Friday, January 29, 2010

The Big Country--- getting to know you........

I've been having fun remembering our ventures however I promise to keep up once I catch up, now when that is, well, you'll just have to check in once in a while. Mean while the story continues....

Remember my mentioning it's 200+ mile to about anywhere in Texas? This trip was that and more, lots more, miles and miles of miles and miles more. Since we traveled to the Big Country why not check it out for a bit. We met some real nice folks here and invited to hang with Jay and Buster and have some fun with our other new friends. Buffalo Gap is a cool little Texas town, tons of history, even before the wild wild west! The coutryside is so Texas, mesquite, cedars, cacti and nasty little teeny tiny burs that poke the shit out of you! This is red dirt country, that's some crazy dirt, looks cool but don't get it wet, slimy sticky squishy oozing flowing turn the rivers and lakes red, crazy dirt. Actually this area is quite beautiful, I was pleasantly surprised. Frontier Texas towns, all with there own character. We thought the Windmill Farms pretty awesome, would love to do a photo study of them someday. Here's a few pic's for now, I love the giant Armadillo! We're in Texas now baby!


Sunday, January 10, 2010

Off to Abilene

Over the valley and through the mesquite to the ZOPS Rally we go. Back north through Austin, damn that traffic jam, then northwest towards Brownwood through rugged and rocky; cactus, twisted oak, mesquite and cedar covered Texas style northern hill country. Passing by countless goats, donkeys, horses and those famous REALLY HUGE Texas size steers. Past the PORK BUTT FRIDAYS sign, too bad it's Wednesday. Never more than a few miles from the nearest BBQ.

Our dinner stop town is next; Goldthwaite, which is really hard to spell let alone pronounce, especially since Texans seem to omit E's and do strange things with syllables. Peabody's Restaurant on the main drag was our destination, we like the family small town chow. We chowed all right; Texas Beef Steak Dinner for Two with all the fixin's!

ZOPS Rally in Abilene, our final stop. Interesting experience this our first rally in the great state of Texas, one could say life changing but isn't that most days. We made new friends though, one was even a singing cowboy named Truman; this tall Texan sure could sing, for hours too, amazing. This shot I did for the rally at Dyess Airforce Base, that was an unforgetful experience........

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Texas Hill Country



Wow, Texas Hill Country is amazing, rocky hills covered in mesquite, twisted oaks, cedars, not Michigan swamp cedars, southern water suckers whose pollen will git y'all's allergies. Speaking of twisted, ride a Hill Country road! More on this later, from the Three Twisted Sisters.









And they have Kangaroos there! No kidding! Giraffes too, Zebras, exotic animal huge auction houses too; going to rename this state Texafrica.



The Yankees are comming.......

Texas is HUGE! Every thing is bigger in Texas; these here Texans like to say. Everything is 200+ miles away I know that! Actually I knew that going in; just that the vastness amazes me, every new terrain, Texas has many types, all with a beauty of their own.

Heading diligently west then south past Dallas, Waco, Austin, damn that traffic jam, past San Marcus and finally to our first home base in New Braunfels. At the edges of Hill Country, waiting for us to explore, check out Shoot Mobile Studios potential future and ours.

Here's our first trip to Medina Lake!


Arkansas





Packed it all up and hit the road towards Texas, made it to the beautiful Hot Springs Arkansas area, with a slight detour to find an RV spot; Adrienne saw their billboard. Getting into dark-thirty we headed down an unexplored highway, for us anyway. Well past dark-thirty, more like so F'n dark you could not see a thing except the narrow vegetation shouldered roughly paved very steep and windy road; did I mention it was dark; with strategically placed signage TAKE WIDE TURNS that led us to Cloud Nine RV park; the name should have given us a clue........

Only to be warmly greeted by the very kind owner of the park and saved by a very well placed cozy pull through spot, yeah baby! We woke to an amazing fog in golfed wonderland. Yet again to encounter Cloud Nine's keeper-we think an angel-she warmed our travel weary hearts and gave us encouraging words and off we went, Texas or bust!