Denton to Dallas

We left Denton and thank Goodness! That town is not bike friendly. Not at all.

The traffic to Dallas was really heavy. I was glad when we got lost cause we were off the busy roads. See this road we were on went to two different towns. The companion was on the phone with his mother and followed the wrong one. Then the side road ended and he went back. Then he took me down this farm roads—love them! They are so quiet. Just some houses here and there. No noise from the road, no car fumes to get in the way of my work. So I was loving it.

Then he stops and says: Oh we are following the wrong street. So after over an hour of biking we were back where we started!

Finally on the trial we went fast. He complained a few times that Texas isn’t flat. And the talked about defining terms. Something about Hilly means you go up and down, and flat means you don’t. Thanks genius boy.




Then he stopped and started laughing. He was laughing at this water tower. He read it: Fighting Farmers. Then said: “there’s a mascot that insights fear.”

“Yeah,” I said “like Killer Toothbrushes.”

He liked that.

We are now in Dallas and I have two days off! Maybe three!

Flips and Fixes

Well yesterday was something else. I can tell you. But lets back up some.

Lee was wonderful to let us stay with him. He cooked dinner and let the companion work out at his gym. And you know how much the companion likes to pump iron. So we left Lee’s house this morning and biked around Gainesville some then sat at the Starbucks and waited for a reporter to interview us. After that was over, we headed to Denton.

The road was loud. We are right next to the highway, and I’m ok with the noise but like the quieter roads betters. We biked 32 miles in a about four or five hours. It was getting dark but the companion told me we were almost there.

BAAAAAM!

All I know is I go flying. The contraption fell away from the companion’s bike and flipped over. I jumped away from it, so it didn’t land on me.

The companion who doesn’t normally handle these situations well, did a good job. He got me to a safe place, then figured out how to get us where we needed to go. I played mad at him, just to be mean.


Today we went to Denton Bicycles to get it repaired. We walked about an hour to find the place. They were great! I got to come in the store; they talked to me, and just treated me nicely. The companion said that he was really happy with them. And after biking around town some, the companion said “well that bike shop may be the only thing about this place I like.” Several cars honked at it rudely as we were biking along. I always hate that.

I’m kind of tired, so its nap time!

Just Strange, Fake, and a Lovely Couple

Well the companion can really find the odd. This is a spider made out of a VW. I'm speechless. I think it's just strange. This whole trip has been a series of strange things. The giant, that airplane monument for a gas station. OR the Pops gas station that things me walking around is a heath risk. Well this spider is just as strange as it all. Its in a field, there is nothing around it. It is just there. Strange. At least the companion didn't make me get out of the cab for a picture.


Wayne, OK. Companion was all excited because Wayne is his middle name. And what did we find there? A fake town. This is western copy of a town. The companion giggled and found it cute. I find it fake. I was hoping when I saw it we would walk around it some and get exercise. But no. No it was fake and there was no need to walk around.



The companion said, the wind was too much, the clouds were too much and he stood us on the side of the road and "hitchhiked". This is when you put out your hand and get someone to stop and give you a ride in their car. This is the first time we've done this. The companion said it was cheating, but he thought it was a good idea. As we stood there, I looked up at him a bit. I was a little worried, I think he was too. He kept saying: don't worry, someone will help.

We needed a truck, someone with a truck to help us. And about 15 mins we found one. A lovely couple stopped and drove us over the mountains to a hotel. They talked to the companion a bit, but I slept. The hum of the truck was a lullaby. and I was out! They live in Texas and told us that we will really like it! Looking forward to it!

A Barn, A Pop, A Friend

This is the Historic Round Barn of Arcadia. Another one of those lovely road side attractions the companion is pulling me too. According to him, barns are not normally round, and this one was made to withstand the tornado winds of Oklahoma.

“Well Antigone, I guess it works cause it has been here for over 100 years,” the companion said.

I’d still like the see scientific research on that. But it was kind of interesting. We arrived after biking most of the afternoon. First we walked around and the barn is filled with lots of interesting smells. The companion took me inside of there were stuff he seemed to be interested in but nothing I liked. Still it seemed nice.



Then we biked down the road some more to meet Galen. Galen is a guy the companion knows somehow. And he let us stay at his home for most of this week! It was great sleeping on chairs and stuff. We met Galen at this store with the giant bottle. I heard the companion described it was a tourist trap, and a Gas station.

I didn’t like it much at all. We were walking around, not on the sidewalk but on the area where the cars pull in to get gas. It was oily and dirty from the cars. We were just walking, when suddenly this lady comes out and says: you can’t have your dog here.

Oh the companion was not happy about that, and asked why.

She said, “It’s a health violation.”

“A what? How is it a health violation?”

“Well if she pees where people are walking.”

“Then dogs would not be allowed on ever city sidewalk,” he told her. “Its not a health violation. Its your rule and your rule alone. If you don’t want dogs walking around where there is car oil staining the road, and dirt and grime, the put up a sign.”

Here Here! We will not be going there again.



This is a picture of Galen that the companion took when I sent them out of the house so I could have some alone time. Sometimes I need some time to sleep alone. Galen was really sweet to both the Companion and me. I’ve enjoyed being in his home and meeting him. The companion said thank you to him tonight for “really showing me Oklahoma City, its become one of my favorite places we’ve been.”

Thank Galen for your hospitality and friendship!

An Interview

Today the companion gets a call from his friend Beth. She tells him she has an interview set up for us. And then he gets a call and next thing I know, he's shaving and showering and putting on clean clothes. We did the interview.

Here we are being interviewed. The companion said to them: make sure you get plenty of shots of Antigone. They kind of giggled at him: well who else is the star? I need to let him know that his second fiddle here: I'm the one they want to see.

They gave me lots of attention. I had a good time with them. Now I hope they will talk about some basset rescues!

10 Lights and Sleep

So I'm brief today because I'm tired. Look its been 10 lights in the contraption. I'm done! Toast! You can see it in my face: look at these pictures from today. I'll tell you more in the morning. I'll tell you about the round barn, about the Line thing. I'll talk. but right now: i'm done.

The companion took off my harness! and you know what that means: at least one full day off of the bike! No contraption in the morning.

I sleep now!

Rain, Sun

We stared the day here at this giant Chef with overcast and gray skies. It was warm but not too warm, and it was going to rain. The companion said we had to bike to Broken Arrow to meet Sean, who would let us stay at his house for the night. So we got an early start, but stopped as soon as we stared to take a picture of this chef. Thank goodness he didn't make me get out and be in the picture. Then we went on, and the rain came.

The companion pressed on and really biked well. As soon as rain started he covered me with the poncho and put his on as well. And he biked on. No complaints. No getting mad. He just biked. I was kind of proud of him.

Then he turns and says: Dave Olszyk was right our bodies are toughening up.

What? I said.

Dave was right, we are getting tougher. We are not bothered by the rain and are just pressing forward.

We? We? We? I'm not a fan of getting wet, and i'm not a fan of sitting in a rain storm, with thunder. So no. No we are not getting tougher. The companion maybe getting tougher, but I'd prefer to stay inside on days like that.

We arrived as the sun was getting from behind the clouds. The house was warm and dry and nice. Sean was friendly, but wouldn't let me on the sofa. Blah! his dog was cool and wanted to play some, but I was too tired. But he didn't bother me much at all.

So now we are taking some time off this morning, and i'm going to nap again.