MINIs VISIT WEST TEXAS

This Mini Cooper S (S indicates twin turbo) makes a statement that "Life is too short to drive a boring car"....how true, how true!!

Last Thursday night we joined a group of friends at the Blue Mountain Bistro in "downtown" Fort Davis for drinks and good fun. After some fun stories and a bit of "solving the world's problems" (for us teetotalers over ginger ale and coke), we all said goodnight about 8pm; and with the sun still fairly high in the early summer sky we headed back to  our house on wheels.   We hadn't gone a half mile when we spotted a half dozen Mini Coopers parked on the main street.  We did a U turn to stop and investigate....discovering that a group of 14 Mini Coopers from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex Mini club were in town for a 4 day weekend exploring Big Bend Country...with Fort Davis as their home base.

Minis of all shapes and sizes gather for the Big Bend Mini Rally.

We were waved in by the group when they spotted our Mini Countryman with NH plates that say UK-SUV. (There is something about owning a Mini that drives one to vanity plates).   We met many members of the group, all of whom said "here is our itinerary for the weekend....join us when you can".   And the next morning we did just that.

The Friday morning program began with a buffet breakfast at the Fort Davis State Park, a few miles north of town.  Here is the first group of Minis making the trip out of town to the breakfast tables.
After some nice conversation and more"getting to know folks" the group headed up the park's scenic drive to the overlook at the top.

Pam captured this photo in the rear view mirror on the way up the mountain.  We were 3rd in the line of 14 going up the switch backs.

Here is a look back at the historic Indian lodge hotel and restaurant, built in the depression years by the CCC...we had breakfast here.

Here are 5 of the mini rally members...note convertibles, all colors and many with stripes.  Part of the mini cooper culture is to make a statement with your car.

A few others parked across the lot....including ours with the British Flag on the mirror covers...and the folded down kayak racks.  We had one of the two 4 door (a bit larger) coopers in the group...others were convertibles, roadsters and the "classic" look minis.

Here the mini entourage is parked at the peak's scenic pullout...with scenic views of the West Texas mountains and high desert plains in the background.

The rally chase truck participated the whole time...bringing up the rear on the drives.

This was Pam and my first Mini Cooper Rally....and it came to us in Fort Davis!   What a treat to partake in some of the events and meet some fellow mini owners.....just super nice folks.  We want to thank all the Metroplex members for making us feel a part of the rally.

We are about to split off from the group to do some cleanup work at our property at Limpia Crossing....it was great fun to join in; and we hope to do it again.

Postscript:  In my discussion with one of the men in the group, I was made to understand that a large percentage of the mini owners were the wives....and the men were "just along for the ride".  Since our Mini is really Pam's car, I could identify with those gents.  This fellow then told me they were forming a small club called Husbands of Mini Owners...and were thinking of getting T shirts made with HOMO emblazoned on them.   At this point in the conversation I not so graciously begged off any interest I had.   

(this "fun" story is just that and in no way is meant as a reflection on any gay folks out there....no offense meant and <hopefully> none taken).

REMEMBERING FRANCES MILLER

I met Frances Miller in 2011 when she was 94 years old.   She passed away yesterday, at home and in the presence of family, at age 97.

I knew Frances for just that short time, and I certainly didn't know her well; but I knew her well enough that she is on my (short) list of favorite people.   Frances was Lynn Lockard's mom....Lynn and Pam have been very good friends for many years.

I would see Frances (and Lynn) each time I dropped Pam off at their home in New Hampshire, and then I would go on to Maine to visit my (now 90 year old) mom.   Frances always had a smile and some very nice things to say.  She always waved goodbye as we left to go back home after our visits.....and this was after a pretty good hug or two.

I remember the time we took our dog, Ali, with us on one of the visits...and Ali and Frances "hit it off" right away.   Ali put her head in Frances' lap, and kept it there while Frances patted her.   My favorite memory of Frances was when she and Lynn came to Littleton to join us for an afternoon tea.  Pam and I laid out the good china cups and offered up a few kinds of tea along with fresh made scones with English clotted cream and home made jam.   We all had a great time...and I will always remember Frances saying "oh look a real afternoon tea" as she sat down at the table.  And the smile on her face right then was timeless.   

Rest in peace, Frances.

THE CHIHUAHUAN DESERT

The Chihuahuan Desert straddles the border with Mexico.  On the US side it stretches into southern New Mexico, very southeastern Arizona and Texas, west of the Pecos River (West Texas).   On the Mexican side it encompasses the entire states of Chihuahua and Coahuila as well as parts of Durango.    

