...and So I Love Texas

Dread surrounded having to travel through Texas only to find that big stomping state thankfully wouldn't let us leave. Our accommodations in Austin were to say the least: comfortable, with a build in movie theatre room, themed bedrooms, and hosts that refused to let us experience the feeling of hunger for even a moment (yes they fed us amazing things like avocados...home-made sauces...interesting cookies...), and not a second of boredom (the wife does stain glass and the husband is a professor, both having traveled the world collecting amazing art...and giving us invitations to come join them in Singapore--they will be there 'till December).

The Chinese Room Painting from Hong Kong

Topaz and me Stain Glass in Progress

Oh and not to be forgotten. I had the privilege of befriending Topaz the great Dane who decided his favorite spot to sit in the house was me. A night full of Indian food (that we would proceed to let sit in our car for the next 3 days and continually eat) and a morning full of life advice from the Williams (hosts of ours in Austin) we finally started driving further west. Destination: New Mexico. On the way undoubtedly would be detours.

These are pictures of our travels to Fort Stockton Texas (a place everyone should bother to stop). Anyhoo...in picture one: the smashing girl in the background is none other then me and the man in the foreground yup you got it...Davy Crockett...a worthwhile reroute to see this memorial. Next I purchase a much needed cowboy hat that Tyese is presently modeling (imagine it on a less tan, grown out mullet, small headed girl...dashing). Texas is environmentally friendly! Wind farms! exotic creatures! pyramids! The last picture is: postcards being mailed in action.

Fort Stockton on arrival seemed to a be a two street, desert, scrub brush, tumbleweed (contrary to my prior knowledge they really exist), hot, flat, cow growing, town. WRONG! Well, I mean right...but the list continues. We happened to stay that night (under severe pressure from the hosts) on a ranch with some real live cowboys. The kind of cowboys that wear the boots until they are worn out, the hats (yeah I didn't bring out my cheep knockoff), breed cutting horses (didn't know what that was until recent), break horses, and round up cattle. The kind of people who have a charming southern drawl that sticks to anyone staying with them (my apologies to anyone we talked to while in Texas, accents are awesome).

Turns out Mr. Turman is a professional trapper for the state. He deals with population and disease control of the animals in his region of Texas. That means he has to sometimes go out and kill coyotes, bob cats, deer, etc. When he does this the babies are left. So, him and his wife end up raising them. The expected result is always the same: once the animals get large the desire to hunt and to breed gets strong enough that they leave home. (Still, imagine raising such animals!!) Funny thing is they seem to be a safe haven for a lot of animals including guineas and lamas (one of my favorite).

Of course as with everywhere we have stayed they had dogs...lots of them. The one pictured is "tidbit" my favorite because she obsessively licked everything. Lastly just as we were about to leave I got Mr. Turman talking about the land within Big Bend. As Tyese has learned I am huge nerd and soak up any information about the geology of the things we see. He explained that the area used to be one giant seabed. He promptly showed us a rock, and on close inspection you can see it is entirely made of shells, and clams, and other sea material. You know what that means...with a little drilling you start pulling up oil and natural gas.

This all proceeded, a jalapeno egg and potatoe breakfast, promises of safe traveling, and agreements to keep in touch. Finally New Mexico.

Opening the gate to the ranch The Turman's