Wed, Sept 29, 2010

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

We start each day with a sketchy plan and are usually content to alter the plan if the need arises.  This ended up being one of those days. 

We left Ft Davis in the wee hours of the morning probably an hour before sunrise.  I mentioned as I was finishing up yesterdays journal entry that I was getting “itchy” and sure enough we decided to drive into the Davis Mountains to watch the sunset.  It was a beautiful drive and the area was once again green and the trees healthy again after many years of severe drought.  Limpia Creek even had some running water which we have not seen in more years than we can remember.  Because we made this drive the afternoon before, we did not mind leaving before sunrise to drive the same area.

Just about a mile before we got to Interstate 10 the sun began to peek over the mountains to our east and it cast the most beautiful orange glow all along the ridge of the mountains.  We stopped for just a moment to savor the view and listen to the silence.   These are the things that make west Texas so special, the large expansive views, the crystal clear skies, the feeling of almost being in another time and the quiet.

Then we began another one of those dreaded Interstate drives that would take us to El Paso, then Las Cruces and finally to Demming, NM where we would once again return to winding two lane roads with little traffic.  We made a brief stop in El Paso to pick up a couple of items missed in the packing but I generally passed this long tedious drive by listening to Charles.  At times it was just his snoring but more often he read to me from one of the El Paso papers.  An interesting fact we learned was that El Paso is one of the safest cities in the US (same size cities).  One thing they have attributed the decrease in violent crimes to was prayer.  They have volunteers who pray for the city.  Pretty cool.

As I mentioned earlier we start with a plan but will change it at the drop of a hat if we want to stay longer at one particular spot or if we read about a place we want to visit or in this case if the weather is not cooperating.  Since we left the house we have been in perfect weather with highs hardly reaching i the 80s.  Today, however as we pulled onto the two lane headed toward Silver City, NM the temperature began to rise and as we tried to take a hike along the San Francisco river we found ourselves in 96 degree heat.  So instead of driving to Glenwood, NM and staying so do some longer hikes, we made the decision to just drive further north and try to get into Colorado tomorrow and head on toward Yellowstone and cooler temperatures. 

It ended up being a good idea for as we continued north for at least another 100 miles the temperatures remained in the upper 90s… quite a surprise as we were in elevations above 5000 feet and often in large ponderosa pine forests.  We have never been in this area when it was this hot and it was definitely a surprise.  We hate to have the windows up but after the short hike it was time to turn on some air and cool down. 

Luckily the day ended on a very pleasant note as the last sixty or so miles we found cooler temps and with the windows back down and a cool breeze we were able to enjoy beautiful scenery as we drove thru the El Malpais National Monument, an extensive area of lava beds and sandstone cliffs.  We are staying tonight in Grants, NM.  Tomorrow we will head toward Colorado. 

We are better tonight than we were early this afternoon.  We hope yall are well.

Peace, Hope & Love,

Donna, Charles, Paris & Dodger



Tue, Sept 28, 2010

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

After a long day on the road everybody slept great Monday night.  We got up a little before sunrise, made a pot of coffee in the room, and then caught up on the national news.  After a continental breakfast at the motel, the sun was just peeking over the horizon and we were ready to hit the road.  The night before, after lot of discussion, we made the decision not to go down to Big Bend on this trip.  This meant today would, again be mostly a driving day.  Texas is a huge state and to traverse it from east to west is quite a drive even when you’re starting in the hill country. 

Since a large part of the day would be driving and part of this would entail the dreaded Interstate travel, we decided to take the back road again from Llano to Mason.  This turned out to be a good decision and one the pups particularly enjoyed.  It is about 30 miles to Mason and I do believe we encountered a hundred deer along the way.  Most were big does with older fawns and they were not nearly as glad to see us as we were to see them.  Often when you encounter deer in the National Parks they stand and stare for a moment before wandering off.  These deer had no intention of being caught flat footed by any tourists from Mississippi.  But it was exciting to watch them bound and leap with their white tails flying. Paris and Dodger just went from one side of the jeep to the other waiting on the next sighting.  We saw only a few bucks but at one point caught three nice size bucks standing  in the edge of the dirt road.  They stood just long enough for us to see they were toting some very nice racks as well.  They bounded away thru the glistening sunlight stopping only briefly to take one look back before disappearing into the Mesquite trees.  All of the deer we saw were healthy, the does large and fat, and their fawns sleek and nimble as well.  It was obvious this part of the hill country at least has benefited from good rains because the grass everywhere has been tall and green. 

