the Texas high winds is disaster.
We are staying in a truck stop motel tonight. It is too hot even to sleep outside. We were so dehydrated that we couldn't bear to try and find a place to set up the tents. It's going to be 98 again tomorrow. That means way over 100 again on the road. We are planning an early departure again to get some of the trip in before the sun is too hot.
We are searching daily for Easter cards to send home. You can't believe the hick towns. None has cards.
I was a bit blue yesterday thinking I wouldn't be with everyone for Easter. That was making me miss everyone so much. I know Sunday will be hard.

Jack, tell dad that my meeting Maria didn't work out. We were diverted off the road because of the fires on Sunday and that put us way out of touch. I spoke to her on the phone again today. She said she feels so close to me and dad and wants this friendship to continue. We are going to exchange pictures when I get home. She is such a friendly person and so easy to talk to. You feel like you've known her all your life.

There is a high alert about going into Mexico. There is random shooting of anyone. People around here are scarred stiff. We decided we shouldn't put ourselves at such risk. We were going to have our passports sent but that won't be necessary now. No sense taking that chance.

Off to bed soon. Love and miss everyone.

Snowing in Michigan / Cooking in Texas

We feel so sorry for all of you in Michigan searching for spring. As for us in Texas we feel like the dog days of summer. It is HOT! On the road it was 111 degrees today. We couldn't keep water cold for very long no matter how much ice we put in our bottles. We landed at a KOA tonight and I immediately jumped in the pool, biking clothes and all. The water was refreshingly cool but it helped my disposition immensely. The heat and strong headwinds really got to me today.
After my swim and shower Ron walked back from the store next door with a 24 once beer for each of us. I've had more beer on this trip than my whole life. Bob, who doesn't drink much either, and I could hardly walk to the store for some supper. So many good laughs.
We didn't get to I 10 yet today. Rode 290 all day. We entered Dripping Springs, Gateway to The Hill Country. And hills it was! In Dripping Springs every business was Dripping something. dripping Donuts, Dripping Paint, Dripping Oil ... You get the picture.
We went through Johnson City, the home of Lyndon B. Johnson. Not very impressive at all. We had lunch there and it was big time bad!
We are in Stonewall, Texas tonight camping like regular folks. There are some strange animals in the field next to us. Not sure what they are. Saw lots of newborn deer along the road - dead! Also several snakes, coyote and a wolf.
Talked to a man today who was asking about our trip. He warned that we are entering into dangerous drug trafficking areas and said we should be carrying guns. I asked if he had any suggestions to be safe. He advised, turn around and ride back to Florida. Guess our trip will get more interesting. I'm sitting outside at the picnic table. It's still 80 and breezy. Tomorrow should be hotter. I suggested tonight that we get up earlier and head out as soon as it's light enough to avoid some of the afternoon heat. We're going to try that.

A Bad Day Got Worse

Last night was fabulous! Took the busses into Austin for dinner. Since the bike repair was going to require another trip into the bike shop on Sunday morning we knew it meant that we wouldn't be up at six to take off riding. So we cleaned up and dressed up in our same one outfit for s last night on the town. We met our young friend Nate who was spending his last night in Austin with his friend. Ron and I walked on ahead of the others to find a finer place to eat than the night before. We selected a seafood restaurant. Had candles, white linen napkins and tablecloth and fine wines and beer. It was a little pricy but turn Ed out to be well worth it for the excellent meals we all had. Ron and Dean treated Nate to the meal since he was a little awe struck when he saw the menu. After dinner Nate took us to a coffee shop where we all had coffee and dessert.
This morning Bob and I hit the busses again to get another part for the bike that bob discovered had been damaged by riding with the broken axel. Either we were lucky or finally learning how to maneuver public transit, but we flew to town in record time. However, the bike shop didn't open for another two hours. We had breakfast at a nearby McDonalds and then sat on the sidewalk outside the bike shop. Bob brought the wheel with us and the guys took care of the problem. We tried to expedite the trip home but no taxis were available so back on the buses again!
By 2:00 we were on the road. Felt good to be riding again. We took 190 and the wind and traffic made the overpasses and lane changes a fight for your life battle. Then we were deluged with several emergency vehicles and eventually forced off the highway. There was a grass fire that spread to a cotton field and began to engulf homes. The smoke was pouring over the roads. We stopped at a gas station and wet kerchiefs to pull over our faces if we faced more of the smoke. Traffic just got worse by the minute with all the cars forced to reroute like us. We only lasted 18 miles and decided we had to start looking for a place to pitch a tent. It was already 5:00.
And so we are back to our rustic style. Candlelight and wine last night, camping behind a convience store tonight.
And yes, the winds will continue tomorrow! That's what makes riding challenging. We bought Texas lottery tickets tonight in our convience store. Maybe we'll be the $ 28,000,000 winners on Wednesday.

