DDT (12)
Member
Posts: 4120
Sometimes ya just gotta go...
Winter Springs, FL - Occasionally...
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« on: February 23, 2018, 04:54:52 AM » |
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Yes, it was mighty tempting, indeed! What’s more, I came very close to yielding to that seductive notion, too. I hadn’t slept well the night before, so I was more than a little bit inclined to return to that bed and give it another try… but I didn’t… I had weather issues on my mind, and I knew the smart play was to press on and try to position us for minimal rain delays downstream… Dang-it-all anyhow!
Troutdude and Waterbug had already departed, plus I had already removed ALI’s bed cover anyway, so… time to grudgingly load the bags, don my riding gear, and… AOS, KSU with miles to ride before we slept again… It was a gloomy looking day for sure. Low hanging, fast moving clouds, high humidity, and the look of moistness soon to follow… We didn’t ever actually get wet, surprisingly, but I was expecting it any time all day long.
I’d set Alvin, TX, as our ‘probable’ destination, just so we’d have a target to shoot at. I had no idea where we might wind-up, of course, but at least we did have a carrot of sorts dangling in front of us. I’ve taken to avoiding Houston for obvious reasons, so my options were limited to either riding through Cut ‘N Shoot and Conroe, or Winnie and Galveston.
Since the weather predictions called for even worse conditions north of our proposed travel line, I chose the southerly route… which isn’t a bad way to go at all… Well, with one exception… The ride through Galveston from the ferry terminal to the TX HWY 6 get-off of I-45 is a bit of a nuisance, but… nothing is perfect, right? Of course, we had to actually get that far for that little issue to even come into play…
We made the run by Lake Charles and Sulphur, then over the Sabine River bridge and back into the 'Republic'. Much needed and long overdue road work is underway from pretty much the bridge to the west side of Beaumont… Potholes, removed pavement, lane changes involving ‘temporary’ added lanes, barricades and warning signs… and traffic.
Lots and lots of big trucks on the move with tourists and locals competing for position in the various lines of vehicles all moving more or less in the same direction… and fast! No place for the faint of heart, timid, or easily intimidated rider! I was comforted by the knowledge that was a Sunday and, therefore, traffic was actually lighter than it would have been on another day! We made it through!!!
Once beyond the Ford Arena, I breathed a sigh of relief, eased over into the right lane and began to chill… I could feel the muscles relaxing in my neck and arms, and the tension leaving my body. I’ve surely been in a lot worse, but still… it doesn’t take much for an easy ride to turn into tragedy… We’d escaped mayhem and mangling one more time…
I will say that it could have been much worse! There are no laws that I know of that require drivers to be courteous or considerate of others. Still, I’ve observed that many with whom I share the road have figured out that we are all ‘fellow citizens of that asphalt community’, and we’ve learned that courtesy and consideration actually pay off in the long run. Not just in terms of not letting ourselves get caught up in the anxiety and tension of running a race, but in easing overall traffic movement and flow… which benefits us all.
I take heart when I see that concept in practice, and I do see that often. It makes me feel good when someone allows me to change lanes or they don’t tailgate, and I ‘pass it on’ when opportunities present themselves… By setting a good example, others inspire me to contribute, and… the risk of it all is reduced a bit.
We stopped in Winnie for some much-needed grits… My first meal of the day starts with grits, and then I accessorize them with other optional items like eggs, bacon or sausage, toast or biscuit… When grits are unavailable, I just go through the motions. Grits make breakfast a celebration of life… a renewal of the spirit, a joyous event! Without them, I’m just taking on ballast to hold my tush on the saddle…
Well, except for bacon… Bacon ranks right up there with grits in terms of being a hallmark of any day… If I can’t find grits, I’ll usually compensate by loading up on that other special gift to mankind… I can get by without one or the other, but a day without either is… yeah, now we’re talking real tragedy! I had both that day… stocking up, you see, for the drought soon to follow…
It’s about a fifty-mile ride from Winnie down to the ferry terminal on the Bolivar Peninsula on the east side of Galveston Bay. Just over the bridge that crosses the inland waterway and just before the turn onto the road that parallels the beach, a thick fog bank appeared. We slowed, made the turn onto TX HWY 87, and proceeded at a slower pace… The thick fog remained…
A mile or so before the actual terminal, which I was unable to see, a line of vehicles was backed up! I figured it was due to a combination of heavy weekend traffic returning home, and fog slowing everything down… Whatever it was, it had things snarled-up rather ugly-fied. I turned our girl off and began the long wait… I was relieved when some other vehicles stopped behind us, thereby reducing the risk of someone running into us since her lights were no longer on…
We spent the better part of an hour sitting, and only occasionally creeping forward a short distance. I finally gave up… I executed a rather elegant U-turn, if I do say so myself, and headed back to Winnie… I’d get a room at the same motel I’ve stayed in many times over the years, and I’d attempt the ferry crossing again the following morning… if the rain hadn’t caught up with us by then…
DDT
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