According to Katherine: Day 25 Recap

We awoke at 5:15, as usual, and I walked across the highway for coffee for Marge and me. When morning came, it was 67 degrees and overcast -- our first day without sun.

My hopes were high for a quick fix for my bike shifter. I gave Carol my credit card to pay whatever it would cost.

After a breakfast of scrambled eggs and a few bites of hash browns, I checked off all the riders and drove 10 miles down the road to the Wal-Mart. Almost all of them had some shopping to do, so I watched over their bikes, prayed for the repair of mine and received their purchases so they could ride on unencumbered. (There was a very light mist so everyone put on their rain jackets. It didn't last long and I collected all the gear at the next SAG stop.)

I stopped at a home health agency to verify my directions, and told the nurses all about the WOCN, the ride and the fund raising for scholarships -- and left them with a card with the various websites.

We all convened for lunch at Julie's in Bracketville. I had perfect Texas cheese enchiladas, and listened to all the riders grouse about the discomfort of the chip seal road. The highway patrol had shooed some of them back on the rougher shoulder when they were riding in the middle of the lane looking for the smoothest surface.

Mexican lunch at Julie's in Bracketville.

Just as yesterday, we saw lots of Border Patrol vehicles, since we're so close to the Rio Grande and the border.

There are miles and miles of dirt roads parallel and proximal to the Mexican border. The Border Patrol trucks pull these tires along to create a pattern in the dirt. More Border Patrol trucks come along with the driver hanging out the window inspecting the pattern to see if there are footprints or any other evidence someone has crossed over the swath created by the tire dragging.   

Border Patrol is driving his vehicle and peering down out of his window looking for evidence that someone has disturbed the pattern created by the dragging tires!

Just a mile past Julie's, 43 miles from Del Rio, we arrived at the charming Ft. Clark Springs Motel. This is an old Army Post dating back to 1854. Our rooms are in the original enlisted barracks! The officers' quarters are on the other side of the central parade ground. The temperature never reached 80, and we were grateful for the relief from the hot sun and the 93-degree heat from yesterday.

A stunning monument at Ft. Clark.

I got the bad news that the bike wasn't fixed in Del Rio, but the good news that Carol would spend her whole afternoon putting on a new shifting mechanism that may enable me to ride to Kerrville. I will set out tomorrow morning with high hopes and fierce determination to do the 49 miles to Camp Wood with limited gearing.

We had chili over polenta, slaw and honeydew melon for dinner.

1,416 miles behind us. 1,684 more to pedal. 33 days to go.

Dr. Jeter Day 25 on Polyvore.com