Marfa to Dryden - Day 8

Woke up to gloomy looking conditions outside, the stars and stripes outside were showing me that I would be dealing with a headwind all day just as the weather channel predicted. After an incident packed breakfast where poor Jessica the receptionist had been left to cook breakfast and accidently set the fire alarm off annoying the residents even more than not having their eggs for breakfast. Not good Best Western! We had to make our way back to Marfa as we had stayed in Alpine due to no motels being available.
Cycling back through where you have just driven from usually is quite demoralising but the views and pass into Alpine took my mind off the wind. Alpine is a nice state university town and one of the first pioneer towns from the late 1800s. The terrain has changed from arid to a more temperate with a lot more green. Out of Alpine and the wind was starting to get to me I knew at this early stage that I would struggle to make my target within daylight hours!
Just to brighten my day I spotted some wild boar ahead of me with some bird of prey just above I tried to get a photo close up but scared them off probably to the advantage of the birds (they looked like eagles to me. - certainly big enough)
The cycling was ball breaking and no let up as we passed through Marathon, yet another run down outpost. More shops and garages closed than open. The weather got worse even the sun had gone in and I donned a base layer - sunglasses only required for dust and wind protection. Even the scenery had become depressing I was starting to feel groundhog - large open expanse of land and rail track, Sanderson could not come quick enough. Meanwhile Caroline was busying herself to make sure at every rest stop food and drink were ready as I was using probably twice the effort. I spoke to some locals in Sanderson who informed me that these winds are here till the end of April! my chin dropped...
To make things worse I've been burnt on the one side of my face, apparently called a farmers tan?
Spoke to Jess, cheered us both up:-)
We reached Dryden just before sunset. A long day and gets worse as we have to go back to Sanderson to our motel! at least in the morning I will be going forward to the start point.
Wish I could say more about today but can't, I just want to get out of this part of Texas!!!!!
Lessons learnt today:
Should have looked at East to West option
Texas is big
Glad I bought my rain jacket
Never doubt the weather channel