Some Observations from a Weekend Ride to Alvin, Texas

[Willow]

This past weekend (Friday thru Monday.  Ain't it great to be old?) I rode down to Texas to be with some friends in remembering the life and passing of Duane, Wizard, Gonyea.  Along the way a few observations stuck with me.

Cheap gas runs through the bike at about the same rate as quality fuel.  Yep.  Doesn't seem to matter that much on a regularly rolling route down the highway.  At, or slightly more than, one hundred forty-three miles she will call out for reserve and she's good for at least thirty-five miles beyond that point.  On the subject of gasoline prices, the price at the pump is made up of the cost of the fuel to the seller, state and federal taxes, and a determined profit amount.  Gasoline in Oklahoma and Texas is up to twenty cents per gallon less than gasoline in Kansas.

Good intentions are only good intentions.   Decisions by me to run at a more relaxed pace during a fill up or meal stop generally get lost in the wind about a quarter of a mile down the road.  She settles really comfortably into something between thirty-five and forty on the tach.  Some of that is influenced by that being about how other traffic is moving.

Texas is a Whataburger state.  There are billboards attesting to that designation.   They do make some really good sandwiches and they give you a choice of having your burger on white or dark bread.  I'm not sure how it is that any other fast food burger joints survive in the Republic.  Of course, there are those who disagree.  Some years ago a Texan told me that food from Whataburger tasted somewhat like deceased vaginal flesh.  I declined the opportunity to query him as to how he had sampled each for the comparison.

Light rain may be worse for the rider than more significant rain drops.  All day Friday I was in and out of light rain but almost never encountered real or strong rain.  The rain I dealt with is almost not enough to be really called rain.  It was that misty stuff with the tiny drops.  It just covers the face shield causing the rider to constantly be trying to wipe it away to achiev the needed level of visability.  Real rain would be blowing off at some rate rather than simply collecting.

Rain in town is more aggravating than rain on the flyway.  At speed the rider can turn his head to the right or the left and use the wind to clear his face shield.  In town at speeds of thirty or forty miles per hour if he turns his head the water will simply hang on and smile at him.

Bridge may ice during cold weather.  It's scary to see that sign.  Wouldn't it be even more frightening to see one labelled with a sign that said, "Bridge may ice without regard for ambient temperatures."  It is so comforting for us to live, work, and play in a world that behaves according to specific rules.

Texas has highways with driveways and crossing roads having a PRV of 75 mph.  Indeed the US routes with houses along the way and cross streets that are managed by a stop sign allow the highway traveler to proceed at seventy-five mile per hour.  Now here's an interesting situation.  US fifty-nine approaching Houston is a four lane road divided by a grassed median and with a speed limit of seventy-five mile per hour.  Along the way it is decorated by signs that indicate it is a future I-69.  At one point it actually does actually become Interstate sixty-nine.  The highway is there transformed into a six laned road divided by a solid barrier with smoother, newer surface.  The speed limit is immediately dropped to sixty-five miles per hour.  Honestly it doesn't seem to matter.  Traffic speed doesn't seem to change at all.

Speed limits in Texas appear to be largely advisory.   There are times when I was running well over twenty mph over the PRV and was still occasionally passed, sometimes more often than occasionally.  I did try to hold to the right hand lane when I could to let those folks get past.

There is a concerted effort in Texas to manage traffic fatalities.  Along the Texas highways I regularly would see signs declaring, "Left lane for passing only."  I thought it was a noble effort, but I must say that although there are long stretches on which those left lanes are unoccupied there are from time to time in the state of Texas large numbers of drivers with a strong desire to pass.

No bull.  Nearing Houston I pulled alongside a pickup hauling a trailer containing a single animal.  It was a bovine male with a lot of room around him.  It got me to thinking.  Do you think it is a coincidence that in the English language the phrase no bull and the word noble sound exactly the same?   
 
