This has been the most difficult week of cycling of my life. The reason is the constant powerful adverse wind. We're making four mph on hills where we would normally make ten. There's no coasting down hills; we have to crank hard to make twelve on a good downhill. The wind is exhausting too for the noise. It's whistling through the helmet and straps. Any attempt at communication is a frustrating series of "What? What?" exchanges.

I believe I last reported from Sanderson. Incidentally, we completed the fist thousand miles several days ago; I think we're at about 1400 now. There were two other couples cycling our route in Sanderson. A rainbow was visible to the west in the morning and there were flashes of lightning. There was discussion whether to proceed or to wait a day. Since we had to meet Andrew in Del Rio, we went ahead as did the other couples. We soon felt a drizzle which graduated to rain. Then Michele's front wheel picked up a length of baling wire which caught in the spokes and wound the wire tightly around the axle several times before Michele could stop. The rain abated, and then Steve had a flat.

At twenty miles, we pulled into Dryden. Dryden has a combination post office/grocery store, an abandoned cafe, and an abandoned general store. The post office/store has potato chips and soda, and about $50 of other stuff: one can of hash, one bag of flour, etc. A local couple told us stories of a cyclist being attacked by javelinas and warned of grey wolves introduced by those government bureaucrats. One other couple of cyclists decided to camp at desolate Dryden and wait for better weather. We proceeded on. We made PB&Js at a roadside rest ten miles further on. The remaining other couple caught up with us there; we later saw them passing us in a truck with the bikes in the back.

We reached Langtry at 60 miles. There's a store about like that at Dryden, but withmuch more personality. We guzzled soda and then went another mile to a place where a guy has a vacant trailer he rents out for $35 (musicians get a discount if they'll jam with him because he has nobody else to play with). The trailer was adorable, though it convinced me that trailer life is only for living alone. Two people have to negotiate to pass each other. We sat in the setting sun outside and yakked with the owner until dark. Steve dug out the Trader Joe instant meals he's been carrying and cooked them up for us.

Langtry was the site of "Hangin' Judge Roy Bean, the Law West of the Paeos". There is no evidence that he ever actually hung anyone.

It was my turn for flats. I had one going into Langtry. I repaired it that night, but it was flat in the morning. The two tubes I purchased inAlpine turned out to have automobile-type valves, useless to me. I thought I was out of patches (Michele turned out to have some, but didn't mention them), so I thought I was at risk of being stranded. I borrowed a tube from Steve to press on.

The guy at the trailer said that there would be great chili dogs at the cafe on Comstock. Comstock, 30 miles away, is the only place to eat for 50 or more miles. We were set for digging ino those chili dogs. When we dragged in around noon, the cafe was closed because the operator had to go to San Antonio. So lunch consisted of Doritos, soda, and tasteless sandwiches from the service station.

Today is a rest day. We're in a motel in Del Rio. I said I needed to get to Walmart (desperate times call for desperate measures) in the belief Walmart would be the only place I might be able to buy new inner tubes. The motel guy said "Take my truck." and handed me the keys! He's in my prayers.

Flowering cactus

Dryden store/postoffice

Shall we ride on or will we be killed by lightning?

Our trailer in Lantry

Rainbow at Sanderson

Keith, our trailerhost

Pecos river

Lunch in Comstock