There are three major deserts in the US....the Chihuahuan, the Sonoran and the Mojave.   The Chihuahuan is the largest of the three.   Deserts are fascinating places....while they can be very unforgiving for the unprepared, they also offer up a beauty all their own.   This is the second year for Pam and I visiting the deserts of the US.....I have visited many times previously; but this is the first time for me to visit in late Spring and early Summer.   This is the time of year when the plants and cactus put forth their blooms, and it is wonderful.   Below are some of the more prolific desert plants:

This is a cholla cactus.  There are many variety of cholla, and all of them are "ready to release their very sharp spines" upon contact.    

Here is a cholla blossom in late Spring.   The cholla is but one of hundreds of cactus varieties, commonly referred to as succulents. 

Probably the most common cactus plant in the Chihuahuan Desert is the Prickly Pear.  They are virtually all green and shaped like this rare purple version.  Prickly pear are used to make jellies and salsas as well as many other fine southwestern dishes.  And they are a favorite food of the javelinas, or desert wild pigs.   Imagine sinking your teeth into one of these spiny "delicacies".

 Desert Willows are very common in West Texas, the more northern reaches of the Chihuahuan.

Also common is this desert rose, about to bloom when we took the photo.

Just to prove that all thistles don't grow in Scotland (although it is the Scots flower), this Mexican thistle thrives along the US-Mexican border.   This photo was taken in Naco, right on the border.

Here a hummingbird gets some pollen from the flower of the Ocotillo cactus plant.   The Ocotillo are a "spindly" plant and can grow up to 20 feet high or higher.

This is a good example of a Zeriscape garden of the southwest.  Since water is such a precious commodity, not to be wasted, many home gardens offer up lovely zeriscapes....gardens that eliminate or minimize the need for irrigation.   There is so much more to the desert than what I have offered here.....but maybe this sampling has whet your appetite for a visit to one of America's great deserts.....?

THE ROCK HOUSE FIRE

Cattle trying to stay ahead of the flames.

Fires in the Western US are serious business.  Most of the fires we hear about are in California...or Colorado or sometimes in Arizona but this Rock House Fire burned from April 9, 2011 well into May.  It hit the town of Fort Davis very hard and will always be remembered as what can happen in the heat of summer especially when the winds fail to cooperate.

The Rock House fire is so named as it started in what is known as the "old Rock House" in Marfa, Texas, some 28 miles south and west of Fort Davis.   Before the Marfa volunteer fire department could be on scene at the Rock House, the 55MPH winds that day pushed the fire across Texas Highway 90 and the fire began its deadly march North.   Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

The landscape between Marfa and Fort Davis is relatively flat, high plain with lots of grass and brush to fuel a charging fire.  To the left you can see what the fire did to several thousand acres as it roared north from Marfa.

Texas Highway 118 runs north from Fort Davis up past the McDonald Observatory complex and ultimately to the town of Kent on Interstate 10.  This road is very mountainous as you can see from the photo, making the fire much more difficult to contain.  In this photo crews from many different towns began to set up head quarter operations in Fort Davis State Park and tried to determine how best to stop the rampaging firestorm headed its way.

The folks at the observatory were obviously very worried as they watched the fire creep up and over the Davis Mountains south of them.   A control burn to eliminate fuel for the fire ultimately kept the fire from reaching the observatory.

This photo dramatically shows what it is like for the firefighters in the trenches.  It is a dirty, difficult and very dangerous job to get right into the center of the "raging inferno" as these guys did.



The Rock House fire burned more than 300,000 acres of Presidio and Jeff Davis counties....some 500 square miles!   It took 5 weeks to totally have it contained.   It destroyed 24 homes and 2 businesses...and killed herds of cattle and 4 horses.  As it marched north it also burned miles of ranch fences, making it difficult to round up the animals that did survive.   It was only 3 years ago...which is why it remains very fresh in the minds of Fort Davis residents.   The good news is there were no human fatalities.   

Kudos to groups like the Flagstaff (Arizona) Hotshots who came several hundred miles to offer professional assistance.

This satellite photo shows the fire damage....north to south over 50 miles of destruction.   Let's hope the ongoing dry conditions in the area do not make for another such disaster.   On a personal note, we have a fellow coming in this weekend to do what is known as a "fire cut" on the 5 acres we just purchased.   The fire cut bush hogs down all grasses and removes all brush within 150 feet of any structures.  I told him today to go out to 200 feet just to be sure.

