All of a sudden, I realized we were completely surrounded by Republicans… Nope, we weren't at a political event of any sort, but... Well, of course it is a story a bit longer than a simple line or two could convey... you'll have to read on, if you're curious...
But, first things first... Ron and I met Danny at Chesterfield's again for breakfast my last morning there. Danny soon arrived, but he was not on two wheels... Nope, yet another toy of his... a 1940 Willy's street rod complete with suicide doors, 'aftermarket exhaust', V-8 engine, and all!
Chesterfield's was closed for some reason, so… we went to Ward's instead and had a fine breakfast platter... Then we went to Danny's place again for those pics I failed to take the other time... Guess what? I found the pics of his tractor and garage at his house! Don’t ask me how… they just magically appeared in my ‘album’…
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sunflower field sunset wallpaper I've already posted the other pics, so I won't repost them here... After a really nice morning with a pair of great friends, it was time to do what I find myself doing all the time... bidding farewell and striking out alone... I wasn't eager to leave the company I'd found myself in, but the weather predictions had given me more than ample reason to pull the trigger on that call, so... off we rode... 'til next time, guys!!!
I pondered all that had occurred the previous couple of days... How I'd been with some truly great folks, and... just how different each of us was from the other. Aside from our Valks and a shared passion for riding, just how little in most obvious ways we had in common with each other.
What we did all share, though, was contentment with our lives generally. We'd each found very different but meaningful paths and pursuits... and, we each seemed to have found that illusive 'happiness' everyone wants to find, but so few actually do... It had been a good few days, indeed!
Once back on the road again, I'd been feeling that smile gradually increase with each mile we rode... We stopped in Sulphur, LA, for the night... and clouds were gathering! I’d even felt a drop or two on my face. I didn't know if we'd gone far enough west or not to keep the 'hopeful plan' in play, but... A check of the radar on my phone app confirmed rain awaited us just down the road, so it was time to quit for the day...
No rain the next morning, and the forecast indicated we stood a good chance of making it to Victoria, so... blast off! It was on that stretch that thoughts returned to... that familiar sensation I always get on that route...
A slight curling of the lips at the extremities at first, then a bit more, then... It usually happens that way... The further west we travel, the more the anticipation builds. By the time we reach Lake Charles, LA, there is always an unmistakable smile in place, and...
By the time we crest the Sabine River Bridge, that smile has grown into a full-blown goober grin! It never fails... I do love Texas, you see... the Republic... the Lone Star State... It truly is so much more than just a location; it is indeed a state-of-mind. If you've never experienced what I'm talking about here, then... you've missed one of those peculiar incidental things in life well worth knowing about!
Texas is not perfect, however... Nor is it a well-kept secret! Lots of folks there nowadays, and more moving in every day! Eastern Texas in particular seems to be filling up! I usually take I-10 to Winnie, then turn south and ride the Bolivar Peninsula, then take the ferry across the bay to Galveston, then non-interstates south of Houston.. If not, then I take back roads north around Houston, but I do try to avoid that megalopolis itself!!!
Last time we'd ridden the north route, so this time we rode south. We arrived at the ferry terminal, and a line had already formed which is typically the case. It didn't comfort me much when I noticed the line behind us had grown to about the length of that in front of us... Once aboard the boat, I looked around and nearly every vehicle had Texas plates! Yep, we were surrounded by... Texans... residents of the Republic... Republicans!
Mid to late morning on a weekday isn't bad getting through Galveston... as long as it also happens to be before Spring Break or after Labor Day... and this time we were there at the very beginning of March... Not bad... Onto I-45 for only a few miles to the SR 6 exit, then west to Alvin, then southwest on SR 35 to Bay City.
We were bound for Victoria that day, but who knew... Rain had been threatening the last two days, and... Man, those forecasts... can't live with them... can't live without them! That's a story in itself... more like a tale of woe, actually...
Following my visit to Hattiesburg, I'd figured we'd have to head east and possibly end up returning to home-base... due to predicted rain. I even went to bed the night before departure thinking we'd be riding towards southern Georgia the next morning. Well, by the time I'd awakened, the forecast had changed... again! Now it appeared west might offer a slightly better chance of avoiding that cursed damp stuff... Either direction held the risk of soon having to spend two or three nights sitting it out in one place...
I happened to chat with my land lady that morning, and I was lamenting my predicament. She said I should just go west... She was fine and nothing much was going on down there... And, as she's said many times, "You need to do that while you still can!" Well, that line of logic is absolutely unassailable to this happy rider, so... West the 'plan' became!
The south route around Houston was a good one because it happened to offer the best chance to skirt the rain threatened to be building in central and southwest Texas... Could we make it far enough south in time to avoid... any unpleasantries and/or delays? We rolled the dice... We did make it to Victoria after all, and prospects appear reasonably good for us if we ride on to Laredo before turning north... We'll see how that works out... In the meantime, we're still mobile and life is oh-so good!!!
DDT
