The weather weasels were calling for spotty showers today. Didn't happen. Glad it didn't happen. It was just cool enough to need a light jacket when out on the scooters; nice riding.
It turned out to be a wildlife trip on the scoots; more on that later. We needed to top off fuel before leaving town...
Joan topped 100 mpg, as usual: 103. I came in at 98 mpg.
I have often referred to Port Isabel as an "end of the road" town. That isn't meant to be derogatory. While the road does cross the causeway, there is only one way out of town to the mainland. One road in, same way out. Flat terrain, and you have to ride a ways to find some new roads to run. Heading north off Highway 100...
Yes, that is a "Do Not Pick Up HitchHikers" sign... off this road is a detention center. If you came into the country illegally, you may wind up here before getting sent back.
Off that road, we took another road west, avoiding the rough surface we rode last time in this area...
Yes, those are sunflowers on the right side of the road on the bottom photo above.
What is this on the road??
That was the end of it - yep, snake! It was pretty large - Joan was guessing it at 10 feet, I'm thinking more like 7 or 8. Still, laying in the road, it looked like a palm branch. It had the coloring of a Texas bull snake, but the tail doesn't look right. 50 bonus points to the first person to ID it.
I think it was the philospher Yogi Berra who said, "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." This didn't look promising...
The paved road ended, and it was muddy both ways... we went to Plan C: turn around and stay out of the mud. We have had more rain that ususal here since we've been back. Plenty of standing water...
Grapefruit trees. Just wandering on back roads, we came to some large homes, behind gates like these...
Out in what I would definitely call "the boonies."
Then, the second wildlife encounter - I wasn't quick enough to get a photo... a large turkey vulture missed Joan's head by about 3 feet. By large, I mean these things have a wingspan of about 6 feet. I am wondering if Joan's black helmet looked like a turtle. Which brings me to the next almost-got-it shot...
See those concrete fingers in the water? About 15 seconds before I took this photo, there were a half dozen turtles sunning on those. If anyone things turtles move slow, you should try to stop a scooter and get a photo of them. ;-)
While the roads aren't twisty and thrilling, the views are interesting. We made our way back to Port Isabel, stopping for "a Texas stop sign"... also known as Dairy Queen. I have heard that there are more DQs in Texas than any other state; I can't vouch for the validity of that statement, but I'm going with it.
Heading for home, with the Laguna Madre ahead...
After putting the scooters away, I checked my phone - a missed call. From my buddy, Herb. He was bringing a boat from storage to his dock, "Do you want to come along." Yeah, I missed it. When I called Herb he said, "I was thinking about taking it for fuel."
"I'll be there in a few minutes."
We pushed off from the dock behind their house and went down the canal, under the Highway 100 bridge, past the old shrimp basin, and headed for the fuel dock...
It was getting close to sunset - we took the open water way home: under the swing bridge, into the Laguna, under the causeway, and around to Herb's place in the Fingers...
A guy's boat outing. "Missed this?" Herb asked.
"Between the paddleboard and the kayak, I'm doing OK for water time. Not 'jonesing' for another boat just yet."
Back at Herb's, we put the boat in the sling in his boathouse, then went inside for some catching up.
Land and sea, time with my Honey and my buddy (no, they aren't the same)... not a bad way to spend the day.
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