Canto 1 - Ready To Ramble

I guess I'd better make it a point to try and come out of lurk mode more often. Everyone is so surprised that I'm still around. Guess what, folx - I'm still here!!! I still check up on all of y'all. Don't think I'm not. I like to keep track of my friends and their adventures - like getting published, first hurricanes, and life experiences in general. I am, however, touched that so many of you seem to have really missed me. I just wish I could hug each and every one of you. I'm not lost, just quiet - and I do miss all of you terribly sometimes.

Is it better to do many posts on various subjects or one all-inclusive one? Maybe it's time to switch.

Canto 2: Weather To Ramble Or Not

It's an absolutely beautiful morning here in North Texas. The front that blew through here day before yesterday has dragged in the lower humidity and temperatures that make North Texas such a pleasant place during the fall, winter, and spring months.

My newest friend, Ginny, and her husband have just moved back to Texas after spending a few years outside Nashville. (Not that Nashville isn't pretty country with it's Her comment to me this morning was that when they crossed over into Texas she was reminded of the song lyrics "I can see for miles and miles." She said, " You now, I'd forgotten that here in Texas, you really can.

I've been a hell of a lot of places around this country (not all - but alot), and while the Rockies, the Smokies, and the Adirondacks are certainly numinous in their own way, and the Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf seem ancient and endless, Texas is the only place where there is so much sky it does seem to go on forever. Yeah, I know - they call Montana the Big Sky Country. Have to make it a point to ride up there and see if it rivals Texas. Wish y'all could be here to share it with me.

Canto 3: Rambling On 2 Wheels

Sadly, I'm on 24-hour call at the moment - 1 week down, 1 week to go.

So, I can't take advantage of this gorgeous weather (except riding back and forth to work.) Probably not a bad thing, as it's time to get a new front tire anyway. I can get that taken care of during this 2 week stretch and I'll be ready to take off by the 15th.

There's a couple of great rides out in one of my favorite spots - Big Bend.

The "Heaven To Hell" Ride [ http://www.heaventohellride.com/ ] is tomorrow.
The "Ride For Trails" [ http://www.bigbendfriends.org/ridefortrails/ ] is next weekend.

My bad luck that this year I'm scheduled for back-to-back On_Call weeks at work. But that just means I can plan 2 weeks vacation for next year and make both of them. I'll really love the second one as all the proceeds go directly to upkeep of the Park.

I know I've probably told y'all this before, but my two favorite places in all the world are the Big Bend area of Texas and the Adirondacks of upstate New York. Like I said, I've been alot of places and wandered through a lot of back country, but these two places always do it for me. They're like coming home.

I'm thinking that when my 2 weeks is up, I can take some comp-time off and leave out of here on a Friday and head up to make the Tali-Mena Run. That's Talihina OK to Mena AR on Hwy. 1 in SE Oklahoma/SW Arkansas. They say it's best west to east as you start out in the flats and slowly build into the mountains of the Ouachita Nat'l Forest. My youngest brother has been saving this trip for when I got a bike just so he and I can ride it for the first time together. Tell ya what though - I'm liable to take off on my own come October 15th.

I've spent a lot of miles following the various 2-lane black-tops north and west of me here. The two prettiest ones are FM 677 from Forestburg to St. Jo (and northward to Taovayas Bridge) and FM 678 from Lake Kiowa to Dexter. The Forestburg-St. Jo stretch is great 'cause you drop down off the prairie into some gorgeous hills and winding twisties. Not hairpins, just no-nonsense curves and hills. Keeps you on your toes and excited, but nothing serious that you have to 'work' at. Now the Lake Kiowa-Dexter stretch is not quite so hilly, but you're constantly curving back and forth through some lovely forested countryside the whole way on great sweeping curves and a rolling landscape.

Sheesh - it's only been 4 months and I'm seriously hooked. I can't wait for my first big cross-country to Colorado or The Four Corners. We're talking about a trailer on our next trip to Nashville to visit Joyce's folks. After all - there's the 450 mile Natchez Trace to be ridden.