La Grange, Tx. (Pop. 4,391)

We woke this morning to a frosty 38 degrees. We had slept in plenty of clothing, so we stayed warm and cozy through the night. We dressed quickly and headed to Mescalito Coffee one last time before leaving Brenham. We had our coffee, and I enjoyed a sausage and cheese kolache. I was ready to go, but it was still cold.

By 8:30, the temperature was climbing a bit, and by 8:45 it was 45 degrees, and I was ready to hit the road. I wore my long tights, long-fingered gloves, and a skull cap that covered my ears. I also wore an extra jacket made for mornings like this. For most of the day, I was pretty comfortable. I rode through town and soon found myself in the countryside. I was warming up nicely until I hit a downhill section in the shade. I got a bit chilly, but once I was pedaling again, I warmed right back up.

The day's ride took me almost entirely through rural Texas. There were plenty of fields, cattle, and a few other kinds of livestock—mostly cattle. I had just over 40 miles to cover, and, even with my late start, I took my time, snapping pictures of the peaceful landscape.

If you haven’t noticed, Dana loves flowers and has absolutely fallen in love with the Bluebonnets of Texas. I stopped several times to take pictures I knew she’d love. Despite being color blind, even I can tell that the flowers are absolutely gorgeous in the fields.

The ride was peaceful but slow. There were more hills than usual, and I knew I needed to take them slowly and steadily to avoid paying for it later.

This morning, Dana parked the PLUM behind the coffee shop and saw she had parked on the yellow line. She got back in the vehicle and tried to start it and nothing happened. She jiggled the gear shift and the motor cranked and she moved the vehicle between the yellow lines. Then she began exploring this little town on foot.

Later, after I arrived, I called the La Grange police to ask if we could stay overnight in the city lot. They gave us permission but told us to keep things discreet and make ourselves as invisible as possible. In other words, we needed to stay inside as much as we could. That was already our plan. I tried to start the PLUM to move it to a less conspicuous spot, but it wouldn’t start. I wiggled the shifter, the switch, and even tried to jump it—all to no avail. I sat there wondering what to do, and about five minutes later, I heard the radio turn on. I tried the switch again, and it worked perfectly.

I checked with a local mechanic, but the earliest he can work on it is Wednesday. I also called the local Ford dealer, and they said they could look at it in the morning. Hopefully, it will start so we can be there by 7:30 a.m. when they open. Fun times! There’s a good chance tomorrow will be another Zero Day. One day at a time!

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”Leer más