Friday, November 19, 2010

I HAD A DREAM, A WONDERFUL DREAM








Friday 11/19/10 Today was a cyclist's dream. As we left Wickenburg, the sun was rising to our left casting our elongated shadows, which sliced through the desert grass and creosote bushes growing alongside the road. The air felt cool with a warm underlay. Traffic was light and we had a smooth, wide shoulder. Not having to be concerned about traffic and being carpeted in solitude, let our minds wander to think about family and friends. Although we are not homesick in the classical sense, we are ready to resume the lives we left behind 2 months ago. At mile 15, a hawk perched high on a pole screeched us back to now - being in the desert - moving silently on the asphalt road with mountains all around. By midday, the mountains to the north were catching direct rays of the sun giving them the bleached tan colors of the desert, while the range south of us appeared to be sketched & colored with dark purple ink. Saguaro and barrel cactus fanned out on the desert floor where dust devils danced. Growing low beside the road were plants that resembled those on a coral reef. It felt like we were riding through a beautifully painted panoramic landscape of desert & mountains, concerned that at any moment we might break through the canvas bringing our ride to an end. We wanted it to go until forever. After 76 miles, we stopped in Brenda AZ at The Black Rock RV Park that has a small 4-unit motel. This is an RV mecca! We saw octogenarians wearing Tilley hats and hiking boots, scooting around in Jeeps, proving that a sense of adventure can remain with us all for a long time.
En route we stopped at the Ingredients (Way Cool) Cafe in Wenden (pop 556) where we once again met up with Gavin and Ed who are also biking to San Diego. We last saw them in Louisiana and it was great catching up, knowing they were okay, and still moving on. We said goodbye and shared a BLT at the cafe. They also served us a side order of broccoli salad, the first vegetable in quite some time that wasn't fried. We were so overcome with joy, we almost wept.

2 comments:

Debbie said...

Hope you all aren't running into any rain today!!!

Thought: I talked to my sister and they would be MORE THAN HAPPY to pick you all up ANYWHERE in the San Diego/Souther CA area (they have bike racks on their SUV) and keep your bikes for you until your friends arrive to bring them back to MO. You all would get along famously - they are HUGE outdoors/adventure people, just like you. Keep that in mind as it's totally doable!!!!!!

Stay safe!!!

Debbie Evans

Dee Dee Jacobs said...

What beautiful pictures! I had no idea there were purple cacti.