THE TEXAS MILE

Saturday, March 27, 2009 - I spent the day today with my buddy Calen. He works in San Antonio and went with me to check out spring time in Texas and the Texas Mile event near Goliad. It's a bit on the outskirts of everywhere but real close to a spiritual experience with a twist of the wild. This blog post is a picture story book of the time we spent in an open field with nothing more than a strip of tarmac surrounded by Americans from literally all corners of the country.

The day started out partly cloudy but eventually went to all sun. We were both lightly toasted by the sun. The birds and bees must have been very busy today in Texas because the wild flowers were out with a vengeance that reeked of a take over plot. They want our lawns! Be warned.

It wasn't long before the trip out of San Antonio turned into Farm Roads and we knew we were near when every turn devolved into just another place to skin the bark off your tires in sticky preparation for the starting line.

Finally, the turn marker appears recklessly placed like a skull and cross bones warning.

The place was shitty with Ford GT's, Vipers and Lambos. This wasn't Ferrari land. It was like they knew better. Carol Shelby was definitely in the house.

But the deal was, you could run what you brung and one dude brung a boat. Texas isn't for the people who live happily in there boxes to be sure. The crowd was as young as it was mature. Retired couples mixed with children pointing to the history and evolution. The art, impact and passion of industry, technology, and freedom could not be ignored. One old fart lit up a joint as if he didn't see constables in ATVs running around.

I took a moment to lay in the field next to the runway when this Dodge R/T Charger broke the wind with a thunder. Stock C6 Vets were running 158 mph at the back side of that mile. That Charger made them wonder what the deal was when it clocked 154. Even the field of blue bonnets took notice.

Respectable imports tried to keep up..... In vain.

There was even a '67 Falcon that reminded me of my Cougar in so many ways. It was stripped down to race weight and was a hit with the spectators.

WTH was this fool thinking? He took his V6 Pontiac G8 across the line with Corvette speed. Doesn't he know he's not supposed to do that?

Woof!

Well, I put the camera down. I watched the Camping World Truck Race from Martinsville on my Laptop using my Slingbox and my cell phone in the middle of nowhere while the event continued and the trash barrel filled with beer cans. I went dry, which was a problem and it was time to go home..... Across the basket of flowers that is TEXAS IN SPRING TIME!