Austin, Texas. Happy Birthday Bob!

Held my breath and prayed for safety as we came into Austin. We were on the expressway with 3 lanes of bumper to bumper fast traffic in both directions. We were so high up on the last overpass I was wishing I could've taken a picture from up there. No one would believe bicycles are allowed on these roads. We couldn't get to the exit we needed for the motel that we had booked so kept going. We just couldn't fight our way back so lost $100.00 on what they wouldn't refund. We found a run down motel 6 and grabbed the last room they had. All we could think of is how in the world do we get back on that road on Sunday morning.
We showered, changed to our one outfit that we wear everywhere and headed out to find lunch. We ate at a wonderful Indian Restaurant near the motel. Since they had a small buffet for lunch we had a chance to try several different foods. They had a great vegetarian selection. Bob was afraid of the spices so only ate a Ceasar Salad. We then headed out to try our skills on the Austin transit system. Several transfers later, we were in the big city.
A friend of Dean's told him that the place to go was the Barbeque House. So that's where we headed. Highly over rated place and not a thing for vegetarians. You order at a window then they give you a paper plate of food on a red school lunch tray. Even plastic forks and knives. I ate a small plain salad and a beer for $10.50. The walls were filled with autographed pictures of famous people who have eaten there including Bush and Obama. We decided to walk around town and find a an elegant place to have a birthday dessert for Bob.
A couple told us that 6th Street was where the night action would be found. We walked all of it but not quite the style we were looking for. Pretty young crowd and wild like Bourbon Street. Not "elegant" ! We found a hotel with a fine restaurant and went in for coffee and dessert. dean and I only had a hot fudge sunday and Bob and Ron some pie. They hit us fo $45.00! I guess the price comes with elegant. We caught the last busses home.

This morning Dean went for a haircut while Bob took apart the tandem to try to correct a wobble in the back wheel. He found a broken axel! So much for playing in Austin today!
Nothing to do but head back through the transit jungle to a bike shop. I went with Bob. It took two hours and when we got back he realized they gave him the wrong size.
The bike shop had no other size! So several calls later we spotted a taxi at the motel. We paid the price to save time and headed to another shop. He gave us a nice tour of Texas University on the way. Bob has been busy rebuilding the back whl all afternoon.
Nate, who rode with us for a day, called to say he was in Austin with a friend. He came over to the motel by bike and needed a map from Dean. He's joining us for dinner tonight back in the city.

Bob has the bike mostly put back together now but says that there is some wear on some other part because of the uneven pressure of riding with the break. Hope we can finish the trip. Pray that we don't break down for good.

Dad, I spoke to Maria on the phone. She is actually an hour outside of Austin. She tried to get her son to help us get the part for the tandem but he was out on a bike trip himself. She is going to try and meet us tomorrow or Monday on the road at an exit. She seems so nice and really wants to connect with me. She is moving from her home into a new construction and was in the midst of packing when I talked to her. Hope our meeting works out.

Back on the road tomorrow, I hope! We will be riding on I 10!

