Six o'clock in the morning.
Normally, I consider that a condition, not a time. But - I was up and at 'em at 6 this morning. It wasn't even light outside. The motel's breakfast nook wasn't open either, so I fired up the scoot and was on the way by 6:40am.
A quick Egg McMuffin and a big cup of coffee (most of which went into my Thermos mug), and I was on the ferry from Galveston to the Bolivar Penisula by 7:30. A ride up the almost rebuilt sliver of land (courtesy of Hurricane Ike) to see some beach fishers.
By the time I finished the coffee, I was back on the mainland and watching the landscape transition from the bayous and canals into the piney woods of east Texas.
(Of course the photos are small. Click on them to see larger versions.)
East Texas reminds me of deep south Georgia (or Jawja, as the natives say) becausethe land is full of pine trees, the spoken accents are the same and the mix of black and white folks is like Georgia's. I cruised on one small county road and was treated to neat homes with ponds and horses and comfortable brick homes. It was also the first time I had a chance to ride anything that approached being twisty.
When I stopped to take this photo, I noticed them accumulating on my clothing - and on the windshield - and on the bike. Not smashed - they were just flying around and landing. They were love bugs - another reminder of deep south Georgia. Once I got rolling, they got thicker, and of course, they began splattering all over the windshield. The piney woods breed lots of bugs.
But that was the last of the photos. Just like yesterday, it rained the last part of the day's ride. Not a heavy nasty rain - just somewhere between a drizzle and light rain. Just enough to annoy you. But I made it to my motel room in Texarkana. Its on State Line Road - and my motel is on the Texas side of the street.
The belly is full, the bike is locked - and I plan to be in snooze land very soon. Off for Memphis in the morning. The local TV weather forecaster tells me I am traveling right along with a cold front - supposed to be rain all the way to Tennessee.
Oh well - I get wet on purpose once a week anyway.