Pappy takes a trip.

Last week began with beautiful skies and moderate temperatures.  My desire to hit the open road for a little two wheeled adventure was off the charts.  I checked the weather forecast for five hundred miles in all directions and saw that all temperatures were in range and the chance of significant rain was minimal.  So, by Wednesday noon I completed all my "Honey do's", and when Barbara got home I was almost packed.  She graciously gave me permission to carry on as planned and by 2:30 P.M. I was cleared for take off.

The weather in the lower Rio Grande Valley was in the high seventies so I dressed in jeans and leather jacket and headed off into the Wild Horse desert.  I packed for cooler weather since my track took me north, but the riding was excellent just as I was dressed.  By 5:30 P.M. I was north of Corpus Christi, TX by about fifty miles in the town of Refugio.  The December sun hung low in the sky and I made a decision to ride thirty more miles to Goliad, TX.

The temperature dropped fast as the sun drifted below the tops of the mesquite trees and I felt a chill creep over the exposed exterior of my clothing.  It was almost dark when I got to Goliad and I was getting cold.  There were no available rooms to be found in the small town, and the next town, Cuero, was over thirty miles further north.  The sun was gone and I was in deer and hog country.  I decided to press on to Cuero.

I slowed my pace slightly and turned the seat and grip heaters up to the max.  I was chilled to the bone and wanting the miles to drift away quickly.  By 6:30 P. M. I saw the lights of Cuero and felt a sense of relief knowing soon I would be inside a motel room taking a hot shower.  I pulled into the parking lot of a new Best Western and saw that there was no vacancy.  Cuero is also a small town without many choices.  I saw a small motel just down the road and headed that way.  The Antlers Inn is not on the list of major motels and Mr. Patel was more than happy to provide me with lodging at a less than bargain rate.  I guess he couldn't see my gray hair under my "Do-rag".  I took the room without argument over price and pulled the bike up in front of the door.  The room was clean and warm, but not up to Bebe's standard for acceptable.  Since she wasn't with me I didn't check the bed spread and carpet for cleanliness.  I took a hot shower and went straight to bed.

The next morning when I woke I checked the bank thermometer across the street and saw that it was forty two degrees.  I put on my cold weather gear and started out again when the sun rose.  The rest of the ride was comfortable and I had great visits with a number of old friends.  Yesterday I started back.  The temperature had risen steadily over the previous two days and after some moderately cool mornings it was warm by afternoon.  I layered my clothing and by the time I reached the start of the two hour run through the King Ranch I was down to the bare minimum.  I completed my 1,000 mile run at 4:00 P.M. with a cold shower and a tall beverage.  I had to turn the air conditioner down just a little last night before I went to bed. It was a great trip.

Sanity calms, but madness is more interesting.
  - John Russell