Bastrop, Texas

Slept well under our big top tent last night. It stayed 70 degrees and no bugs. We fixed our coffee and instant oatmeal before heading out.
Rode 64 miles. Little wind and what there was was at out backs. Great riding day once again. Some hills especially in the beginning of the day but more at the end. I was wearing down this afternoon because I didn't find enough to eat along the way. The guys ate bakery cookies but I didn't want to fuel that way but nothing better came our way. I ran out of energy at 50 miles. Nothing to do but push on. Water was at a premium again so that was part of my energy problems. We found an RV park that let us set up tents behind the shower room. We all just lingered in that water today. No one can imagine how great a shower feels after being on the hot road. We were on the expressway for much of the afternoon. Traffic was heavy and fast!
After our laundry is finished we are calling a taxi to take us out for supper. Just can't fight that traffic again.
Tomorrow is Bob's birthday! We are riding into Austin and taking at least one day to see some sights. We'll take him out for dinner and we even hope to find a motel. Change of pace will feel good.
The four of us continue to enjoy one another's company.
Happy Birthday to my little brother Jack!

Under The BigTop

Each night is a new experience!
We woke up to a cool morning but having a real bed last night, it made no difference. I cooked the eggs that Doris had given us and warmed up last night's beans. The three guys and I ate a real Texan man breakfast. Doris and Earnie came down in the truck to see us off. We were on the bikes at 7:30. Had to start in jackets and leg warmers but by 10:00 had begun to shed layers.
Went through a couple of Texas towns that look like the cowboy movies. Had lunch at a place that was fashioned after the Alamo. Not much to eat there but big burgers and fFrench fries. So as the guys chowed on those I had a bababa and can of tomato juice.
The hills are starting now. And they all go only up! Each day our elevation is greater. Still not bad wind today but the hill climbing and heat drained us. Just couldn't get enough water.
We landed in the town of Burton, Texas. Naturally, no place to stay so we ended up at the tavern. Across the street we noticed a huge tent. Went over and talked to the lady in charge of the event that they are preparing for and asked if we could spend the night under their tent. They were thrilled to share. So we are on the platform that will be the dance floor for this weekend's Cotton Gin Festival. Not a single restaurant in town either and the bar only does food on Saturday nights. The owner of the bar Tommy, told us that if we could find some food in the grocery store ( more like a general store) that we could eat it in his bar. That's what we did. Bought a can of salmon, a loaf of bread and some mayo. Built a few sandwiches, walked to the bar and bought some beer to chase down the salmon. Tommy sat with us since there wasn't a single costumer all evening.
So we are under the big top and ready to sleep in our clothes again. But we did wash up in the bar! Don't ever think we go to bed dirty! No rest rooms available in the morning however, so we'll have to be creative. We heard that Brooklyn Bob who was one of the three from our group who wanted to ride faster got tired and flew home last night. John and Harold are on their own now. Penny called tonight and she's going home in the morning. We four carry on and are so compatible. It's very dark under our big top so think I'll turn in too. The guys are all tucked in.

High Class Tonight!

Today was perfect from beginning to end. It went down to 48 last night so I slept in all my clothes again. The park we were in became quiet and very dark. Everyone slept soundly.
We fixed our coffee and oatmeal and headed out by 7:30. It was cool so we started out wearing leg warmers and jackets. By afternoon it was 110 on the road. Texas is beautiful! Rode much of the way through the Sam Houston National Forrest. It could have been the UP in Michigan. Tall pine trees line the road. Wild flowers continue to awe us. Purple Verbena everywhere. We rode 55 miles today. There was no wind at all! Just perfect! We're getting into hillier country now. But not difficult hills because they are ones that can be ridden fast and run right up the next.
Penny who left our group called to tell us about the B&B she found in the small town of Richards. It's a 80 acre ranch with little cabins, showers, kitchen, laundry , swimming pool. All newly built, perfectly clean. The showers are private beautiful rooms with plush towels, new soap and individual shampoos. We have real beds for $25. We cooked supper in the kitchen and Doris, the owner, brought over fresh eggs for us to cook in the morning. Now this is luxury. I love Texas!

