March 12, 2008   Bonham, TX

I made it to Texas! A short but windy ride of just over 40 miles got me to the Lone Star State shortly after 2 PM. I had intended to leave Durant around 8, but wound up talking with the innkeeper, Norm for a couple of hours. He's a very interesting guy. A native of London, he joined the Parachute Regiment when he was a teen and saw action in Aden, Guyana and Northern Ireland. When he wasn't jumping out of airplanes he played soccer

for the British Army team. He emigrated to the US after 7 years serving Her Majesty and spent the next 27 years in the US Army as a Green Beret. Service included Afghanistan, Kuwait and "several other places.” A broken back forced a discharge, so he and his wife converted his brother-in-law's place into a B&B (www.pegasusinn.com). It's a beautiful place with an in-ground pool and a traditional English breakfast - plenty of calories for a cyclist.

Riding toward Texas, the wind was warm, but 20 mph directly into my face for much of the time. I've stopped cursing at it and just bear down on the pedals. One of the towns I rode through was Achille, OK. A town of maybe 400 people, with a big sign proclaiming their 1949 Boys State Basketball Championship Team. Springsteen's "Glory Days" started playing in my mind and stayed with me for quite a few miles.

Music has become an integral part of this ride. I'm out here by myself, so it's either sing or talk to myself. Depending on the mood, I'm wailing away with all sorts of music: Willie Nelson, Pure Prairie League, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Grand Funk, Woody Guthrie selections to name a few. Sometimes I revert to old standards like "God Bless America" or even the Marine Hymn. With St. Patrick's Day coming up next week, "Wearing of the Green" is a daily standard. It passes the time and the cows that hear me as I ride by don't complain.

Bonham is a welcome destination, and I had lots of time to wander around and soak up the local lore. This is the town where Becky's father was raised, and I was able to locate the house. Staying in Bonham was something Becky wanted to do on this ride. She has lots of childhood memories of staying at the family home, walking to the town square and just enjoying being in Texas. All her family are native Texans. She's the only one born outside the state (Kansas City, MO), so was referred to as the "damn Yankee."

Bonham is named for James Bonham, one of the Heroes of the Alamo. He was a cousin of the Alamo's commander, William Travis, and acted as a messenger between for Travis. His last mission was to ask for a relief column to aid the defenders at the Alamo. He was told no help would be forthcoming and that to try to return to Travis with the message would be suicide. He went anyway, avoiding Mexican patrols and galloping through the lines into the Texan's redoubt. After hearing the bad news, Travis drew his famous "line in the sand." The rest is history. In almost every city in Texas there are streets named after four men - Bowie, Travis, Crockett and Bonham.

This town is also the home of one of America's greatest legislators – Sam Rayburn. He is considered probably the best Speaker of the House in American history. A contemporary of Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson, he brokered legislation in the New Deal, opposed pre-war Isolationism, pushed the Marshall Plan, fought for voting rights and education benefits. He steadfastly refused to accept ANYTHING from lobbyists, even paying his own way when on congressional investigative trips. He died with only $15,000 cash in his estate. Strength of character, willingness to compromise and old-fashioned "good ole boy" politicking were his forte. He is remembered here in Bonham with a street, statue and the "Sam Rayburn Library". This town is the county seat, so the courthouse on the square has the requisite statuary: James Bonham, Veteran's Memorials and the statue of the Confederate Soldier. This is the South!