Today had the most pleasant weather on the tour so far: sunny with temperatures in the mid 60s and very light tail winds. We were all delighted to do another routine 70-something miles with a reasonable effort for the third day since leaving Austin.
Along the way we saw some interesting sights and a great food truck lunch stop in New Waverly, owned and run by couple Jason and Jackie. We learned we were the second Southern Tier cyclist groups stopping for lunch in the past week. You also will see my picture of Lake Conroe, which seemed novel, since we have spent so much time in deserts and arid regions. Texas has road signage on their highways, farm or ranch roads that describe the country side you are riding through. Earlier we saw a sign that we were on Texas Hill Country Trail and today I noticed we were in Texas Forest Trail. That definitely matched the trees and hiking trail heads we passed on today’s route.
For anyone new to the trails and forests of this region, you need to be on the lookout for red ant hills. I included this picture as Doug had a bad experience years ago with these ants as a new intern doctor in San Antonia, Texas (literally outside his hospital upon reporting to work). I decided to look up a Texas A$M internet description that matches Doug’s description, and provide a photo of the ant hill we encountered today, and most days when we make stops to relieve ourselves in the woods. When disturbed, fire ants emerge aggressively, crawling up vertical surfaces, biting and stinging “all at once”. Their sting usually leaves a white pustule on the skin.
The only unpleasant experience today was our 8 mile stretch on Hwy 150 East after leaving lunch in New Waverly. This was another road with insufficient riding shoulder and a handful of discourtesy and even dangerous truck drivers. Today was one professional truck driver and a couple “cowboy” jerks in their big expensive man-trucks. The majority of trucks and motorists are courteous, or at least safe giving us wide berth. Doug plans our routes as best as possible to stay on roads with the designation Farm Road, and back west called Ranch Roads. These roads provide light traffic, good surfaces (at least in Texas) and beautiful scenery. Today was a day we had to ride some on a Hwy stretch that really unsettled us.
Leaving New Waverly, we passed a must stop site , when I yelled to my companions that we had to turn around so they could take a picture of me with 800 pound Jesus. I had to explain the meaning of this based on attending a Mississippi born musician, Paul Thorn, that I have seen live in concert with girlfriend, Trina, one of Paul’s very best fans. If you ever can get to Paul Thorn concert, I recommend you go, as he is a great showman and musician who writes song lyrics with great wit. Well, one of those songs is a ballad about stealing an 8 foot, 800 pound Jesus made of concrete and rebar for his own front lawn. This concrete Jesus one day saves him from attempted suicide, as the ballad claims, so he buys some concrete sheep to exhibit at its feet.
I’m so glad they stopped for you so you could get this shot. We will tell Paul about it the next time he comes to Virginia. He loves a good story.
Trina, it was a great photo op to share with Paul Thorn, and it also makes me wonder just how many cement-and-rebar Jesus’s there could be, yet to discover.