APRIL 29, 2017 (SATURDAY)  I feel better. ARMAND IS PLAYING GOLF. TIGER & SPARKY-maybe there will be another adventure-one with less hills.

4/28 (FRI) JOHNSON CITY to AUSTIN, TX  51 MILES, 7:00 to 1:00  11 MPH (fastest & hottest day-90 degrees) 3rd DAY of over 2,000 ft of climbing. Up at 6:00-10 motorcycles parked outside left at 6:30. Want to get early start-going to be hot. Had eggs & 6 pieces of bacon. Ill group on bikes in front as we left-Bob is going to sag, good feeling in case we are in trouble. Overcast-good-HILLS-HILLS & more HILLS-no flowers-don’t care-just want to go home & park the bike. Get to Blanco county line-water on crossing-OR bikes through. I STOP-keep going-leader yells-I did it! I’M AFRAID-just do it! AFRAID-AFRAID-AFRAID-(I’m 70 & afraid of falling) Sit down & take off shoes & socks. WALK across water past my ankles-car behind me-WALK up hill barefoot. Bob passes us later-said Paul almost fell & 1 biker got ride across in CAR. Stop for snack & get off route IL group is taking into downtown Austin. Going to 620 on 3238-have wide shoulders-now 6 miles of NO shoulders-constant traffic both ways. I’m AFRAID-you can almost reach out & touch cars as they pass. OR way out in front w/15 angry cars lined up behind him-not good for cars or bikes. Finally make it to Bee Caves & 620. OR yelling at me again. I see him-use light & walk bike across 620. Wind at back but now starting to get hot. Gone is the PEACE of biking in the hill country-constant NOISE of traffic.  Stop at store w/fantastic bathrm view-before we have to climb long-long-CHURCH hill. Rest again & drink lemonade-see hill. Beginning up hill-someone painted word HEART. As I climb are words-BODY-MIND-SOUL & near the top where Armand is waiting is LOVE. Not sure I’m feeling it now. Have to rest in shade-2 guys in matching outfits bike by-ask if we’re OK. Sure-made it up hill. Home at 1:00-have to tell TIGER & SPARKY it’s going to be a really long time before we go on another trip. Charlie (our cat) is at back door waiting for us. Go to eat, see movie & lay on couch watching tv-life is back to normal. Thank you GOD.

YOU CAN DO IT—NO-I’M AFRAID-I’M AFRAID, I’M AFRAID

4/ 27 (THURS) FREDERICKSBURG to JOHNSON CITY, TX  38 M, 10.5 MPH, 3:43 BTIME, 28.5 to  3.5 mph, 7:00 to 11:30,  Cold-55 degrees-pass other group at store.  Good rd, very little traffic-flowers have disappeared. HILLS-good downhills-finally feel like a biker but average of 10.5 doesn’t show it. No animals or pictures yesterday. Now see BAMBI cross rd-stop-get camera-Bambi stops & looks at me-starts to walk toward me. OR tells me to go or car may hit BAMBI-bike away as Bambi jumps fence. Like yesterday-no where to stop-but at least it’s cool. Now see baby goats-mom takes them away. But wait-ALPACA across street-they pose for pictures. See biker coming other way-Bill lives down rd-family came in 70s & own over 2,000 ares -brother own ranch w/goats. BOB (sag from group) passes us-asks if everything ok-much better today. Get into town-take picture  at Johnson City sign group bikes up-all go to Best Western. Can’t ck in until 2-all go to eat at Pecan Street  Brewery-place is packed-good food. Walk back & take nap-watch tv for rest of night.  HOME TOMORROW.

