Day 22: Start Week Four

Today’s ride was uneventful and rather short, only 53 miles. ONLY, who thought we would ever say that? The only other ride statistic worthy of mention is that we experienced a tailwind for the majority of the ride – first time in a week.

Over the last week, with a few notable exceptions I have been amazed at the nothingness along the route. The desert is deserted, go figure. So much our riding has been completed in these isolated conditions that we make sure to notice the occasional deer along the road, seemingly wild horse, vulture circling, or cattle grazing. That is just the price to be paid between the glimpses of true natural beauty.

In Big Bend, there is a rock formation called Mule’s Ears, and if you stand in just the right spot, the photo of you looks as if you have mule’s ears–see in the photo above?

We got a special treat last night when a supervisor for the Sanderson Unit of the US Border Patrol gave us a tour of the USBP building–Thank you Santiago! Unlike some of the bigger units, this agency has only 60 agents to cover hundreds of miles of border and very little high-tech equipment that bigger units get–no helicopter, no night vision surveillance, etc., just some dedicated agents (just 1 woman among them at the moment, but she gets the locker room to herself!) tracking and watching and patrolling with ATVs, pickups, etc. Last night they made an apprehension of several people who were being run through their system.

Sometimes Border Patrol vehicles are the only vehicles that we see for hours while we are out on the road, so they have become a familiar companion on our journey.

Some time during the night, the Easter Bunny snuck in and left us all eggs filled with candy and a tiny Easter Bunny. We showed our gratitude by letting her hitch a ride on our tandem for the day–a bicycle built for 3!

Happy Easter everyone!!