Day 108

I awoke in Jerry’s wood shop and washed up in the rest room. I gathered my things and headed up to the house for breakfast. 

It was a good time. Pat made some eggs and served them on tortillas with salsa. Rene came up to join us! 

Jerry and Pat are originally from Oregon. They moved to Texas over twenty years ago. They used to travel and sell chainsaw sculptures. Jerry is a fellow banjo player! He offered me to play but the banjo was missing a few strings. Pat had a mandolin from the 30’s that belonged to her father. She let me play around with it!

Pat filled up my water bottles. I said goodbye to her and Rene. We all promised to stay in toucb. I retrieved the buggy and headed down to the shop. Jerry took one look at the buggy and offered to help me out with the front wheel!

It needed bearings. Jerry’s son Jeff has a auto shop in town. He had a hunch that Jeff just might have the part we needed. We rode in style.

He was right!

 Jeff headed behind his shop to a big trailer full of all different kinds of wheels. Regular bearings for a bicycle wouldn’t do, but a wheel barrow bearing fit just perfect! Jeff knocked a few different bearings out of some wheels and told us to soak them in motor oil. He also told me to take a few extra with me. He’s a really great guy like his Dad.

Jerry and I hit the road.

Back at Jerry’s shop, we got to work. 

Jerry told me a bit about his ’35 Ford. I explored his shop with my eyes. So many tools! His handiwork is inspiring. 

We got the buggy up and running again! It was just before 10 AM. Jerry gave me another donation, made sure I had enough water, and then gave me a big hug. We parted ways. 

I hit the road and put in a few miles

I took a dip in Cypress Creek down beneath the road. Coming up from the water, Jerry drove by! He honked his horn and headed south towards San Antonio.

I put in the miles and stopped at a small cafe for a late lunch just outside Spring Branch. I ate a few slices of pizza, hydrated, and jumped back on the road.

I crossed the Guadelupe River just south of Spring Branch and made my way down into Bulverde. 

It was late afternoon. I stopped at a Walmart and bought a bug net and a spare inner tube. I talked with a few of my sisters on the phone. I needed to catch up on journaling. I went to a starbucks, bought a frappuccino, and used wifi. I wasn’t able to catch up completely. 😦

I had hoped to put in a few more miles by sundown, but by the time I left it was dark outside!
I retreated to the woods behind the plaza near the library. I set up my hammock and sleeping bag. Just when I was about to fall asleep, other people came into the woods! I was hidden. I contemplated leaving but it had taken some work, and noise, to get where I was. I must have been on the outskirts of some sort of homeless camp. I decided to stay put. I heard people on and off all through the night. Right when I would be about to fall asleep I would hear some loud niose. I didn’t get much sleep at all.