Update 3/14
The weather report from last evening predicted stronger winds (primarily from the north), no precipitation, but low temperatures in the 30s. When we awoke, we found out that the prediction was pretty accurate. The low temperature had been 38 degrees, but the wind chill made it feel like 28 degrees. We began to wonder if the strong wind would prevent us from making the 70-mile ride to San Angelo as planned, and Jamie said she would call friends who lived in Mertzon, about 45 miles down the road, to see if we might stay with them. The croissants Jamie prepared for breakfast were delicious, tasting like they each were made with a stick of butter. Bill returned us to the convenience store in Big Lake, we loaded up the tandem with all our gear, and we were ready to head eastward.
As we started out, the north wind didn't seem too bad because we were headed due east and it was entirely a cross wind. We stopped in Barnhart, about 18 miles down the road to warm up with some hot chocolate, and as we departed, US 67 turned more to the northeast, making the wind give us increased resistance. As we stopped on the highway at about 1:00 PM, right after we had called ahead to San Angelo to say that we definitely would not make it there today, up drove the friend of Bill and Jamie Strauss, David Werst, who lives in Mertzon. He invited us to stay with him and his wife Ramona, and we immediately accepted his kind invitation. We pedaled the remaining 20 miles, arriving at their beautiful home at about 4:30 PM and completing a ride of 45 miles for the day. Ramona loves to cook, and she prepared a delicious meal of corned beef and cabbage, thus assuring us we would have an appropriate St. Patrick's day meal while on the road. The weather forecast calls for a warming trend starting tomorrow, and we are ready for that.