11/3/2014
Dark clouds covered the expansive Texas sky. I could smell and taste rain in the air. It was coming, but I was sure it was still a day away.
The day started with a trip to the food pantry. We were looking for a few food items at the Stripes gas station. Our fresh fruit and vegetable donations were beginning to run dry; my high calorie intake was probably the culprit. Crystal informed a lady named Michelle that the store had run out of eggs. They got to talking and she happened to be a county commissioner. She said the judge would probably give her the key to the food pantry so that we could get some items to tie us over. The next real city with a selection was still 120 miles away. Thank goodness for small town hospitality.
The warm temperature struck me as odd. Did the moisture make me feel warmer? I threw on my trusty New Balance running jacket. The thing had been with me four years. It kept me warm on my first big adventure (much like a security blanket). I was surprised to see it in such excellent condition; especially after all the abuse and torture it had endured.
As I ran little beads of sweat formed on the inner lining of the jacket. After two miles I knew the day would be a struggle between hot and cold. The lonely roads continued. Sure the miles and miles of fields were beautiful but, what would I write about? Perhaps the town of Dryden would provide me with material. The town with a population of twelve didn’t come through. The highlight there was my baaahing at billy goats and whinnying at a horse. Surprisingly of those twelve people in the town two were kids. We gave away a book, had a meal in the trailer and ran a little bit more.
The highlight of the day came when I finally found a pair of sunglasses on the side of the road that were good for running. The frames were a metallic military green and there were only a couple of minor scratches on the lenses. I figured they could be buffed out at the next city with a sunglass shop. I had skimped on buying a pair when we began this run but there were several days where I wished I hadn’t. Eventually all things come. We just need to keep our eyes open for opportunity.
A good spot next to the road presented itself. We took the opportunity to park and called it the day.
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