Mostly steam, mostly clean.
Factories punctuate the playing fields of farmers in the far west of
Louisiana, like beehives dispersing and receiving cars in the early morning. I had a wide shoulder to lean on this
morning, or rather to ride on during the shift change from graveyard to
morning. Each church with its cemetery where
they rest in peace from their driving.  |
| They call it “Trucker’s Breakfast,” but from the size of truckers’ bellies, “Biker’s Breakfast” fits better |
Sometimes I cast a long shadow to the west, stretching to
reach that Pacific destination. About a
third of this lifetime travel is used up and behind—the part from Atlantic
through Louisiana. Texas will use up
another third.  |
| Sabine River |
The Sabine River separates Louisiana from Texas, and a
moderate 55 mph speed limit from 75 mph in the Lone Star State, from a ban on smoking in restaurants to Texan freedom to smoke whereever you want.
Wow! You can't smoke in restaurants in LA! Things really have changed. I suppose you can't drink and drive anymore either (seriously). Can you still drink in public? Sounds like there's no reason to be there. Now you're going to be in Texas for the rest of your life. It seemed like forever just to drive across it as 85-90. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteA sign along the road in Louisiana says "open bottle or can illegal." I am sure they mean spittoons. My life may be so short as to have it all consumed in Texas, don't know.
DeleteHowdy Sharon, I have insomnia tonight and decided to revisit and catch up on your travel blog. I was thinking perhaps your next trip would be to visit the Dutch couple upon their return across the pond to the fjords. Hope you have found a comfortable place to lay your head tonight (Thursday/Friday 3 am for me). Stay away from mirrors and may the wind be at your back. Safe crossing, sister girlfriend. Aloha! Mary Torregrossa
ReplyDeleteWelcome, Mary. I might visit the Netherlands and the Dutch couple. We exchanged information. Their homeland is much more bicycle friendly than ours, and many more people ride there. It is a flat country, but the wind can become strong. I am comfortably settled in at Kountze, Texas, a fine little town with friendly locals.
DeleteHello dear Sharon, thinking of you as we begin our Friday here... hoping you will think of us...we will of you, and miss you at poetry! My days in Texas were interesting... in College Station and nearby where Tim was born, and where he sat in his baby seat at Texas A&M Library during our year there, while I took Modern Poetry and Shakespeare, they had some very good English professors and head of the English Dept had us to his home for dinner. A close-knit world of intellectuals in the Humanities amidst all the Engineers... so wherever we go we find pockets of friends... the one thing I didn't like is how flat it was, the part of Texas I was in, I thought it was boring! But for a biker that is a plus I think. Oh I should say Texas was where my biking days ended. I was 8 months pregnant on a borrowed bike to bring lunch to my sweetie when I couldn't find the brake. It was a hand brake, at that time I was not familiar with that... but don't worry... I just rode around a gas station in circles till someone told me where it was... much to their amazement at the sight. No harm done, as far as I know, unless Tim might have noticed some odd proclivities... Hope you find some poetry along the way, love Kathabela
ReplyDeleteI will pass about ten miles south of College Station in a few days. I see no reason to go there except to look for Modern Poetry and Shakespeare, and maybe scrounge for roots of the Kathabela tree. I will visit relatives of my Sister's son's wife on Sunday in The Woodlands and stay a few days. It was nice of them to invite me, and a rest will be nice.
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