FORT DAVIS TEXAS

The motor home parked at Guadalupe National Park in West Texas.

Texas has some serious mountains.....much to the surprise of many...and the Guadalupe Range are the highest.   Not too far behind are the Davis Mountains in the small hamlet of Fort Davis, TX.   Fort Davis was established in 1854 as a fort  between San Antonio and El Paso, on a very popular route for folks moving further West.   It is named after Jefferson Davis, who at the time was Secretary of War under President Franklin Pierce.   Today the population is just a tad over 1000 folks.

Just 9 miles north of the town of Fort Davis (and further up in the mountains) is Limpia Crossing, formerly a ranch that has been subdivided into many 5 acre lots and is now an association of property owners.   We liked the area so much that by the end of the week we will be one of those 5 acre property owners in Limpia.  It is simply gorgeous, surrounded by hills and mountains in every direction.....the views are 360 degrees!

Here is a view to the West (the sunsets are wonderful as there is so much sky for them to work with) from the 5.2 acre parcel we are buying.   The motor home will be parked facing this direction.

The property has a garage type structure on it....that is 1200 SF in size....part garage and part finished area that we will make into a small studio apartment for guests who may want to visit while we are here.

The area to the left is the semi finished room that we will bring water and sewer to and make into a cozy studio apartment type set up.

Here is a photo of the well house.....the well on the property is estimated to be 300 to 400 feet deep and tests show will provide a very workable 12+ gallons per minute of flow.   

Sunrise anyone??  This view is East so we can bring our tea outside and watch the sunrise.

There is a pad on the property for us to park the motor home.  We need to bring the electric and water and sewer to the pad and to the "garage" in order to have all our facilities usable.  The house that had been on the property was struck by lightning in 2012 and the house was razed.   (Fingers crossed lightning doesn't indeed strike the same place twice!!).

This view of the McDonald Observatory complex is from our lot.  The observatory is one of many in the western US that take advantage of some of the darkest skies in the country.  It will be fun to become a part of the observatory "family" and attend some star parties; having the opportunity to view space and the planets from one of several high powered telescopes.  One is dedicated to solar viewing, which should also be interesting.   

So we have a busy month coming up to get the property ready for hookups so we can move the motor home there and begin to work on the small apartment....and to enjoy the views as well!!

STILL ON THE BORDER

The 4 meter high border wall / fence between Naco, AZ and Naco, Mexico.   The mountains in the background are in Mexico.

After our trip East we both came down with a serious bug that required antibiotics and rest.   So while the motor home was in for service we spent a week at Pam's timeshare in Escondido and then a week at a remote mountain cabin in Ramona, CA....northeast of San Diego.  Both turned out to be great places to convalesce.....so now, with the exception of the occasional coughing spell, this latest business is behind us....thankfully!!

We are purchasing a 5.2 acre lot in Fort Davis, TX....in the shadow of the McDonald Observatory and among some of the darkest night skies in the country....(more on this later); we are on our way to Fort Davis to close on the property this coming week.  Since we had a few days to "play with" we decided to take secondary roads and explore south eastern Arizona....a pleasant experience indeed.  The small towns of Rio Rico, Tubac and Patagonia are simply lovely.   And currently we are in the town of Naco, Arizona right on the border with the sister community of Naco, Mexico...in the state of Sonora.   

Downtown Naco, Mexico

We visited Naco, Mexico yesterday....finding a nice local spot for a taco lunch (yup, Naco Tacos)...and then visited a few pharmacies, coming away with inhalers for me and skin cream for Pam, both of which were a fraction of the cost of US prices.   We met some nice folks while over there....but we didn't stay long given the 98 degree temperatures....and bright sunny skies!

As the photo at the top of the blog suggests, this is a prime area (and there are many) for drugs crossing the border.   As a result and in addition to the wall that runs for several miles, the border is very tight here.

To the right is the Port of Entry (POE) for Naco, Mexico.  Security is tight and inspections thorough.  That said, we passed into Mexico and back to the States without problem.  Nothing to declare aside from a few pharmaceuticals and a small bag of Mexican Oregano.

It is amusing to see "Leroy's Pizza" in downtown Naco.....but we opted for the local tacos instead.

This pickup truck says "Sombrero or Little Finger"....I am at a loss...am guessing it is either Mexican slang for something else or border "spanglish".


Naco is the third Mexican border town we have visited since early April....the others being Boquillas and Los Algodones.  All interesting and all different.   Stay tuned for a report on the mining town of Bisbee, Arizona....and yes, our land purchase in the Davis Mountains of Texas.