Tuesday, June 9

Yesterday I saw an elk as I was crossing the Rockies, and then about a zillion antelope when I got down in the open grasslands. Also, yesterday I almost ran over a rattlesnake. I swerved to miss it because it looked like a big limb lying in the road. As I rode by it I saw it was a really big rattlesnake. I was tempted to turn around and run over it and skin it and hang the skin and rattles on my windshield to show off for the Harley guys but couldn't find a place to turn around. Oh, well.
One of my goals for this trip was to lose 30 lbs. Before I left, Patty mixed up 30 baggies with oatmeal, ground flax seed, cinnamon and dried fruit. For breakfast I just heat up water in my little one burner camp stove and pour it into a bowl with my oatmeal. I also have a French press coffeemaker so the rest of the hot water goes into that with lots of coffee grounds. A breakfast fit for a king for 30 days in a row! Before I left I bought 30 freeze dried dinners, six different courses, so I have more variety than for breakfast. Just add hot water. For lunch I eat a protein bar. I think I have lost quite a bit so far. My clothes are getting pretty baggy.
Just about through Texas. This part of Texas is so flat that I can see the curvature of the earth. :-). The worst thing about not having a face shield now is that Texas has a lot of big bugs. One of them was so big that when it hit me in the forehead it knocked me out. The roads are so straight here though, it didn't matter. :-) (That was for my grandkids!) Pretty comfortable day to ride. About 85, but overcast with only a little wind. Headed for Oklahoma!