Where Ya Bindi?(April 5: Day 33--LaGrange, TX)

The ride today took us through miles of several state parks in Bastrop.  It was a beautiful ride through the spring forest, up and down rollers, but looks are deceiving.  Too steep for this girl....I just watched Shelley and Pam pull steadily away as I grunted, groaned and finally succumbed to unclipping and walking up the 20 percent grade that didn't look that steep.....yes, looks can be deceiving.

With the beauty of the spring, comes the humidity of the woods.... and insects....  Cruising through the woods was like riding through farm country on a summer night--the steady ping, ping ping of bugs hitting the windshield.  In this case, though, I was the windshield.  I had so many smashed bugs on my face that it looked like I had a new crop of freckles.  In the middle of my forehead was a big orange splatter, looking just like a bindi.  Stopping at the SAG to get a snack wasn't necessary--I had swallowed enough bugs to satisfy any protein requirement!

 Despite the bugs, the ride was absolutely beautiful, but unfortunately, the route took us out of the tranquility of nature and back out onto the county road.

The roads in Texas have a variety of designations attached to them--CR, FM, RM.  Most of us are familiar with the CR designation--county road.  FM and RM seem to be strictly Texas, though.  They mean "Farm to Market" and "Ranch to Market".  I have no idea how one gets designated a CR, FM or RM; obviously the latter to were 'trade' routes for the ranchers and farmers to the city centers and market places.  I can only guess that the county roads connect the FM and RM roads.  At any rate, the fields were full of wild flowers and cattle, many with newborns.  I stood and watched the vultures hang around an torment a heifer who had just given birth.  The little black calf was very unstable on his feet, and the vultures were quite bold in their approach.  Mama got between them and the calf.  I have a suspicion that the vultures were wanting to feast on the afterbirth.  It was interesting to watch, and also a good excuse to stop.  It was a windy, windy day to ride.

The fields are bursting with color, as I had said yesterday--the camera just cannot process the profusion of colors and textures of the spring flowers.  I have always thought that having a home tucked into fields of flowers would be a little slice of heaven.  I appreciate the effort that the landowners have taken to share it with us--it makes riding so enjoyable when one can feast their eyes on this!  But one never knows what one will find when turning the corner.  Over my shoulder was the magnificence of the fields of flowers and a head of me, equally magnificent in its forlornness  was this abandoned house.

 Across the street were working oil rigs.....pumping out that "Texas Tea"....how is that for irony?  Looks can certainly be deceiving.... 


I was having lunch in a cute little mom and pop restaurant--an older gentleman came in with a 'tootsie' on his arm...loud talking and big spending.  They had a full lunch--chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes....the works.  When the bill came, he throw a ruckus at the cost and refused to pay it, stiffing the restaurant owner and waitress.  He and his little lady waltzed out to the big ol' pickup truck, as if nothing had happened.  Looks can be deceiving.....

I am looking at the clock, and it is not deceiving me....I need to go to bed....I'm not even going to proofread this....I have got to go to bed!!!  Nite!

43 miles