From Donuts to Burgers Ride

August 6, 2017
Sunday
Texas

Today we were just out a Sunday cruise between donuts and a burger.

We were lazy getting around this morning. It was about 9:30 am when we rolled out. Cafes in little town Texas are normally closed on Sunday but no matter - we found donuts tucked away on a side street in Iowa Park at Good Morning Donuts. It was just donuts and coffee. The donuts were fresh. The coffee was hot.

We rode north to Burkburnett and turned west. Riding down a few unfamiliar side roads of SH240 that were mostly dead ends or ragged loops through the Johnson grass or the road slowly dwindled down to the width of a cow trail... we spent a lot of time today turning around.

Aside from Historical Markers I often wonder as we ride by a sign designating a town or a place how that place got its name. We ride by a sign designating a tiny trickle of a waterway as 10th Calvary creek on Hwy 240 West. I finally looked it up. Here's the story: First called Getty's Creek, this stream was renamed by cowboys and settlers who found near its mouth, on Red River, remains of a military outpost garrisoned by the U.S. Tenth Cavalry from 1873 to 1875. Most of the Negro soldiers and white officers stationed there had previously served in the Federal army during the Civil War (1861-1865) and at Fort Sill, in Indian Territory. This staked timber outpost was attacked by Indians; legend says that all the officers, men and horses killed in the battle were buried in a common grave somewhere along this creek.

I call this the pump jack graveyard

Just an interesting sight along the way

Ranch land gulleys or arroyos

Somewhere in the middle of nowhere Tim points out that we just pegged 79666 on the odometer. We rode back in the early afternoon under troubled skies.

Troubled skies

Grabbing a burger at Heff's on the way home

After burgers, we tried to get a few more miles in especially since it had cooled somewhat, but we managed about ten miles before we made our last U-turn of the day. Actually we rode out one road and back on another. As we rode the last few miles home - the skies spit on us. We had just enough time to kick back with an adult beverage before we had a very welcome thunderstorm.

Today ride = 159.8 s'miles