Not just the sky, but it seems the entire state is wide, and we'd spend Day 2 on the road...passing Abilene and other lesser known towns, where the final destination was Austin. We'd be chasing daylight, hoping to reach our destination before we lost daylight (another common theme of this trip).
The Sage in Bloom, is like perfume...
While the sage didn't seem to be in bloom,there was plenty of cedar pine pollen that had hubby and I reaching for the Flonase.
However, the purpose of this adventure wasn't really to experience the beauty of TX but instead, to reconnect with friends from our past. And yes, that indeed turned out to be the sweetness of this road trip...
First up, was lunch in Brenham TX where we met my childhood friend, H. We met way back in the mid '70s, when my family had moved from GA back "home" to Wisconsin and H. lived in our neighborhood.
These days, H. and her family call the Houston area home, where her hubby, J, works as a rocket scientist
(seriously, he is!). It was good to meet both her boys and spend time catching up.
Next up, was dinner with a classmate from my Nurse Practitioner Days, A.
In 1990, the Army saw fit to send me to Fort Ord, CA where I would meet A. during my NP training. This assignment was a time filled with lots of studying ( we crammed what usually takes 18 months to cover in just 6 short months), a fair amount of uncertainty (for it was just days into our studies when Iraq invaded Kuwait and the Army would start to send friends and colleagues over to the Gulf, there was a constant concern that instruction would be postponed and we too would deploy overseas.), and a forever friendship was formed.
Reminds me of, the one I love...
Our last visit would be with J and L. J. and I met when she arrived at Ft. Bragg in the summer of 1988. With us both being single nurses, we formed a fast friendship.
I introduced J. to my neighbor, L. Yep, you know where this story is going....After a few years of dating, J and L. got married in 1991. Score one for Martha as the match maker!
But that story doesn't end there. It is now February 1994, and J and L were visiting me in MD, when L. asked if I minded if he invited his friend, Captain Chang over to a party I was having.
And well....the rest is history.
Without a doubt, their friendship, does remind me of the one I love...
The Coyotes wail along the trail...
It wasn't a coyote wailing, but instead, Scarlett started to make an odd thumping sound as we returned from a day of sight-seeing. With less than a mile to go to reach the safety of the campground, the thumping ceased and the engine seized.
The cowboys cry Ki-yippee-yii..
Oh sure, there was probably a URAL dealer in TX that could assist with the assessment and repair of the troubled Scarlett. But, we decided to cut our losses, and head home, having visited some of the friends we had hoped to see, and knowing that the other friends on the itinerary would understand the need to take the motorcycle back to our trusted mechanic at Unique Rides in Ft. Collins.
As the sun set on 2016, we realized that there are many more adventures for us to take in the coming year.
As for this trip, yes, it was good to get away, and reconnect with some friends. We took in a little bit of history, visiting both the birthplace of the TX republic and the birthplace of Admiral Nimitz in Fredricksburg, TX.
Anytime that Hubby and I have together is time well spent, but we both agreed, that camping/glamping in an urban setting just didn't feel right.
Too much traffic to navigate and we never experienced that feeling of relaxation that we've enjoyed on our other adventures.
As we crossed over Raton Pass (little wind and dry roads, oh thank-heavens!), we spotted our Colorado Mountains,
And we realized, East or West, Home is always Best!
Until next time....May you always remember to get out there and EXPLORE....
