‘Bout time I got around to this update.
Missed some pretty good conversations as well.
Typical...
Several years ago, there was a tourism ad campaign for Texas in which the slogan was, “Texas: It’s Like A Whole Other Country.”
I remember that…
There are times when I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t much bother me.
I assume one of the rejected slogans was, “Texas: There’s A Whole Lot of Nothin’.”
That has its charms as well, though.
It implies that there are a myriad of places where one could hide the bodies.
Pro Tip: when driving around west Texas, keep a close eye on your fuel gauge.
When the dusty little convenience store sports a sign reading: “Last Gas for 97 Miles”…
You’d find it best to consider it more of a warning than a challenge.
So she wandered down the street to a grocery store while I filled up with gas. I mean, er, I filled the van with gas.
So your tank was still plenty full at this point, I take it.
And with a captive audience as well…
I had just turned the wrong way down a one-way street.
Hooligan!
Wait…
Why is it that a town situated better than fifty miles from any other smattering of humanity and possessing only two paved streets in the first place found it necessary to establish them as being unidirectional?
Was this some type of Tumbleweed Preservation Measure?
A decision on the part of the local Chamber of Commerce, to ensure anyone driving through would be compelled to at least read the signs for all of the remaining businesses, per chance?
Luckily, it was fairly early in the morning and traffic was light.
Rush Hour must be a veritable Mad House ‘round there.
A few people were staring at me from their front yard and I gave them a friendly, “Yep! I’m an idiot!” wave.
A skill honed over many decades…
I figured if anyone pulled me over I’d tell them I was a Canadian tourist named
@pkondz and I wasn’t used to these American roads.
Hummm…
Yeah, I’d buy that one.
Good plan.
We also spotted a group of javelinas to the side of the road.
Ahhhh…
That may explain the need for the strict traffic control back in town…
regular infestations of road hogs.
We stopped here for our traditional beautifully composed photo of the kids looking like angels in front of the park sign.
Gonn’a have a hard time topping that one.
Just trying to keep it real for you by pulling back the curtain and revealing all that goes on behind the scenes.
And we didn’t even have to pay extra to tour the Utilidors…
What a bargain.
I figured while we were there, I’d get a photo of me and the missus as well. It would make a good Facebook profile picture, don’t you think?
Not bad at all.
I also notice that the guest photographers for this part of the trip have a clear understanding of composition.
The hike is a great one because you can enter at the base of the canyon, rather than having to climb down from the rim.
Meaning that it’s even possible that I might be able to pull it off.
Still no guarantee, but…
EDITED to add one of the most important parts of the whole trip:
And to protect the names of the innocent
The rest of us get impatient tend to move ahead while she arranges her artsy-fartsy compositions.
All this does is prove that we are jerks…
This needed proving?
Anyway, now you can say that Julie and Indiana Jones have something in common: a healthy dislike of snakes.
Why does the canyon floor…
Move?
Being a kind, sensitive family, we made sure not to bring this incident up at all for the rest of the week.
Whoa…
Excuse me; I had to duck for cover there for a moment.
Oddly, there was this rather large flock of flying pigs fluttering through the building down here.
They came in quite low, too. I think they’re gone now, but I’ll need to keep an eye out for them…
Now, what was it you were sayin’ again?
You can see that the water was very low in the river. It’s like this much of the year due to dams in the river much further upstream.
So…
Rio Not-so-Grande…
Anymore
Reminds me of something rather off topic, I was on about a while back.
Nice shot of most of the fam, there.
Lose the smiles, convert it to monochrome, and it could pass for an album cover
The residents sneak across the river in the boat, leave their wares on the hiking trail, and then float back to the other side of the border. They depend on tourists using the honor system for payment.
Right honorable
Of everyone
We hope
(I’ve been in a bit of a mood of late, so I’m staying away from most of the potentially political spots)
Thankfully, his big sister’s sunglasses helped.
And that one garners a “cute, cute, cute” award.
Being mid-to-late afternoon, it was also the hottest part of the day and temperatures were well into the 90’s at this point. For you Canadians, that's like 2000 Celsius or something.
Coincidentally, we were just working up a set of conversion charts on this very topic over in the clubhouse today.
They even have bears that live in the woods up there.
That explains all of that bear sh…
Ummm….
Nevermind.
This was Dave’s 13th birthday, which meant we now had two teenagers plus a toddler living under our roof. Please pray for us.
Y’all gonn’a be needin’ some of them there extra heavy-duty industrial strength prayers for a while.
And I got chicken parm, and I liked it, so you know I have to say it: Chicken parm, you taste so good. You're welcome for the earworm.
Rat fink!
It doesn’t matter. I don’t know if the photos in this chapter will convince you, but we really fell in love with Big Bend.
No, no…
It’s on the list.
Assuming I don’t have to apply for a visa to travel there in the future.