Shepherd, Texas

Only a 63 mile day but it was long and hard. Wind was in our face at 36 mph. That's hard riding! We started out great guns this morning with oatmeal, coffee, bananas and yogurt for breakfast at the RV park. We had tents packed and bikes ready for an early departure. Several people we met yesterday got up early to come say goodbye and take pictures as we rode off. We were barely down the road when Dean received a phone call about a friend passing away. He was expecting it and had talked to the friend just days before. Still, that is a sad feeling and we stopped to give him some love and care. Then off again.
The winds were low at the start. Almost immediately, Ron started having bike problems. Bob pulled out all the tools, took things apart. It was constant problems all day - breaks, fender, flat tire, chain, gears. That just made the day so long. It poured rain for abou 45 minutes but it was warm so we didn't mind. We stopped o put on rain jackets and pull rain covers on all the panniers. Luckily there was no storming because there was no place for shelter.
The wildflowers along the roads are amazing. All the things we pay big money for in Michigan greenhouses grow wild everywhere. The roads are still quite the same scenery, trees, pine trees and trashy trailers next to beautiful ranches. The predominant road kill now is coyotes and snakes. The people at the park warned us about going off into the woods here because of Copperheads and Rattle Snakes. Yikes!
Ate supper in a Mexican restaurant in the town of Shepherd. No campgrounds, no motels. So we are set up near a community center and softball field. The park is full of people tonight and no one seems to even notice that we set up tents. Met a man today from Finland today who came to ride this route. We're not the only crazy ones.
Love you all.

TEXAS, Home of the Poison Ivy

Yup, I've been stricken again! This time it's Texas style poison ivy! All over my feet and toes! Who even knows where I got it. I've been in some crazy places! Just hope it doesn't spread further because I ichec it all night thinking it was red ants or mosquitoes.
We left Louisiana yesterday morning and made our passage into Texas. Stopped for pictures at the boarder and then for mid morning breakfast at the first stop we came to. It was there that we met Nate from Nashville. He is a 24 year old doing the same trip as us but solo. He joined us for breakfast and we exchanged tales from the road. He decided to stay with us for the day and night. He is the son of a minister of the Church of the Nazarene and is just out to find direction in his life. A very interesting young man and enjoyable to be with.
The day riding in Texas was hot and windy. In the afternoon it was 104 in the heat of the road.
We stopped for a cold drink at a Sonic in Buna. There were no campgrounds or motels once again. We began calling churches but no answers. Finally, the manager at Sonic told us we could camp behind their building. So that was the camp for the night. We washed up in the restrooms and decided we'd better eat there out of respect. Lights and music kept us up a long time. The guys wanted some cold beer but once again we found ourselves in a dry county. That happens a lot in the south. Nate asked some teenagers where to get it and sure enough they came back later to drive him to another county.
This morning we had difficulty finding anything open for breakfast. We ate in a gas station. We had decided to ride only 20 miles today to the only campground available for a few more days. The guys all needed to service the bikes. The dirt and chip-seal roads are hard on them. Repairs on the hot road are not fun. Nate had planned to go on his way alone when we reached the camp. Penny decided to go with him. She is only planning to ride until Friday anyway. So now there are four!
We set up out tents and made a ride to WalMart to pick up laundry soap, bike rags, and a few groceries to eat at camp. When we got back Jeff and Tina, the owners of this small RV park informed us that they were cooking today for all the residents of the park and we were invited. So after we finished all our chores the meal was ready at the pavilion. Jeff had cooked "Armadillo Eggs", pork and a number of other dishes. We ate like kings and queen. We had a chance to meet and socialize with many others who live or vacation here. What Texas Hospitality we've experienced here! We played horseshoes and sat around drinking beer. You wouldn't believe the desserts we ate tonight! No wnder I'm not losing weight. One couple was proud to give Dean and me a tour of their RV.
We came back to our tent spot and drank some of the cheap wine we had purchased at WalMart and concluded our relaxing day off. We talked about the people we had met and again remarked about the great people we are meeting along the way. This is truly America, the great people who make our great country. Our day of rest was a wonderful day. We have been fed in body and spirit to venture on. Stay with us. We love you all and miss you.

