Thursday, November 18, 2010

Day 80 - Terrill to Fruitvale


Wednesday,November 17, 2010

I was up early, packed, and headed out at first light. Never saw Eric again, I hope he is recovering from his girlfriend leaving. I slept well last evening, and it never got too cold. The past few evenings have been mild, but I am expecting colder weather this weekend. The goal today is just put in as many miles as possible down Hwy 80.

The first stop was in Elmo, TX.....or at least that's what the store front said. I never saw anything announcing I was entering Elmo, or leaving Elmo, but they said I was in Elmo. I stopped at the only store for breakfast and some ice for the coolers, and then headed out. I see lots of trains along the road here, and wonder if they are the same as i saw going through the desert of Southern CA. I also saw an Amtrak train with about 7 cars.....I stood by the road and waved at the cars, like a little boy. Am I getting that lonesome? I want to take a train ride across America in the near future. I also passed some longhorn steers along the way. We see them on TV, but they are really impressive in person.

Soon I was in Wills Point, TX, and stopped to ask about wi-fi service. A local said they thought Dairy Queen had it, so I headed there. Just as I was tying up the cart to a hitching post, an SUV pulls up, and a woman hands a package out the window. "I saw you back in Terrill, and wanted to do something for you." That was my introduction to Aerial Roark, who works at a local diner. In the package was about the best chicken salad sandwich I have ever eaten. Aerial and I talked a while, she went back to work, then I headed across the street to eat.

After the sandwich, I headed back to DQ to use their wi-fi. Of course i needed to buy something, so decided on a Hawaiian Blizzard. Set up the computer and spent about an hour there eating and blogging. Wills Point is a nice small town. It has a new high school, and an attractive downtown area. But I had to move on, so headed down Hwy 80 east. I soon passed a large commercial nursery called Hawkins Tree Farm. Talked to a guy named Esque, who was out in the field laying out rows for new plantings. Esque was a nice guy to talk to......said he did lots of walking on the more than 500 acre farm. "Nursery work is hard, and not much pay. But it's steady."

I walked through a small town called Edgewood. The old caboose in the picture is sitting in the town square. It was getting late, so I stopped at DQ for something to eat. Decided to try some of those Jalitos (fried jalapenos) because the server said they are not too hot. And they weren't, but I drank several large cups of pink lemonade along the way. But, if you ever need a good laxative........need I say more. I also passed the Blue Rooster Winery in Edgewood, which was open for tastings, but I kept on going.

It was getting late, so I started looking for a place to camp. Still searching for one of those Texas Picnic/Rest areas, so can't find one when I need it. I found a nice spot near Fruitvale, TX. It was close to the railroad track, but level, and near the woods so it would be less noticed. No cell service in the area, and the trains did run all night, but otherwise a good place. I love smelling the fallen leaves in the area. It never got really cold, so a good evening.

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