Bus Depot Ride

9-20-2014

An Eventful Day;

Like most days that can be described as full of events, this one started early. Lights on the bike early. A little fog early. But, a nice morning, as most are,  so early in the morning.

A forecast of rain today helped me to choose the touring bike for this ride so I could have the benefit of full fenders, and a place to carry rain gear, as well as food and other "stuff" needed on a 70 mile ride. I had been planning this for a while, and while the promise of a washout from Hurricane Odile (which never happened)  had cancelled my plans for the "Red River Roadkill Rally" at Ardmore this Saturday,  I decided that today would be a good day for that long ride.

Early morning is always the best time to see wildlife, so I had my camera ready when I topped a little hill, and there it was just to the right of the road. Quickly grabbing my camera and snapping pictures as I was riding.

As I got closer, however, it noticed me and took flight.

"Ma .....there's this huge terrible creature chasing me"... "Hurry back in here son" ...... "Why's big brother running too" ......"he's inside the fence?" And with that, he ducked his head and ran right through the barbed wire like it wasn't even there. And we wonder why calves get hit by cars.

The early morning is "Morning Glory-ous"

an "I was here" kind of photo .... Seminole Airport.

Arriving in downtown Seminole, I was greeting by a huge welcoming committee ...... even a parade. I really never knew they were even expecting me, but I was sure they were holding this in my honor.  I got to chit-chatting with one of the pretty young ladies on one of the "floats", and was asking what this was all about when everyone around me started to move. I looked around and there was no opportunity for a quick exit, so I rode along thinking I would be able to work my way to one side and dash up one of the side streets. It was three blocks before I had that opportunity, but in the meantime, I smiled and waved, and waved and smiled a lot, and tried to act like I belonged. Finally, escaping the parade, I dashed over a couple of side streets and made my way to the cafe.

This cafe is located at an old Union Bus Lines depot, and is on the National Historical buildings register. Went last year a couple of times with Crystal and we thought the food was great. This year, the food was so-so, but then, they were really busy. So much so, that when I went in, there was a couple of tables vacant, so I chose one and sat down, the waitress came and took my order. Then, others started coming in, so I gave up my table to a foursome that would have had to wait, and I went and sat at the counter. Doesn't matter to me, and it's so much easier to converse when you are at a table for four.  The food came, and it was edible, so I ate. The biscuit was wonderful. The eggs, not so much. Like last year, most of the locals were really curious about where I had ridden from, and why. So I had a steady stream of conversation. Most mentioned how nice it was of me to give up my table. Shucks, it really wasn't any big deal ..... really.

So, time to leave, and I had noticed the photo of the old buses in the depot .... not this particular depot unfortunately, but still a Union Bus Lines depot, constructed in the same design, and I went out to the bike, grabbed my camera and got the shot of the picture on the wall, and went out to the bike and left....... yeah, left ...... as in left my water bottle on the counter. It took me a while to weave my way through all the after parade traffic, and in the process of paying attention to traffic and pedestrians, I didn't notice my bottle gone until I had gotten at the north end of Main Street, so I turned around and went back. Not only was my bottle still there, seriously guarded by the waitress, it was cleaned and freshly iced. Awfully nice people there.

After leaving the depot the second time, I noticed the artwork on the building and thought it worthy of a photo. Struck up a conversation with the owner of a Lennox Heating and Air shop  who was out sweeping up the street and sidewalk in front of his shop. He also rode, but just around town, but was very interested in my ride today.

Making it back out to where I discovered my forgotten bottle again, (notice the two bottles this time), I stopped to take a picture of the bike beautifying the old oil well derrick.

If you're wearing Wrangler Jeans, there is a good chance they came from here.

The ugly ducklings that grew into beautiful swans at the duck pond at Seminole State College.

Also found along the path were these ominous plants .... dreaded "goatheads" ..... I really haven't seen any of these in eastern Oklahoma until now. I really, really, hope they don't spread. Hate the things.

Stopped in downtown Earlsboro for a bit of a break.

Pretty skies and roadside greenery.

I really did like the gardening display at this housing tract entrance.

Making my way to Tecumseh, I found these hungry horses who really weren't too interested in a bicycle.

Down through the Firelake complex and the Citizen Pottawatomie Nation main offices, I thought I'd stop for a bridge photo. My bike is there, really ......

If you've ever wanted to learn a second language, here is a bilingual stop sign to help teach you how to say "Stop" in Pottawatomie.  

Winding my way through town and stopping at the bike shop to visit with Larry for a bit before heading west and north out of town on Acme road. Larry and Barbara (the bike shop owners), just returned from a month and a half in Europe with their touring bikes, so it was fun catching up. Then, I took Acme to Garretts Lake road and saw another rider. He stopped and talked for a bit and it turned out he was with the Bike MS 150 charity ride going on that weekend. We chatted for a bit, and I left and headed back east, and kept seeing more riders going west. Then this pickup passes me, and stops in front of me (Bike MS Sag), he jumps out and tells me I'm going the wrong way. No I'm not. I've already got my ride in, I'm going home. Left, and headed east again. Saw a SAG rest stop and was going to stop and say hello, when another pickup pulls up alongside "Hey ....you're going the wrong way" No ........ I'm not. I know where I'm going. So, I stopped and chatted with a number of the riders at the rest stop before heading on. Two miles further east ..... a pickup coming the other way stops, guy in BikeMS shirt leans out and says   "Turn around ..... you're going the wrong way" ...... I calmly told him ..... "no..... I'm going the right way .......all of you are going the wrong way ...... I'm headed home" ...... and with that, I left. Don't these people have phones or radios?
This was a fun ride today, I don't know when I've had a more interesting ride solo. I had so many people to talk to, and so many neat things to see, I was never bored. The touring bike served me well today, although I had no rain in the entire 70 mile ride, it's such a comfy bike to ride, and generates so much conversation, I really like riding it on long rides like this. It takes me longer than with the road bike, but while I feel tired at the end of the ride, I still feel happy and great to be alive and riding. Any ride that ends like that has to be a good one.