Part 2 of Texas trip, Ok - a little AZ too (very little)



Still at Big Bend - we had some very cool weather and a couple days with
some seriously high winds.  Felt sorry for the tent campers.

Lunas Jakal (ha KAHL = shelter house) This guy must have been some kind of
diplomat - he lived until 106 yrs in this location - the junction of the yearly
Commache raids and the home of the surly Apache tribe. He also must have
been very short - I don't even fit in it.
Very nice gravel road today as opposed to the 26 mile jeep trail that took
us 6 hours to traverse (a couple of stops along the way).
The troop of Boy Scouts camped across from us did it one way on bicycles!
Don't think anyone heard a peep out of them that night.

Our 2nd visit to Terlingua - happen to be the same night they were celebrating
Mardi Gras.  This was one of the floats - you can see a few bicycles strategically placed
for locomotion.  The plan was to ride this to the town of Presidio - about 50
miles away during an upcoming bike rally.  The road to Presidio has
one stretch with a 15% grade.  Lots of luck!!!

This is no longer a theatre - but a restaurant.  Sits in this little town in the middle
of nowhere and does an incredible business.  There is a very long veranda that
stretches off to the left and the locals congregate there for sundown accompanied
by local musicians. Lots of comeraderie.

A short hike from the Rio Grande Village campground (can you pick out our rig?  I can't either) at Big Bend. The river
to the left is the Rio Grande and left of that is Mexico.
That's me - the one who didn't want to get within 100 miles of Mexico!

This is called "blind prickly pear" which seems odd since it doesn't have stickers but what
looks to be little buttons - but it will blind cows if their eyes come in
contact with it.

A short hike to Tinaja (jar).  Little pools of water in these beautiful rock formations.
This was on the jeep road that just about jarred my teeth out.  Maybe that's why
they called it a Tinaja!

Enjoying a warm day at the Hot Springs - right on the edge of the Rio Grande.

Roadrunners are very prolific in Big Bend. The park had been irrigating
in the campground so there was lots of fresh water for them.

The little Oreo donkey on the way to Terlingua - I think he thought I was
bringing him something to eat.

This was a movie set on the Rio Grande.  We were taking the scenic drive to
Presidio & on to the little town of Marfa (where Giant was filmed).

Carved into the hillside? No, just natural.

15% grade - goes up fast - comes down fast.

A herd of pink flamingos in Marfa

One of the javalinas around our campground.  Russ almost got run over by a 3rd
one he didn't see when he was taking this picture.

If only I could remember the name of these stringy formations that seem
to be anchoring this hillside together.

Mariscal mine - where they discovered quicksilver ore - built this mine and
these brick ovens out in the middle of nowhere to process it.  Can't imagine
what it would have been like to man these ovens in the Texas heat.

Saw a few coyotes in Big Bend - these 2 were just outside the campground and
didn't seem to be bothered when we pulled the Jeep over to take pictures.

This Dagger Yucca was blooming a little early.  A little later in the
spring and we'd have been greeted with hundreds of them all
abloom. 

Now we've left Big Bend and moved to Davis Mountain St. Pk.  This was
a side trip to the McDonald Observatory.  Daytime tour of the facilities and then
2 evening programs which included lots of star/planet gazing.

These were some of the officers quarters at Fort Davis - home of the Buffalo Soldiers.
Beautiful but desolate country.

Guess this javalina wasn't worried about getting run over.  He must have
seen our jacks were down.

11 javalinas in this group, but I zoomed in to get the baby.  Right next to our
campsite.

ARIZONA!  Tombstone to be exact - and this is one confused cactus. We're
in a campground about 15 miles away so this made an easy side trip. 

Thanks for hanging in there.  You think it was an ordeal to read - you should
have been on my end.  Trying to decide which of the 300 pics to post.
Look forward to seeing/hearing from you all.  Where you are and what you're doing.

First part of our Texas adventure



He's pretty casual since he's practically at our front door at Medina Lake
Texas

Peri, Jim, (brand new players), Paul (advanced player), and me (still thump dragging on my foot).

Paul & Russ made a lethal team

Believe it or not, this was Judge Roy Bean's office!  Hmmmm!
A side trip from Sycamore Canyon St. Pk.

The green branches on this tree have very long stickers on them -
you might want to avoid it. Saw lots of cacti when we walked
through the cacti garden associated with Judge Roy Bean's
house, office. etc.

If only we could interpret this beautiful rock art.

We were't there the day they tour the primary rock art display
but the Shaman was impressive by himself.
Sycamore Canyon St. Pk.

Just another pretty sunset at Sycamore Canyon St. Pk., TX

With the border being so close, the ever diligent Border Patrol grooms paths like these along the fence by the road. Saw lots of this as we traveled
to Big Bend Natl. Pk.

Those wiley Mexicans sneak across and leave little homemade treasures
(i.e. the hiking stick, beaded animals and painted rocks) along with a
jar to leave money in.  It is illegal to purchase them, but we did see a
family toting 4 hiking sticks back down the path.
Big Bend Natl. Pk.

My telephoto lens captured some Mexicans waiting on their side of
the Rio Grande - Immigration is reopening a crossing at this location and
there was a lot of loud celebrating from the Mexican side (till 5 a.m.). 
According to some of the staff here at Big Bend Natl. Pk., 
both sides are excited about this.

Scrap art bug at Terlingua - one of our favorite and interesting little towns
near Big Bend. Part ghost town and part re-claimed artsy.
More pics down further.

Easter Egg Village (that's the name of it).  Must have gotten their paint
from the Bahamas.
Just outside Big Bend Natl. Pk.

Never did find out what kind of tree this is, beautiful red bark
and leaves.  Little bit of snow on the Chisos Mtns. in
Big Bend.

They grow the Agave big here in Texas. Walking to one of
the many ruins in Big Bend.

Wonder why they call this Mule Ears.

Big Bend has three distinct environments - the mountains,
the desert, and the river.  We did some exploring in each one.