We Survived

Well last night Mayor Ricky came over to our "float" to see if things were okay. We had gone to a local restaurant for dinner. I went into the restroom to find that it was a one woman room so I took paper towels and washed with warm water. I even could stick my feet into the sink and wash them all the way up my legs. By the time my supper was ready I was also quite refreshed and sort of clean. No change of clothes, but so what to a hobo? Mayor Ricky was a very nice person. He brought over a young man from the neighborhood who said he'd see that everyone left us alone. I really did feel safe after they left. We slept great. I didn't hear the police make the rounds but I did walk cautiously when I woke up to go to the portipot in the middle of the night. Had to climb down the stairs from the float. What memories this trip will carry. You'd think we were all destitute, but in reality most of the gang are millionaires.
Today was a fun, relaxed ride. We saw lots of crawfish farmers out in the fields bringing in the traps. Lots of snake holes and snakes today.
We had fairly flat roads yesterday but today the small hills started. Should be in Texas tomorrow so the terrain will be changing dramatically.
We are at a campground tonight. Actually cooked a gourmet supper with groceries we picked up before stoping. Took a long ,hot shower and even did laundry. Clothes are pretty dirty after living and sleeping in them for three days.
My cold is better tonight and I feel strong and great. This is such an amazing experience.
Aubrey, I heard your voicemail today. Had service for a few minutes. None again here tonight.
That's exciting that they are trying new things to help James. I miss all of you but the time is flying rapidly for me. It was 100 on the road today. Hot and humid!
Don't worry about us but continue to pray for our safety especially on busy roads. More tomorrow. Keep sending texts to our phones too. We miss you and love hearing from you.

Still in Louisiana

The cold weather hit Louisiana. The nights got down to 40 twice now. I froze! The second night of it I just shivered and couldn't sleep at all. That night the cold hit me. So I had a pretty miserable ride the next day.
Louisiana on the back roads leaves a lot to be desired. Slums, trash on the roads, nothing decent to eat. "y'all must be from the north, we only fry our fish and chicken, no grilled here". When I asked what kind of vegetables a place had the reply was "white rice and French fries"! I crave fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. Bob looks like he has lost about 10 pounds. I may have gained. I know I haven't lost.
Last night we stayed at a campground that no one would even believe. It was in Washington, Louisiana. The lady told us on the phone that it was the only place around but was great! They had showers and were even giving red beans an rice for supper at no extra charge. I took pictures of our campsite. It is picture perfect. Grassy field along a river. But what you won't see is the rest of the story. The rest rooms were worse than a third world country. There were two sinks. One had no water, the other only cold. When I turned it on spiders came rushing out. The paper towels were covered with thick black mold. I refused to try the filthy showers. I washed with the cold water hoping for better accommodations the next time. Then off for red beans and rice. Good thing it was so dark in the room that we couldn't see if other things were in it or not. We ate it and went to bed. I took some Thera Flu. Ron gave me his rain jacket to cover with, thinking that it was bigger and heavier than mine and would keep me warmer. I hit my thin bag and I was out! Slept the whole night and felt much better this morning.
We had planned to make this a short day. Dean had bike parts shipped to Ville Platte that had to be picked up. Bob is the mechanic so needed time to change the parts on Deans bike. We also have had some rubbing sounds on our tandem and he needed time to take it apart. So a short ride was planned for today.
Before we retired last night we had a group meeting. We have been riding so hard that we can't even take pictures. Some of us are not happy with riding just to get to the end point. Ron is a photographer and stated that he can't enjoy this type of travel. We push on just to end up in places like last night's campground. Three of the guys said they don't care to see anything and just want the rush of making the target as soon as possible. After a long discussion we agreed to hug them goodbye this morning. Harold, John and Brooklyn Bob left us. Ron has trouble with his knees too. He has done a lot of tours in Canada and Europe and the united states and has always enjoyed them more than this. We agreed that we wanted to have the time too. Penny stayed with us. She will only be on the ride about 10 more days. She actually doesn't have the same agenda but that's too bad since she decided to stay.
Tonight we are in the town of Mamou, Louisiana. Since there are no campgrounds or motels, Dean called the city hall here. The mayor said he had a place we could stay. He had a police car come out to meet us and escorted us to our "camp" . You would never believe it! We were brought to the slums of town. We are in a piece of a Mardi Gras float with our sleeping bags on the floor of it. We had to remove beer bottles, food scraps and needles first. We do have a nice porta John nearby. And the mayor brought us a garden hose to attach to the water supply. Of course the water spigget had no top. Good thing Bob had plyers. Instead of showering there in the open I washed up in the restaurant when we went to eat. Ron did the same. The police who escorted us out here said he would drive through a couple of times during the night to see if we were still safe. That's great! We have no phone service so can't call 911 if we need it. I feel like a genuine hobo tonight. Vickie and Jane, you both would just die. Madison, you would never survive!
I'm so glad I have service on my iPad! I can tell that I have voicemail on my phone but cannot access it without service. So if you left a message you'll have to wait till ???
Aubrey, I shipped thin mummy bags to your house and bought something heavier today when we finally came to a Wall Mart. Now it will probably be hotter than hell. No room to keep both on the bike.
Bikes are repaired. Ron had another flat today too. Hope we get all the bike problems over with before we hit the mountains.
Good night. Love all of you. Jack, be sure to tell Dad I haven't been able to call because of phone service. Hope I survive this night.

