Old stories...........

I am guilty of repeating the same stories over and over again. Something I think I picked up from my mother. It became more frequent as she grew older. I try to excuse myself by saying, "I may have told you this before, but,..." My friends are patient with me as they listen. There are just some memories I love to recall. As it was Saturday as O and I began our run under the stars before dawn at the Hill Country State Natural Area outside Bandera,TX. The air was still and cold (37 degrees), as we headed out a flat section of trails to get in some miles before the rest of the gang arrived. The sky was clear and the gazillion stars were beautiful against the black background that is space. I told O the story about my trips to Lajitas Texas with my brother and several friends to mountain bike in the Chihuahuan desert of southwest Texas. My brother, our friend L, and I would awake before sunrise (and everyone else) and walk from our rustic cabin to Terlingua, Tx. A walk of about two miles through a mountainous desert free of luminous pollution, and under the big wide open sky filled with beautiful stars. L would point out the constellations as we made our way to the towns only cafe for a fresh cup of coffee.
O and I made it back to our vehicle as the rest of the gang arrived for a loop through most of the major climbs at HCSNA. The sun rose as did the temperature, and the wind picked up. It made for a fantastic day of running for our group of eight. 21 miles and great company. It was my Birthday and I shared the cupcakes I baked the previous evening with the gang after the run. Great start to my day. Fantastic weather, in a beautiful place, running with great friends, and recalling old memories. Geez, am I getting old?
Postscript;
Spoke to "O" today (Monday 12/13). He said when he got home he removed the park window permit from his truck and noticed on the line that reads "date of arrival" I wrote 12/11/58! El, his wife, said, "well, that IS the date HE arrived" :-) Thanks El.