Our initial plan was to drive straight to El Paso and then stay in Las Cruces, NM.  However, as the day progressed it looked like we would hit El Paso just before 5:00 pm.  Not wanting to spend the better part of the late afternoon to get thru the traffic (often heavy and stays that way most of the way to Las Cruces) we decided to make it an early day and take a short drive down to Ft Davis, TX for the night. 

Ft Davis the city is located in the Ft Davis Mountains at about 5,000 feet.  It is the highest city in Texas and is like stepping back in time to the earlier days of the old West.  It sits on Limpia Creek and is also the site of the well preserved Ft Davis fort.  It’s also well known for its crystal clear night skies which explains the placing of the McDonald Observatory atop a ridge about 7 miles from town.   

Since we have already toured this area extensively on previous trips we opted to just relax at the motel and do a little reading and research some possible photography sites for the days to come.  Charles made a quick trip to town, found a great market and brought us back some delicious broccoli and cheese soup.  It reminded us of mother’s Garden Chowder and it really hit the spot. 

As the sun gets closer to the mountaintops to our west I’m getting a little itchy to look for some photo opportunities.  We’ll see how itchy in a little while. 

Once again we are well and hope yall are too.

Peace, Hope & Love,

Donna, Charles, Paris & Dodger


Mon, Sept 27, 2010

Monday, September 27, 2010

It was Christmas Eve all night again and every time I turned over I heard “Honey, are you awake?” Seems neither one of us could sleep.  Actually, the dogs were restless as well so about 4:00 am we gave in and began the process of hitting the road.   

We made the decision to drive to Llano, TX today via numerous small roads and dirt roads.  The weather was perfect… 53 as we loaded the car with crystal clear skies full of twinkling stars.  Just before daylight arrived we found ourselves in Palestine, TX and spotted the Dogwood Café.  There were a number of trucks parked out front and also a couple of sheriff’s cars… always a good sign.  It was a converted Pizza Hut building but was spotless and full of Elvis, James Dean, Dean Martin and Marilyn Monroe pictures.  It turned out to be an excellent choice… the food was good! It was interesting eating breakfast as two life-sized cardboard cutouts of Dean Martin and Marilyn Monroe stood behind Charles.  

By the time we left the café the sun was up and we headed down the road toward Waco, TX.   From Waco it was on toward Gatesville and then more back roads and eventually dirt roads entered the picture as we got closer to Mason, TX.   We picked up some brisket and sausage to have for supper and then headed to the James River for puppy time.  We found a small spring fed creek just off the river for a nice long stop for photography and a short hike.  From there we took the Salt Branch Loop road to one of our favorite stops on the Salt Branch.  There we spent a good while just sitting on a limestone shelf by the creek while the puppies swam, ran, played and hunted for critters.  The weather had warmed to a perfect 80 degrees with just a slight breeze.  Our only company was a few cows with their calves and they wandered over to the creek for an afternoon drink.

From the Salt Branch we made the beautiful drive to Llano taking time to cross the Llano river several times to enjoy the views up and down this crystal clear river.  At one crossing we stopped for a few minutes to watch three fly fishermen casting for river trout.  These crossings are just that, concrete slabs that take you across the river and not passable if the river is up.  Today, however, the water was fairly low and we didn’t even get the tires wet.  

We arrived in Llano, went straight to our usual motel and our usual room and laid out our picnic as the sun set over the horizon.   It was a delicious ending to a delightful day of beautiful views and awesome weather.  I did not miss the office at all! 

We are well tonight and hope you all are too.

