Ride For Mental Health

Last Tuesday, I set out from my house on a mental health ride.  I sometimes feel the need to be a nomad.  I told Bebe I was going to be gone for a few days and she said she thought that would be a good idea.  So, I loaded up my Wing with enough clothes to last for four relatively clean days of riding and possibly a few more if I bought some perfumed body spray.  I left the Valley after the sun was up and headed north and west on the back roads through Raymondville, San Manuel, the Falfurias check-point, and into downtown Falfurias where I stopped for lunch.  The sun was already set on high and had no clouds to interfere.  I used the last of my iced tea to wet down my bandana before heading for Hebronville.  I stopped at the Dairy Queen there and bought a large vanilla cone to cool down my core.  Then it was fifty or so miles of nothing but ranch land to the town of Freer, Texas (Home of the Rattlesnake Roundup).  I gassed up at the Valero and bought a bottle of cold water.  I took two Excedrine and poured the last of my water over my tea stained bandana and headed north to Jourdanton, Texas.  There I found a large pecan tree and the only shade in the entire town.  I parked and found a number of native pecans on the ground.  After I ate as many as I could crack with my hands, I called Bebe and told her I was still alive.  She was thrilled.  I was about half way to my first days goal.  I geared up and made my way north on state hwy. 16 to the outskirts of town where I picked up the northwest hwy. through Devine, Texas and on into Hondo, Texas.  After another Dairy Queen stop for more iced tea, I continued west on state hwy. 90 through Sabinal, D'Hanis, Knippa, and into Uvalde, Texas.  I got gasoline at the H.E.B. Supermarket and headed west once again.  Only six more miles to go.  Just before I got to the Nueces (Pecan) River I turned in at the ranchito where my little 90 year old mother lives.  The trip meter read 351 miles and I had been on the road for eight hours.  I had a great visit with my mom and left the next day at 11:00 A.M.  I stopped at the Lost Maples Cafe for lunch and then road north and west through the hill country to Lost Maples State Park to look for some fall color.  The ranger there said they had some last week, but the cold front came through and blew most of it away.  He said it would be good again in another two weeks.  I continued north for a while to highway 39 where I turned east and went through Hunt, Texas and rode beside the Guadalupe river into Kerrville, Texas.  I turned north again and made it to Fredricksburg, Texas and tied my motorized steed up at the cheapest motel I could find.  The Patel's were very happy to see me.

This is a picture of a low water crossing on the Blanco river.  It came later in the trip, but I am confused by the new photo download process on Blogger so it got put in here.  So, I left Fredricksburg after a hearty breakfast at the German Bakery downtown.  A cold front moved in during the evening hours and dropped the temperature significantly.  I soaked my bandana in iced water during the night anticipating another hot ride, but I put it in a plastic bag for possible use later.  I layered my shirts and used my rain jacket as a windbreaker and headed for Luckenbach, Texas.  Willy, Waylon and friends were not there.  Probably a little early for them.  I stopped to take some pictures and get a third cup of coffee.

The Luckenbach Post Office and Dance hall have been around since the late 1880's.  It has now become a world famous attraction.  More later on Luckenbach.

I talked the Post Master into taking my picture while the bartender made some fresh coffee.  Then it was on to Blanco, Texas and more beautiful scenery on the backroads of the Hill country.  The river picture above was on this leg of my trip.  After a stop for lunch in Dripping Springs, Texas I headed south and east in the direction of home.  I stopped in Cuero, Texas (Home of the Chupacabra) and visited with another of the Patels.  When I awoke on Friday it was 40 degrees outside and I was forced to put on a couple of shirts I wore earlier during the week.  I forgot to get the perfumed deodorant spray.  The day was a Chamber of Commerce dream.  I rode with the north wind at my back all the way home.  I arrived home at 1:00 P.M. Friday and was able to shower and put my clothes in the hamper before Bebe and the grandkids arrived.  It was a reunion worthy of a full length movie.  I'm getting ready to clean up the bike and plan my next adventure.  Hope you have a glorious weekend.