Trans America Cycling Day 31 - Cleveland, TX to Kountze, TX
The link to today's route and statistics is found here.
Every now and then even the most avid cyclist might question their sanity in cycling "from sea to shining sea," sort of like the quintessential chicken question.
There were many logging trucks rumbling down the roads that we rode today, loaded most often with pine logs. Chunks of bark sometimes fall off the trucks and onto the shoulder where we mostly ride, so cyclists need to be looking out for the bark. Sometimes the pieces are larger, around the size of a two by four. The logging trucks take the logs to sawmills like the one below near SAG stop 1 or to pulp mills
There were barks of another kind, from loose dogs running after us, especially down one Texas Farm Road today. The dogs today were rather friendly and were chasing us for exercise.
Every now and then even the most avid cyclist might question their sanity in cycling "from sea to shining sea," sort of like the quintessential chicken question.
There were many logging trucks rumbling down the roads that we rode today, loaded most often with pine logs. Chunks of bark sometimes fall off the trucks and onto the shoulder where we mostly ride, so cyclists need to be looking out for the bark. Sometimes the pieces are larger, around the size of a two by four. The logging trucks take the logs to sawmills like the one below near SAG stop 1 or to pulp mills
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| Small sawmill on the route where workers were cutting the logs into lumber |
There were barks of another kind, from loose dogs running after us, especially down one Texas Farm Road today. The dogs today were rather friendly and were chasing us for exercise.
Our second SAG stop today was in the town of Thicket TX. We are riding today and
tomorrow in the area of The Big Thicket, that was once 100 miles long by about
50 miles wide and chock full of trees and dense undergrowth. Outlaws and smugglers once hid there. During the
Civil War, service-dodging Texans hid in The Big Thicket, and the Confederate
Army sent troops to hunt out the dodgers, who became known as “bushwhackers.”
The Big Thicket is not swamp or marshland; it’s soil is dry and rich.
In rebuilding that followed the Civil War, both pine and deciduous trees
were harvested from The Big Thicket and sent to sawmills in Beaumont TX.
Today several large sections of The Big Thicket are preserved in The Big
Thicket National Preserve. There are still areas with dense undergrowth
that form a nearly impenetrable jungle.
Riders may have noticed 15 to 20 white birds around a cow a few days ago. The cow was near the road and the birds flushed and flew off as the cyclists rode past. The birds are Cattle Egrets. These white egrets are a heron species that nest near bodies of water. When accompanying cattle, they catch insects and small vertebrates disturbed by the cattle. Cattle Egrets also eat ticks and flies from cattle, so they have a symbiotic relationship.
We desperately need a photo of a Cattle Egret for the blog. Thus, Jim is offering a beer/wine or beers/wine reward to the first cyclist to produce such a photograph. This is the reward offer:
1. For a photograph of a Cattle Egret near cattle and in the same photo, one beer or glass of wine.
2. For a photograph of a Cattle Egret eating ticks or flies off of cattle, two beers or glasses of wine.
3. For a photograph of a Cattle Egret eating ticks or flies while standing on the body or head of a cow, steer, heifer and bull, a six-pack of beer or a bottle of wine.
Can anybody beat Maltese Ray to the photo?
After today's route meeting Ray from Pennsylvania celebrated his xx? birthday. Larry changed the gift giving routine to a behind three doors quiz show extravaganza to add suspense. Ray was pleased with his door selection, and all ate cake to celebrate with Ray and to carb up for tomorrow's 84 mile ride outa Texas and into Louisiana.
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| Barry and Roberto cycling through The Big Thicket |
Riders may have noticed 15 to 20 white birds around a cow a few days ago. The cow was near the road and the birds flushed and flew off as the cyclists rode past. The birds are Cattle Egrets. These white egrets are a heron species that nest near bodies of water. When accompanying cattle, they catch insects and small vertebrates disturbed by the cattle. Cattle Egrets also eat ticks and flies from cattle, so they have a symbiotic relationship.
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| Cattle Egret from internet photo |
We desperately need a photo of a Cattle Egret for the blog. Thus, Jim is offering a beer/wine or beers/wine reward to the first cyclist to produce such a photograph. This is the reward offer:
1. For a photograph of a Cattle Egret near cattle and in the same photo, one beer or glass of wine.
2. For a photograph of a Cattle Egret eating ticks or flies off of cattle, two beers or glasses of wine.
3. For a photograph of a Cattle Egret eating ticks or flies while standing on the body or head of a cow, steer, heifer and bull, a six-pack of beer or a bottle of wine.
Can anybody beat Maltese Ray to the photo?
After today's route meeting Ray from Pennsylvania celebrated his xx? birthday. Larry changed the gift giving routine to a behind three doors quiz show extravaganza to add suspense. Ray was pleased with his door selection, and all ate cake to celebrate with Ray and to carb up for tomorrow's 84 mile ride outa Texas and into Louisiana.
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| Ray finds a tube behind door number 2 |
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