Duane had friends.  People gathered to remember the life of a man who helped when he could help, who was what he was without apology, and was gone too soon.  I rode in columns that Duane led.  I remember a time not so long ago when we were headed back to Friendswood.  I was back in the line when we pulled up to a red light.  There was an empty lane next to the line of bikes and I pulled out of line and next to Duane at the front.  Duane looked over at me and sort of rolled his eyes.  When the light turned green we both turned the throttles hard.  He jumped out in front and I did my best to keep up.  We shut down before we got too far into totally unacceptable speeds and the column caught up.  That man could do things with a Valkyrie motorcycle that I cannot.  When someone needed something mechanically done he would not just offer; he would reach out and do it.  Duane had friends because Duane was a friend. 
 
Hotglue and Flamingo Babe are first class hosts.  I arrived at Mark's and Charlyne's house midday on Saturday.  Mark, Early Bird, and RobertC were busily preparing the smoking device for the evening meal.  Charlyne was arranging as needed and preparing side dish stuff.  I casually asked whether they would break for lunch thinking maybe we could slip down to the Friendswood burger stand.  Mark replied, "I think we can find some sausage around here we can eat for lunch.  He sent Ray to the store for tortillas and in no time there was a blazing fire preparing sausages.  There was an excellent selection of mustards brought out and we all feasted on tortilla wrapped sausages for lunch.  As the afternoon progressed Charlyne asked me if I had brought meat for the meal.  I replied that I needed to run to the store to take care of that detail.  Immediately, Early Bird was offering me some of his supply, Charlyne offered a steak, and I was deluged with reasons why I didn't need to go to the store.  I had a delicious meal cooked over a fire I did not prepare and accompanied by an excellent potato I did not bake.  At the end of the night I was saying my goodbyes in order to make may way to the hotel down the road. Mark's and Charlyne's house was already fully occupied with every bedroom in use.  Charlyne graciously asked me if I would like to stay in the Man Cave overnight.  I replied to her there were some things at which I was not good and one of them was what she was seeing me do now.  It would be best for me to make my way to the hotel and quietly slip away by myself in the morning.  I do hate goodbyes.  It really wasn't until the next day that I began to count the many things Mark and Charlyne had given me and realizing I had given absolutely nothing in return.  Mark and Charlyne are the kind of hosts that have very few equals.

Wizard may have made some bad decisions regarding his health.  Conversations regarding the progression and speed of Duane's decline seemed to indicate that he may have in some cases waited longer than some would have to seek medical assistance.  There may have been times as well that he moved away from that medical help at a time or reason different than you or I might have chosen.  Would Duane have lived longer if he had chosen differently?  I don't think we can make that assumption.  We never will know what would have happened down the road not traveled.  I could make all the "right" choices for my well being and safety and then be hit at a stop sign by someone over whom I had no control.  I'm not sure we can even say for sure that Duane should have made different choices.   I can't.  I didn't feel what Duane felt.  I didn't experience what Duane experienced.  One thing Duane did.  He chose explicitly that path he followed.  I didn't see evidence that Duane allowed others or the situation to make his choices for him.  Duane lived his life himself.

Rocketman is a good daddy.  Sometimes little girls grieve very deeply.  Duane related to Mark's two little girls as to two young grandchildren.  The older of the girls definitely knew he was gone.  She would go and stand looking next to the Wizard's bike and then run to bury her face crying into her daddy's shirt.  She did this multiple times.  Mark did what he could to comfort her but did not try to tell her not to grieve.  It's hard sometimes to be a daddy.

Daniel Meyer writes poetry.  Daniel read aloud one more time a poem he had written for the passing of his friends that had ridden and gone.  The sentiment of the words expressed well the feelings of those sitting there.

Life is passing.  Duane Gonyea died too young.  For those of us away from him it seemed to have happened rather quickly.  He live the life he chose to live and did some of the things he chose to do.  He had much left to live and do that he did not.  Even the longest of lives is too short.  Life must be lived and what needs to be done must be done in a very limited amount of time.

I love you.  Mike Gonyea, Duane's son told me of one of the times Duane had come out of the sleep to full awareness of his surroundings.  Mike moved to him and held his face in Mike's hands and said directly to him, "Dad, I love you."  Duane looked in Mike's face and said, "I love you, too."  The tone, Mike said, was one of almost of course almost implying a sort of why-would-you-ask mentality.  They were the last words Mike's father said to him.  As I said my goodbyes I held a friend in my arms and heard the words, "I love you."  I did not repeat them as I didn't want it to sound that I was only reflecting but I believe I've used the word before to that person.  I almost cried.  People are precious.  Normally we use the word precious with very limited resources.  They are.  Words are not as difficult as we tend to make them.  Use the words.  Share what is precious.                 

