A pleasant ride this morning with low traffic on farm roads. Today was all about ranches, antique dealers, churches, and tiny towns. Some of the names of towns I pedaled through were Rutersville, Oldenburg, Warrenton, Round Top (pop. 79), Burton (pop. 359), Longpoint, Gay Hill, and Indepenenece. If I didn't list the population beside the towns name, that means it's 50 or below. Believe me, these towns are all but deserted. Each town has a small church, and the bigger ones have a general store which was a blessing for me. I almost never go by a general store without filling up my water bottles and my food sack. In Rutersville, I came across The Worlds Smallest Active Church. It looks like it could hold maybe 20 people if you squeezed in. The town of Round Top was a unexpected surprise. They had a beautiful village in the towns center full of history, small shops, cafes, and flower gardens. I came to the town of Gay Hill, which has no services. I needed to take a break, walk around a bit, and get some food in me. I stopped at the towns church, I noticed the sign said that the church service was at 11am, and today is Sunday. It was 10:45am and not a soul to be seen. I no sooner sat in the grass and got out my snacks, and a truck pulls in. It's one man and he comes right over to me to say hello. His name is Lordy Jr. A very friendly and talkative man. It turns out that the Pastor of this Baptist Church is Lordy's father. I was curious how many people attended a small town church like this so I ask Lordy. He told me that there are around 40 members but weekly services can vary. He didn't give me a number but I have a feeling it could be single digits or low teens. Just then, a second car pulled in and I found out it was Lordy's sister, Patricia. Patricia's as nice and as friendly as Lordy, we talked some more before I realized that the temperature was rising by the minute and their service was about to start, even though they were the only two there. Lordy asked if I needed any water before I pedaled off into this inferno. I didn't as I was still pretty full. It was only 10 miles of rolling farmland road between me and the general store in Independence. I know I want to stop at that store as I heard that the owners of that store have a logbook of all cross country cyclist coming through. I want to see if anyone is just ahead of me. Sure enough I made it to the store and as aspected, I was greeted with the notebook to sign in. I looked it over while talking with the Mom & Pop owners, and saw that a guy came through 3 days ago and he is headed for Maine. Other than him, I notice a Jim & Peggy, who I have been following on a website called "Crazy Guy On A Bike". They came through this store about 10 days ago. So no one is just ahead of me, or at least the ones who stopped at this store to sign in. Not many cyclist are going to past up on a country store in the middle of nowhere in this heat. I got my lunch there and ate outside the store. Meanwhile several motorcyclists come roaring into the store parking lot. I think to myself, "it sure would be nice to have a motor under me". Then I jump onto my "HOG" and realize quickly that I am the motor. My legs, the pistons, my heart, the fuel injectors, and the food and water I eat and drink, the gasoline. I rev the throttle but nothing happens, I snap out of it fast and decided I better just keep pedaling. It's now afternoon and I'am starting to sizzle. I was happy to be just a few miles from my destination for tonight. The locals are saying, that summer is here and here to stay. Not exactly what I wanted to hear. On the bright side of things, I am through the worst of the Texas Hill Country and that brings a huge smile to my face and a load off my legs. It will be a happy day when I see the State sign for Louisiana. It's coming, or at least I keep telling myself that.
Photos: One of many ranches I passed today - the next two photos are the same dwelling, one side is collapsing and the another side has a sign for a remodeling business ( pretty sure I would find another contractor ) - Worlds smallest active Catholic Church - The next two photos are from the town center of Round Hill - Texas Longhorns - Lordy Jr & Patricia in Gay Hill - Fill it up, the country store in Indepedence, where I signed the cross country cyclists logbook
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