4/26 (WEDNESDAY) LLANO to FREDERICKSBURG  45.5 M , 9.1 MPH, 38 MPH max speed to 3.5 mph, 4.58 biking time

Breakfast-met 2 other bike groups-1 going our way, 1 going opposite way. WHAT ARE THE ODDS-2 Groups, 2 couples, staying at BW, doing Adventure Cycling Hill Country Ride in TX-all from other states, except us. Group (all originally from Illinois) try to take a trip every yr. We leave 1st-stop for drinks since nothing on route. Go across bridge to leave. Wind in face-not sure I can do this w/all the hills today. Flowers line our path-can it be? The wind has shifted-now at back & side. Stop for break-OR (Armand) looks at map-not on right rd. Not happy. Not sure where we are. Find little house out of sun. Suddenly see bikers-start yelling-tell OR to run & stop them. Turns out our directions had  been reversed on map-bike away much happier. Tough climb-have to walk-OR bikes up-have to walk again-group catches me. OR way ahead of me. Stop for break-get to talk to cows-group passes us. Now OR not feeling well-heat getting to him like before. Go a little farther-stops again in the shade. Ram truck stops-everything all right? OR nods head-I say-my husband not feeling well-any way he can have s lift? WHAT ARE THE ODDS? Someone comes along (have only seen a few cars all day) at exactly the right time in a big pick up w/A BIG BIKE RACK on the back of his truck. He picks up our bikes & puts them on rack. ADAM FLEURY rides bikes & was on cover of Adventure Cycling magazine in article about biking in Fredericksburg. Takes us to Peach Tree Inn-4 very long miles away. Take 2 hr nap. Walk to downtown-so many choices to eat. WHAT ARE THE ODDS? We choose restaurant where bikers are. Tell our story. They have lost a biker each day-one went back to Austin & got car. He’s going to sag. Going to spend another day, but now going to bike to Johnson City tomorrow. Bob said he would pick us up if needed. Tomorrow is another day-OR is sleeping.

Up at 6:16, bkft waffles & fruit. Out at 7:00-cool 62 degrees. Short ride on 29-now on scenic ride around Lake Buchanan pass Inks Lake National Park. Both sides of rd dotted w/sea of red, yellow, blue, white wild flowers-beautiful. Very little traffic. 10:30-stop to eat-have BBQ sandwich-ARMAND gets  MM’S & Reeses Pieces.  Still have hills, but now headwind-slow going for me. Get to Llano @ 12:30-more tired than yesterday. At Best Western, manager says other bikers staying here too.  Bath, rest-now ready for golf. Bike to Llano Golf Course-4 m. $76 for golf & club rental. It’s hot-88-only ones playing.  Now hungry-TX wants Mexican food. See 2 bikes outside-end up eating w/Judy & Chris from Amherst, NH.  They flew from NH to Austin & are doing our same ride but in reverse. Very similar to us-have done rides all over US & Europe. Found out our ride to Fredericksburg is 50 miles-NOT the 30 m ride my leader had promised. Also told us to take food-NO place to get anything until you get to town.  All bike back to BW. Oh, oh-have flat tire-walk 1/2 m back to hotel. Fix flat-take another bath. Write blog-other one eats candy.

APRIL 24 (MON) Austin to Burnet  46 miles  9:00-2:00  10.5 mph

Practiced for hill country ride by biking 7 m yesterday-have NOT been biking-NOT sure if I can-plus gears aren’t shifting right.  TX (Armand) gives me 9:00 am start time-ready at 8:57.  TX stops .2 m to fix panniers-may be long day.  18 m-Liberty Hill-cookies & ch mk. See animals-7 donkeys & goats come to fence for petting & pictutes-don’t want to leave. Slow going-but it’s ok-beautiful country-almost no traffic. Stop in Bertam & then Burnet (where TX had heat exhaustion last Oct when biking w/brother Whitney).  Arrive at 2:00 but take 45 min to find  BW-TX bikes right past big sign. Nice motel-take dip in pool-water is freezing.  Eat buffet-not very good. Walk to park-lots of ducks & geese. Meet Bob (Viet Nam Vet) & Judy (from WI) who walk 3 1/2 m everyday.  I need to buy new camera so I can post pictures.  Tomorrow is a short day to Llano.