[Serk]

Thank you for your words... I wish I had the time to meet up with ya'll and have headed down with ya'll but alas, life is what happens to us while we're busy making other plans.

[Valkorado]

Good thoughts expressed with good writing.     I may never eat at a Whataburger.   

[Jess Tolbirt]

Light rain may be worse for the rider than more significant rain drops.  All day Friday I was in and out of light rain but almost never encountered real or strong rain.  The rain I dealt with is almost not enough to be really called rain.  It was that misty stuff with the tiny drops.  It just covers the face shield causing the rider to constantly be trying to wipe it away to achiev the needed level of visability.  Real rain would be blowing off at some rate rather than simply collecting.


that would be called dew

[R J]

that would be called dew

Yupper.

It do screw up your windshield or face shield in Carl's situation.

[RainMaker]

Hotglue and Flamingo Babe are first class hosts. 
             

Two of the finest people on this blue dot.

[Daniel Meyer]

 

[Willow]

that would be called dew

Ha ha.     Apparently the English language works differently in your part of the country, Jess.  Dew forms on surfaces in my part of the world.  What is in the atmosphere is never called dew.  In fairness, I likely could have called it mist.  It was present off and on all day long in East Texas.

East Texas.  I noticed that East Texas and West Texas refer to themselves almost as if they are separate states.  The same is not true of north and south Texas.  

[The emperor has no clothes]

Great post

[RainMaker]

that would be called dew

Ha ha.     Apparently the English language works differently in your part of the country, Jess.  Dew forms on surfaces in my part of the world.  What is in the atmosphere is never called dew.  In fairness, I likely could have called it mist.  It was present off and on all day long in East Texas.

East Texas.  I noticed that East Texas and West Texas refer to themselves almost as if they are separate states.  The same is not true of north and south Texas.  

As a native of the Republic of Texas,

West Texas is anything on the west side of I-35 and generally is dryer and less wooded (like scrub brush) than East Texas, where you find pine trees, lakes and green stuff.

We also refer to South Texas, the Panhandle (area around Amarillo) and North Central Texas (centered around the Dallas-Fort Worth-Denton area) as separate areas with different climate characteristics, industries, etc. 

We also refer to anyone living north of the Republic of Texas as Yankees 

[T.P.]

that would be called dew

In Duane's case it was called "Diet Dew" He had one in his cupholder most of the time.

[Daniel Meyer]

That "mist" we just call humidity. Mist has drops around an inch or so in diameter. Rain has those same drops so thick you'll drown if you open your mouth, and a "Storm" has hailstones the size of golf-balls. A "Thunderstorm" has hailstones up to softball sized...and they are usually electrified.

Also...east Texas is often referred to as "Behind the Pine Curtain"

We also refer to anyone living north of the Republic of Texas as Yankees 

Also...the area north of the Republic of Texas is known as "Not Texas".

[flamingobabe #44]

Thank you Carl for the nice write-up.....we only do what is needed.....one of my favorite things to do when traveling is cross into the Texas state line...now we can ride....and not poke along........when my family from California and Washington come to visit...1st thing...go to Whataburger........Duane "WIZARD" will be missed by many.....

[BF]

Texas is a Whataburger state.  There are billboards attesting to that designation.   They do make some really good sandwiches and they give you a choice of having your burger on white or dark bread.  I'm not sure how it is that any other fast food burger joints survive in the Republic.  Of course, there are those who disagree.  Some years ago a Texan told me that food from Whataburger tasted somewhat like deceased vaginal flesh.  I declined the opportunity to query him as to how he had sampled each for the comparison.
             

There is no ketchup on the planet better than the ketchup at Whataburger.  

Whataburger w/cheese with jalapenos please.  Ummmm umm.  

