Three's company...and five is nice too.

When Jess last wrote, we were peacefully falling asleep in a dug out and we stayed that way until about 3:45am. At that point a "goat rodeo" ensued (as my brother would call it) when we frantically pitched our four man tent inside the dugout and tied the footprint to the side wall to block the horizontal rain. We then slept peacefully once again. Tad actually slept peacefully through the whole event.



We had a nice long breakfast at the gas station with tattoo mustaches to boost our post-storm/pre-Easter ride moral.



As we rode out of Brackettville, we began to discover the beauty of Texas. I never expected the steep hills, vibrant wildflowers, or aquamarine waters we've enjoyed over the last several days. We often imagine that we're in some exotic location ranging from Guatemala to Hawaii. These certainly don't do it justice, but hopefully give you a taste.















We crossed the Nueces River pictured above where we took a swim, ate chili from a can, and admired our tan lines.



As we were hoping back on our bicycles, another touring cyclist showed up. "Are you the CU gang?" he asked us. We've come across about 30 other cyclists in our venture so far. Reputations start preceding meetings. Jonny was planning to stop for the night in the next town, but we convinced him to join us in riding over the hills to Leakey. That ride had crazy sustained grades but magnificent views.






The humidity has picked up, adding to our sweat.



We discovered a previous Exxon service center converted to a BBQ joint. The Hog Pen in Leakey was the outstanding ending to our Easter ride.








Jaret, the owner, invited us to camp in his yard.



The next morning after breakfast at a hot dog stand, conversations with locals, and a bubblegum blowing competition, we headed up more hills.












We were very careful.



And did not end up flattened, unlike this can of Copenhagen.



The wildflowers continued to impress.









So did this interesting use for boots.



We rode along the lush and serene Guadalupe river.



While my weight might have changed, it looks like my height is about the same.


We stopped for a mid-afternoon hot dog at the Hunt General store. We met the three owners of the place who were very interested in our journey and generously offered their vacant lot in Kerrville as our camping destination for the evening. At that same time, we finally ran in to Gary. We had heard about him from Cissy and Rich who we met nearly a week ago. The five of us rolled the next 15 miles together, stopped for some Mexican food, and then headed to the vacant lot in Kerrville. For a little after dinner entertainment, we all tried on the hair piece acquired from the roadside a few days ago.


















And finished the night off with a half gallon of Blue Bell ice cream.



Despite our warnings and their carefulness, Gary and Jonny both sacrificed a spork to the cookies n' cream.



Today's highlights included another mustache party, a great coffee shop, wine tasting, and swinging into the river.









Another statistic we're tracking is how often Jessica and I get asked if we're sisters. Today brings us to 9.



We're going to Austin tomorrow and excited to take our first day off!

Location:Park Road 23,Blanco,United States