Thursday, April 2, 2009

Day 28 Heffalumps and woozles


Today, for me started out at 5:13 AM, when I awoke to the wind making our doors rattle. I closed my window, which had let in fresh Texas night air as well as the sound of coyotes howling in the distance. My cabin mates, must also have closed theirs about that time, because the rattling subsided and I fell back to dreams, not too unlike those of Pooh Bear.

An hour later I awoke and the day got started. Peggy, had gotten tea started, and we all dressed, got our stuff pulled back together, applied our sunscreen, took our luggage out to the trailer, and then our bicycles out near the house, where we went into it's warmth and the smells of coffee and breakfast. I don't think i will ever tire of the oatmeal that Linda makes. It is rich and delicious, and with scrambled eggs and today leftover roasted veggies from last night it made for a full stomach (kind of like Winnie the Pooh when he ate honey at Rabbit's....I however was able to fit through the door).

The wind was gusty as we headed out, but at our backs and it all in all didn't seem too bad. The roads were empty, the day was still just starting and the sun was angled and casting shadows. It was cool and beautiful. We soon had to turn and the wind became a little more of a crosswind, as we made our way down a country road. Our first hill was steep, but the wind was at our back and it felt as if there was a strong hand scooting us up, all we needed were sails and we would not have needed to pedal at all! We got to the top and had some downhill and then the wind became capricious....once again a blustery day....Unbekownst to me, the wind this day would be strong enough to close down San Antonio Airport....reported gusts to sixty miles per hour. I, at the top of the hill just knew that gust would come from one side and then suddenly the other, shoving me here and there, making me thankful, that this road had almost no traffic on it. I was telling myself that this would be a day to practice how to ride with strong wind. As we came around a bend, I saw two bicycles about fifteen feet over on grass, with the two women who belonged to those bicycles in the grass beside them. Several of us were riding together and so we stopped....the wind had taken one, Peggy and blown her off the road, but she hadn't fallen, and then the other, Elizabeth who had travelled to where the bikes were with the gust of wind and it had toppled her onto some rocks, bruising and scraping here. Aside from those injuries, she was OK, but it gave me pause and I decided that such wind, was a little too challenging for my skills and I waited with her for the SAG. We got a ride with the SAG,and headed down toward Medina. En route, another woman, Lois S had a flat, so we stopped to help. While there, we got a call from yet another woman who was behind us, that someone had alerted her that one of our cyclists was down...so we headed back up the hill.

Two other women had been blown off the road onto what little shoulder there was. One remained upright and the other was blown over and she had a concussion....this was a a brutal wind.
I was glad that I was in the SAG. We got eventually got this woman to the hospital in Kerrville, so that she could get completely checked out...better safe than sorry....my motto of the day.

The afternoon was just nice, getting settled into our layover hotel, the YO Ranch Resort Hotel. It has an interesting lobby....lot's of animals....those who have visited the taxidermist....I will have to take some pictures....it is remarkable. The chandeliers are made from branding irons....hey we are in Texas!

Mileage not really sure how much I did....but it should have been 51 I think today I will just count that....they weren't all on the bike, but riding in that wind must count for something!!!

1 comment:

  1. Schade, daß Ihr so einen Wind hattet. Aber Du warst ja sicher im SAG. Es ist ja toll, was Ihr so alles erlebt. So konntest Du Dich etwas erholen. Mache weiter so, die Berichte sind sehr interessant.

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