Kerrville, TX. 30 miles.

I planned to ride out and meet the tour this morning. So I ate breakfast and got on my bike and headed toward the bike shop. I had filled my tires when I put the bike together, but wanted to top them off at a higher pressure. As I was wondering what I could possibly need to buy at the bike shop, I noticed that my bike computer was not registering my MPH or distance. So I pulled off the road and reached down to adjust the sensor on the front fork and it (the sensor not the fork) fell off in my hand. Hill Country Bicycle Works is a really nice bike shop, and Adam (shown above) took good care of me and my bike. In short order I was back on the road with a new sensor and some energy bars. What good fortune that I did not have to buy a new bike computer!

I headed out to meet the tour, following the Adventure Cycling maps that Woman Tours sent me in the mail. About 15 miles out of Kerrville, a woman passed me and then pulled over in her car--you can see her in the foreground below. Kathy had come to meet her partner at the halfway point in the ride, and noticed my Woman Tour jersey. She asked me where I was going and then told me that I surely would not meet the tour on this road--they changed the route for today! We loaded my bike in the back of her rental car and she drove me to the right road on the other side of Kerrville. How nice is that!? When we saw the front runners coming toward town I got on my bike and started riding in the outbound direction, thinking that eventually I would meet up with Dianne, but it did not quite happen as planned... At around noon, in the middle of nowhere, I stopped to eat an energy bar and decided that I should turn around or I would miss lunch totally--never a good thing in my world. Especially on the first day of riding in 85 degree weather...

So I rode back to the hotel, showered and set out walking to the deli about a mile away (on my last bit of energy). On the way to the deli I finally saw Dianne and we talked a moment then continued in opposite directions. I ordered my sandwich and drink and opened my pack to find NO WALLET. It was on my bike, in the hotel room a mile away. I called Dianne and she hopped back on her bike and brought me my wallet in record time. I was moments away from meltdown by then...

Back at the room we played Scrabble until dinnertime, when I met the rest of the women on this tour--a very nice bunch! Dianne introduced them all to me with a little story about each one. I think we are going to have a great time between here and St. Augustine! Tomorrow is a rest day and Dianne and Alice and I are walking to the Western Store for some shopping, and I am going to play Scrabble with Lisa while Dianne cleans her bike.