They're out to get me!!

No, I don't know who "they" are.  And just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they aren't out to get you!

I asked Joan what she wanted to do today: "We're going to go somewhere on the scooters, aren't we?"  I thought maybe she needed a day off.  Then she added, "I'd like to go do some of those roads we missed by the State Park."

Deal.  I suggested we have a late lunch at the Italian place again, since we are rerunning a previous route.  Plus, I think it's important to check the consistency... yep, different meals, just as good as Friday.  Same waitress.  She told us she checked out the scooters on-line after we visited the other day... "They're a little spendier than I thought they'd be..."

Like most people, she thought they'd be like the prices you see at Pep Boys for the crappy Chinese scooters.

They are open for lunch from 11:00 to 2:00... we were the last ones in before they closed, and had the place to ourselves by the time our food arrived.

After lunch, we headed back along the water to the north.  Even more white pelicans were here...

I left the GoPro and my little point & shoot behind; these photos are with a slightly bulkier EV camera (electronic viewfinder).  Faster zoom, a bit more capable...

After shooting the above photos, a lady asked me, "Are you on those bikes over there?"  I'm thinking the helmet, and the fact that we were the only ones around was a bit of a giveaway. ;-)

"Yep, those are ours.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."  I was expecting the "What kind of mileage, how fast, how much?" that we usually get.

"Are those one gear?  I mean, do you have to shift with those?"

We visited for a bit.  I found out she and her husband ride bikes, but she doesn't like the clutch and shifting, especially in traffic (she was from Houston).  I explained the "automatic transmission" aspect of the CVT.  We talked briefly about other motorcycles.  I think she was more interested after she found out we had been riding motorcycles for more than 40 years, and made the switch to scooters.

Back on the scoots and heading north, this sight caught my eye...

Joan was patiently waiting with the scoots...

Riding north, the first of the "trying to kill me" incidents: there is construction on a new bridge over Copano Bay; the lanes shift at either end of the old bridge... a guy coming off the bridge veered out of his lane, and into my lane... coming right at me!  No idea if he was drunk, stupid, or not paying attention to the road.  Any way, it got MY attention... the brakes on that scooter work really good, hauling me down and allowing me to swerve as close as I could to the cement divider on the right side of my lane.  Pretty sure the maneuver was helped by my ass puckering itself to the seat!  Joan was, thankfully, a ways behind me... I was close enough to see everyone in the car screaming at the driver!

At the other side of the Lyndon B. Johnson Memorial Causeway, we turned right, heading towards the water.  There are some fabulous homes along the water... behind big gates.  Lots of homes in amongst the live oak and mesquite trees that grow thick here (they get more rain here than the Tropical Tip).  The narrow two lane roads are fun to explore with the scooters.

At one point, we came to a dead end right behind a guy and his wife on a motorcycle with a sidecar.  I visited with them for a few minutes, getting some more "local knowledge" about roads to cruise.

About an hour before sunset, we went back to the highway to head back.  The second "incident": coming up to speed as we approached the same bridge from the other direction, a wasp clipped the windshield, hit my chest, and bounced up underneath my face shield!  He was wounded from the impact and not happy - I could tell this, since we were looking eye to eye as he crawled across the inside of my face shield.  Thinking the wind would blow him out, I lifted the shield... nope, it blew him onto my cheek, right below my eye!  Fortunately, the wind caught that raised shield and nearly twisted my head off... and that maneuver shook him loose.  Of course, this occurred while in the construction zone with traffic coming at us and no place to pull off.  Other than more ass puckering, I came off much better than the wasp.

We stopped at Wally World to fuel up (100 mpg for me, 102 mpg for Joan) and pick up a few groceries.  Back to the RV at dusk, Joan thought it would be good idea to clean some of the slimy humidity off our bikes and helmets...

No, she didn't clean mine... but she did let me use the soap and water she brought out.

Nice day on the scoots.