Well, remember how I mentioned that the dust storms turned the blue sky tan? Late yesterday, I was informed that the reason for the color of the sky wasn’t dust storms, as I had thought but a wildfire burning out of control near Fort Davis. The hot dry windy conditions are perfect conditions for Texas wildfires. A Google search provided information from the NPR radio station nearby that highway 118 was closed and getting to Ft Davis (the first town) and then Alpine was impossible.
HIGHWAY 118 !?!? Closed??? How would we get to Alpine? How would we get to Sanderson or Del Rio or the rest of the route? After studying the map and researching Texas Law, I found that it IS lawful to bicycle on the interstate highways although it is discouraged. And if we went to Ft. Stockton we could get to Alpine tomorrow after all without much change in mileage.
This meant that there was another day of interstate riding – thank goodness for wide shoulders and relatively light traffic. We are staying in Ft Stockton instead of Alpine.
Total miles covered on the alternative route were 86.8, with an average of 17 mph.
Best moment – I had a tailwind most of the day and the winds aren’t as severe as they have been. Hopefully the folks in Ft Davis and Alpine will be able to get by without further property loss or loss of life.
Worst moment – The worst moment had to be last night with the train tracks that were about 10 feet from Ruby, the never ceasing winds, the times I was sure I could smell the wildfires, and the bogey men I knew were there to get us. I don’t think that I have ever felt less safe than behind the abandoned Kent Mercantile. The store still had potato chips and other merchandise on their shelves but had been abandoned for an accumulation of an entire trashcan of garbage.
First flat tire, second flat tire – I knew it had to happen sooner or later and today about an hour into the ride the front tire was flat. Though the touring tires are different and more difficult to remove, than the road tires, I was still able to change the tube in about 20 minutes. Then as I was coming into Ft. Stockton, the front tire was flat again. I know I should have changed the tire earlier, but now have two new tires – I had been riding on the original REI ones.
Just finished reading The Devils Are All Here about the mortgage crisis. It is really infuriating to think that much of our current financial crisis could have been avoided with better oversight of many of those lending and the kinds of loans that were being approved. Just started reading Bonheoffer – a true story about a German military officer and theologian who was involved in a plot to assassinate Hitler.
Still listening to Schulz and Peanuts.
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