Catch Up

Saturday was the ride from he'll. I was not feeling well, it was hot and the ride was 84 miles! No one would believe that on that 84 miles there were no stores, no gas stations very few homes. There was nowhere to get food or water and no restrooms. Restrooms was the least of the problems since we have become quite accustomed to the woods. But to ride with no lunch is impossible. Around 2:00 Penny dug out some English muffins she had tucked away and Harold had some peanut butter. We sat in the sun along the highway and shared the meager crumbs. Several miles further we came to a house. We were totally out of water so I went up and asked the lady there if we could please fill our bottles. She let us use her hose. Monica, I remember when you got trench mouth from drinking from our hose. When we arrived at the campground it was 6 :00 and we had to clean up, set up tents and get on bikes to go find food for supper. I was so exhausted that I just wanted to go to bed but we all nnded food. After that I couldn't bring myself to blog. What a day! We all agreed that there will be no more long days like that. The sun is too hot.

Sunday. A lovely day! Short day of only 54 miles. We entered Louisiana and much to our amazement found hill after hill. The hills were tall and one after another. They are fun on a tandem. We can get so much speed going down that we can get most of the way up the next.
At the campground we were the only ones there. The owner Mike, gave us the little cabin on the site. Bob grabbed the top bunk and I the bottom one. We slept well but Bob had come down with the cold. I introduced him to Thera Flu and he slept like a baby. He's much better today.

Monday. Hills, hills,hills! Fun ride today, the hills were fun. Miles short, only 40! Not planned to be that short but people kept warning us about tornado warnings and no shelters ahead of us. So we found somewhat of a campground and tied things down. We picked up cans of beans and cooked a gourmet meal before the storm hit. One huge one just went through you never saw such rain, lightening and wind! There's more to come! A young couple from Australia pulled in out of the storm. Had fun listening to their story. They actually saved up money and quit their jobs for a year to bicycle. They are coming from California now going east.

Well that's about it in short version. Have had a few other bike incidents but Bob has the tools and expertise to take cRe of anyone. No problems of our own yet!
Never did find tape for my leg but it's doing better now. Kate suggested I could find some at Wall Mart. No one would believe how remote these areas are! There are none of those places!
Can't wait to tell you some personal stories.
Love to all.

Camping in Mississippi

What a day! I woke up with a severe UTI! Long story short, I had to see a doctor before I could leave Bayou LaBatre. That took two hours. The others went on but naturally, Bob was stuck waiting for me. After a stop at the pharmacy for a prescription we were finally ready to start our ride. Thankfully, it was one of the shorter days, 58 miles. Seemed to take forever since I needed extra water and bathroom stops. Had a nice tailwind for about 10 miles when
We were able to maintain 18 mph. Mississippi is noted for being the worst state for bicyclist and we learned that fast. No bike lanes, trucks nearly brush up against you and rough roads. It was a nerve wracking day. I can't even remember the town we are in tonight. It's a little ways past Wade, Mississippi. We are in a real campground.
Going to make this brief. Everyone has gone to bed. Nearly 80 miles tomorrow.