Peace, Hope & Love,

Donna, Charles, Paris & Dodger  



Sun, Sept 26, 2010

Sunday, September 26, 2010

For the first time in twenty-six days I am not going to the office and that feels pretty good.  Charles got up quietly this morning and left me to sleep while he did the morning farm chores.  The pups, however saw no need for me to have any additional rest and after much collar shaking and nudging were able to coerce me from the comfort of bed.  Upon Charles’ return we got our coffee and headed outside to complete our morning ritual of discussing the day.  To our delight, we were met with the first rains we have had in about a month.  We took our time and enjoyed the hot coffee and the soothing rain before having a quick breakfast and beginning the arduous task of packing for an extended road trip in a Jeep Wrangler.  This can be quite a challenge… not because of what we need to wear (which usually consists of just jeans and shirts) but because we have to pack for two dogs, include my camera equipment and the tech gear that goes along with keeping up with the office and posting my journal and pictures as we travel.  Because we do travel a lot of remote roads we have to add emergency gear and food rations in case we get stranded.  We have this process pretty much down to a science but it still takes the good part of a half day to complete.  Just a little before noon we were packed and ready to go. 

Mattie was feeling so good that she called and asked us to come eat veggies with her before we left.  Now who could turn down an invitation for a good southern lunch before leaving for an extended trip.  After a delicious lunch and proper goodbyes we headed back to the house to feed horses before making that delightful trip down the driveway full of anticipation about the days to come.  I’m sure God put me with Charles because he found the perfect partner for me… the road trip addict.  We are like two kids on Christmas Eve as we pull onto Causeyville Road.  Add to that mix two Australian Shepherds with their heads hanging out the back windows and that Jeep is full of four happy souls.

We don’t know where we are heading except we will definitely see Yellowstone National Park again and there is a good chance we will see the Pacific Coast.  We’ll decide each day what we want to do.  So as we hit Interstate 20 headed west we made the decision to get the Interstate driving behind us by driving straight to Kilgore TX.  At that point we will, hopefully leave the big slab behind and will be on either two lane or two track roads for the remainder of the trip. 

The rain was beginning to taper off and the drive across Mississippi and Louisiana was uneventful (always good when you’re on the interstate).  We filled the time with conversation and sang along to some Prime Country which is pretty good for clicking off the miles. After a delicious BBQ sandwich at Bodacious BBQ we took the short drive to the Best Western in Kilgore. 

Interstate travel is never our first choice but it made sense to get some major miles behind us so the coming weeks will be slow and easy (unless we decide to make it different).  So the mission was accomplished with no trouble… a nice start to our trek.

We are well and hope you all are too.

Peace, Hope & Love,

Donna, Charles, Paris & Dodger



Sat, Sept 25, 2010

Saturday, September 25, 2010

My wastebasket holds most of my photography… that either makes me a poor photographer or a great editor.  – Donna Downey

It's almost roadtrip time!  After working the past twenty-six days straight to get ready, I am looking forward to some rest and relaxation of course filled with photography.  It I don't get too distracted this afternoon and I can finish up these last few projects, we will be on our way sometime tomorrow. 

I have to remind my wonderful friends, family and acquaintances that this journal is not meant to be a great literary work but simply a way to jot down our thoughts about all the things that you experience on a good roadtrip. All who tarry here are welcome to totally ignore the journal and/or the photos.  Most of them will be most appreciated by our family who eagerly wait to hear which way we went and what we saw and think that  photo of us and the pups in front of a huge redwood or a National Park sign ranks right up there with Ansel Adams.  That's one of the great things about your family and your dearest friends!

Anyway, we are so looking forward to beginning this journey.  As many of you know, Charles Dad, Bill  was ill for over eighteen months and passed away in July.  His mother has had some health problems as well but is now doing very well and getting back to her spry self.  It has been a very difficult year for us so bear with us if we tell you over and over again how much Bill would have enjoyed this view or that ranch.  They often traveled with us and it brought us such joy to see them enjoying the backroads of this great country. 

So join us for this rambling journal and a few photos as we begin another great roadtrip.  Yahoo!!!

Let's get this show on the road... literally.

Hope you all are well as we begin.

Peace, Hope & Love,

Donna, Charles, Paris & Dodger