Day 19: Kirbyville, TX to Coldspring, TX

We found a Warm Showers host a decent 95 miles from Kirbyville so again we headed out early and without a decent breakfast and again found ourselves with miserable hunger two hours down the road. Today, however, this turned out to be quite the fortuitous option. Too late for the McDonald's breakfast a kind fella indicated that Whataburger over the road runs until 11... With burgers in hand, a group of old ladies on the table next to us took a great deal of intrigue in our journey (or Ken's lycra) and gave us God's blessings for our trip. As we don our helmets outside, Billie hurries over and wants to give us more than a blessing, she pulls out a couple of notes of money and motions them towards us. We're both reluctant to take the money but she insists and stuffs them down our jerseys before telling us to spend it if we ever get need a hotel for the night.

They are $100 notes. We were speechless. What an amazing act of generosity.

The lovely Tuesday Morning Whataburger Ladies

We get on our way and the road turns oppressively straight and hot for 16 miles outside of Kountze, but without much distraction we make good progress towards. A lunch stop in Votaw is enforced through lack of option. There's nowt much round ere. Speaking to the girl at the counter there used to be another shop 8 miles away (but it's closed now).

In Shepherd we call our hosts for directions for the final stretch and are directed along a lovely route which sees the road slowly get enclosed amongst the pine trees. Evenings with the gentle warmth of the dying sun are my favourite time to ride.

Favourite church sign so far: STOP, DROP AND ROLL DOESN'T WORK IN HELL.

Susan & Brent have a beautiful country house set down a muddy track into a hollow in the woods, not far from Lake Livingston on the eastern edge of Sam Houston National Forest. After showering we had all had great talk around the kitchen table whilst Susan kindly laid on a burger feast for us. Brent showed us his amazingly numerous collection of Indian arrowheads and stone tools that wash up in their garden after a period of rain before whizzing me out in the 4x4 to briefly see the lake.

I hope they get to realise their ambitions of long bike tour one day soon.

Brit caught the Sun again

I set up on the sofa bed amongst the collection of trophy deer heads and pass out promptly.

This day has been kind to me.