Darnedest thing happened yesterday (Sunday) morning....
There's this goofy bird that starts this incredibly beautiful warbling
every morning about 20 minutes before dawn. I suppose I've become
accustomed to it and subconsciouly look forward hearing it because I am NOT
a morning person.... no numbers on my clock earlier than 9 a.m. BUT, I hear
my bird every day... then usually just drift in and out of slumber as the
rest of the chorale joins in. (The cardinals start next...)
I had really wanted to go for a run on Friday night, but the two other MGs
(an MGB and a TF) I had lined up to run with us own sorta' wimpy humans who
though ten p.m. was a bit late to go after we sat there waiting on one
driver. Rats! But... the seed had been planted...
Ok. So it's 6 am. I'm awake. Dawn's coming. DONE! I'm outa' here! Grabbed
Darlin's keys, slipped on yesterday's jeans and headed out the door after
making sure I had a bit of cash in my pocket.... just in case. The idea was
to go for a short run up into the hill country, then back around to an old
US highway, and back home in time to stop into the little church down the
street at eleven. No problem. Sixty miles max. Two hours, maybe less.
Oh, really?
We took an interstate for as long as I could tolerate it, then I found the
lane I was looking for (not even two-lane. just a "lane"). Darlin' was
just hummin' right along at about 40 mph. It was sorta' chilly, in spite of
the 100-degree days we've been having. The new day started getting lighter.
It was overcast, but that would burn off soon, and since the Mexican rain
forrest smoke is gone, the sun would soon have its way with us.
I was about 15 miles from home.... smile plastered from one pointy ear to
the other. There were white-tail deer in groups of five to ten here and
there along the roadside. I stopped and talked to 'em. They just stared
back. I was suprised that they didn't spook and take off in a fit. Oh, a
couple of them did, but most just stood their grassy ground. After a minute
or two I'd ease out on the clutch in second gear to pull away quietly and
leave them to their morning grazing.
Then there was this " --| " sign with the words "Bulverde Community
Center" underneath. Darlin' decided to see what it looked like and turned
left. Now we're on a "serious" lane! Gotta' love it. More deer. All sorts
of wildlife.... some of it a bit flat from Saturday night drivers... , lots
of avian friends out there singing their stuff (ohhhh, the joys of a
roadster with no radio!) ... The engine was doing it's little resonance
thing that sounds sooo neat. Life is good. About 30 minutes later I wound
up in a town that I thought was THE OTHER WAY! I don't know why I had ANY
thought because I didn't know where Darlin' was headed in the first place.
Oh well... No problem. It was time to fill up the infamous coffee mug that
I hauled to and from Alaska one year ago starting today (boy time flies!),
and I had forgotten about getting petrol, too. [Keep in mind that my gas
gauge is a red 2-gallon gas can.]
So, we stop for a few minutes for java and fuel. We can take the Luckenbach
road from here, go to the little German town of Fredericksburg, find a
'no-calorie', 'fat-free' bakery and get some goodies to take to a friend's
house at Rocky Creek for a bit of breakfast. Sounds good to me.... off we
go. Now we're on roads that I used to drive weekly (I spent a lot of time
and drank a lot of beer in Luckenbach until it got so bloody commercial!),
and I looked forward to revisiting the vistas one enounters in the Texas
Hill Country... vistas that I can still see in my mind's eye. This would be
the first time to see them through Darlin's windscreen...
"What's all this STUFF?"
There are "ranches" everywhere. Yeah! Right! A three-acre ranch! Go try to
get an ag-exemption on that when it takes eleven acres to graze one cow! It
was rather disheartening. I came to what I used to refer to as the "great
hill" whose cut at the top put miles of beautiful countryside just 'right
there' in front of you. Whatamess! There were double-wides. There was a
church. The whole side of an impressive hill had been pillaged. OK, tha'ts
on "this side". I came to the pass expecting to see my vista. What happened
here? What vista? Just more double wides. Enough of them and right up
against the road so that the magnificence of the field of view was totally
diminished ... Incredible. Sad.
Sorry Darlin'. It used to be gorgeous. We'll just have to find another one
on another secret road on another day...
As I got farther away from the tentacular suffocation of San Antonio,
things were back to normal. Ahhhh... Yep. There's "tiddy hill". That's the
name the locals had given it. If you see it you'd understand. One friend
even threatened to plant pink oleanders at the very top! Maybe he'll get
around to really doing it one day.... At least the landmarks were back to
normal. Too far away for folks to commute.... for the time being.
The bigger hills started rolling into smaller hills, with creeks scattered
hither and yon... lotsa' fun dips! A very good "EEEEHah road"... At the T
we turn left to go to Fredericksburg to the calorie-free bakery, then
U-turn back 28 miles to Rocky Creek. Cruisin' along at around 60 mph I
became aware of that neat tingling feeling on my neck that comes from
longish hair blowin' in the wind at speed. (If necessary, borrow a wig!
Every MGer should have this experience.)
Darlin's still purring right along real cocky-like. It's all HER fault.
Blasted car never did steer properly. Has a mind of her own! We drove 120
miles to get 65 miles away from my driveway, and it looks like I won't be
in the little church this morning. Or maybe I was already in The Bigger One!
By 10 a.m. it's already HOT and I need to try to adjust the clutch again.
Darlin' thinks the smart thing to do is to hang out in Rocky Creek in the
shade with a huge glass of iced tea until sundown, then head home. Go
ahead, take bets! Did I make it back yesterday? Nah. Got too dark too fast.
Don't get a chance every day to sleep on the single-MOST uncomfortable sofa
in Texas! Critters on the highway. Go in the morning. Talk to some more
deer. Talk to the old lady in the junk store in Blanco. (My mother would
never have bought any of those excuses, either!)
Darlin's sittin' on the square in Blanco flirting with anybody who'll stop
to look at her. In the two hours I was prowling through the junk stores, I
heard at least 6 MG/LBC stories, including one about a Morris Minor sitting
in a barn. I left a note on that guy's windshield!
And I bought this great old, old cast iron Boston Bull Terrier. I thought
him rather British... weighs a ton. Found out he holds the big coffee mug
pretty well when he's lying on his side. Maybe Lil' Darlin's got a new
co-pilot.
I pulled in here about noon today (Monday). 'Quito was pretty aggravated
and let me know. She's curled up under my feet now. I suppose Lil' Darlin'
and I are forgiven. For the time being. Or until next time. She'd resent
being a wheel chock anyway...
...and we never did find the "Bulverde Community Center." I forgot to look
for it. But we saw a big herd of buffalo.
Carol
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