[HayHauler]

"Hotglue and Flamingo Babe are first class hosts."
I can attest to this personally.  They see something that needs to be done and they get it done, very similar to the way Wizard would help folks. 
I have been very fortunate to get to know them these last few years. 

I told Mark last night that "I always learn something when I come over here". 

I am very thankful that the Valkyrie motorcycle has led me to meet a lot of amazing people along the way and Duane is surely one of them. 

Thanks for the post Carl.  Very sorry I missed y'all this past weekend. 

Hay
Jimmyt

[Jess Tolbirt]

Texas is a Whataburger state.  There are billboards attesting to that designation.   They do make some really good sandwiches and they give you a choice of having your burger on white or dark bread.  I'm not sure how it is that any other fast food burger joints survive in the Republic.  Of course, there are those who disagree.  Some years ago a Texan told me that food from Whataburger tasted somewhat like deceased vaginal flesh.  I declined the opportunity to query him as to how he had sampled each for the comparison.
               

There is no ketchup on the planet better than the ketchup at Whataburger.   

Whataburger w/cheese with jalapenos please.  Ummmm umm.   

dad gone it, now i gotta ride 600 miles so i can get me a whataburger with cheese and jalapenos this weekend..

[Daniel Meyer]

Texas is a Whataburger state.  There are billboards attesting to that designation.   They do make some really good sandwiches and they give you a choice of having your burger on white or dark bread.  I'm not sure how it is that any other fast food burger joints survive in the Republic.  Of course, there are those who disagree.  Some years ago a Texan told me that food from Whataburger tasted somewhat like deceased vaginal flesh.  I declined the opportunity to query him as to how he had sampled each for the comparison.
               

There is no ketchup on the planet better than the ketchup at Whataburger.   

Whataburger w/cheese with jalapenos please.  Ummmm umm.   

dad gone it, now i gotta ride 600 miles so i can get me a whataburger with cheese and jalapenos this weekend..

Yeah, that's not enough...you could make it like...1300...each way...just by changing which city in Texas you're headed for!

[Gryphon Rider]

Light rain may be worse for the rider than more significant rain drops.  All day Friday I was in and out of light rain but almost never encountered real or strong rain.  The rain I dealt with is almost not enough to be really called rain.  It was that misty stuff with the tiny drops.  It just covers the face shield causing the rider to constantly be trying to wipe it away to achieve the needed level of visibility.  Real rain would be blowing off at some rate rather than simply collecting.

In Ireland (and presumably Scotland, where I first heard the term) a day like that would be called a "soft day," or a "grand soft day, thank God."

[Willow]

Texas is a Whataburger state.  There are billboards attesting to that designation.   They do make some really good sandwiches and they give you a choice of having your burger on white or dark bread.  I'm not sure how it is that any other fast food burger joints survive in the Republic.  Of course, there are those who disagree.  Some years ago a Texan told me that food from Whataburger tasted somewhat like deceased vaginal flesh.  I declined the opportunity to query him as to how he had sampled each for the comparison.
               

There is no ketchup on the planet better than the ketchup at Whataburger.   

Whataburger w/cheese with jalapenos please.  Ummmm umm.   

dad gone it, now i gotta ride 600 miles so i can get me a whataburger with cheese and jalapenos this weekend..

Less than 400 to Russellville, Arkansas.   

[Moonshot_1]

Enjoyed your observations very much.

[Karen]

Thanks, Carl, you know how to share.

[Atl-Jerry]

     "tasted somewhat like deceased vaginal flesh."

It's hard to imagine a Texan phrasing a thought like that, what did he say.......really?

I enjoy reading words so well expressed, thanx for that.

[Willow]

     "tasted somewhat like deceased vaginal flesh."

It's hard to imagine a Texan phrasing a thought like that, what did he say.......really?

I enjoy reading words so well expressed, thanx for that.

LOL!  He remarked regarding the similarity to tying his hands and making him eat a dead part of female anatomy.   

[John Schmidt]

Hmm, glad supper is overwith. 

Carl, the OP made for some interesting reading. I never met Duane but feel it was my loss. I have met the two hosts you spoke of, impressed me as fine folk from the very first. I would sure like to make it down the GOTF one day.