RAINBOWS

Rainbows bring lots of ooh's and aah's when they appear....not to mention sending folks scurrying for their cameras.  Rainbows are both a meteorological and optical phenomenon that is caused by both reflection and refraction of light in droplets of water that result in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky (hope this doesn't take the fun out of them for you!!).

Here is a fantastic rain bow that we experienced late in the afternoon yesterday.  It is arcing over our little building almost perfectly.

Shortly after appearing, our rain bow became a double rainbow!  If you look closely to the left you can see the faint second rain bow.  I took this photo next to our building....you can see our drain pipes and the top of our 600 gallon water catchment tank...and that closest roof line just behind the tank is the home of our good friends and neighbors, Sam and Sarah Kent.

In 1672 Isaac Newton (wouldn't it have been great to have lunch with him and DaVinci??) divided the color spectrum into the five primary colors of red, yellow, green, blue and violet.   Later on he added orange and indigo....there are many theories as to why....but indigo ....seriously?

The angle of the refracted light that forms the rainbow is always 42 degrees....(don't ask...it just is).   That explains why some folks can see a rain bow perfectly while their neighbor says "what rainbow". 

Especially late in the day one can experience a mono chromatic rainbow...which in this case is dramatically affected by the setting sun.   These are rare...but I am keeping the camera at the ready just in case.

                                  "Rainbow" trout anyone?

Rainbow cake?   (I think I'll pass)

                               A rainbow hairdo.....fancy that.

Rainbows will always keep their fascination...they appear rarely and they are so colorful that despite the technical aspects that describe their existence, they will always be something of a "visual sonnet in the sky" that is sure to bring a smile....yes, even to  curmudgeons!! 

LIMPIA 360 CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

Here is the view to the Northeast from our entry door....and note the window to the left....yes, the Pella Impervia windows arrived and are installed!!  These are high altitude windows with a capillary system rather than Argon gas between the panes....recommended for locales above 5000 feet....that's us!

Facing East from our soon to be finished living room area....the 6'X6' sliding door and the two large sliding windows bring a lot of the outdoors inside, helping to make our small space seem larger.

To the left we are looking into our small but very function-able kitchen (soon to be)....to the left is a peek into the bathroom and the glass block that makes up part of the shower.

Here is the hallway from the living area to the bedroom....with the bathroom midway to the left.    Note the tray ceiling, which will look very nice indeed when fully painted and with our oriental hanging lamp.

Bedroom is long and narrow but with two large sliding windows (5'X6') facing West....and these windows will let us star gaze from our bed!!

Of course, Pam had to have the Texas Star for a vent in the eaves!!

Looking West and north from just outside the bedroom windows.

The motorhome and the mini sitting on their pads just North of the building....with Mount Arabella in the background.   

So we think we have done all that we can to make our small space seem larger and to bring in as much of the outside and the outdoor light as possible.   With all the glass we also have maximized our 360 degree views.......our next construction blog will show some before and after photos....so stay tuned.

CIBOLO CREEK RANCH

Above is scenic Route 67, south of Marfa, Texas and on the way to the Texas border town of Presidio.   Marfa to the border is some 60 miles...and about half way is the Cibolo (SEE b low) Creek Ranch. Cibolo Ranch consists of some 50 sections of land....a section is a nominal square mile, or about 640 acres.  So the math tells us Cibolo is > than 30,000 acres of land!!

Here is the entrance to Cibolo, with the Chinati Mountains in the back ground.   Cibolo dates back to the early to mid 1800's, and the history of the ranch is very interesting.   The ranch is now solely owned by John Poindexter, a Houston multi millionaire.  Poindexter has a history of personal successes, finishing his BA degree in less than 3 years....and his MBA in 9 months....not to mention his PhD in Economics....also in record time.

Poindexter spent lots of time, energy and money to bring the old "forts" that make up the ranch up to date.   The ranch has multiple uses but primarily it is a West Texas private get away for those with "means".  The ranch has a 7500 foot long runway for those guests who desire to fly in on their private jets.....like Mick Jagger, who has been a regular at the ranch for some time.

"Wrinkled Rocker" Mick has brought his family and his entourage to the West Texas resort, hiring out a whole section of guest quarters...money not being an object.  The "lesser rooms" at the resort have nightly rates in the hundreds....and if you want more seclusion and attention from the staff you are talking in the several thousands.

The main part of the ranch is the Cibolo Creek location seen here.  If you want more privacy there are two other locations about 45 minutes away by car called Cienega and Morita...both restored old forts that now spare no luxury.

One of the courtyards with guest quarters lined along the left.  As you can see, the architecture is decidedly Spanish with an upscale fortress like theme.   A nice place to stay...if your wallet can handle it.

More evidence of the Spanish architecture....with an ornate cross hanging over the door.   The resort is a very well done blend of old design with contemporary upgrades...a design that works quite well.   Mr. Poindexter, for example, had his dining chairs hand made to reflect the early 1800's Spanish style of the period.

There are many fascinating "public" rooms such as the saddle room...this room also reflects many of the public writings about the resort....most of them glowing.

Here is the main dining area with the specially designed chairs that Mr Poindexter saw in an old New Mexico furniture book and had replicated to his specs.   

Well, to end anyone's curiosity we did not stay here....we came with new friends Betty and John on the ranch open house day, courtesy of Mr Poindexter.

                           Betty, John and Pam on our tour.

There are many gorgeous, big sky vistas like this one to enjoy when you drive the hundreds of miles of Cibolo ranch roads.  It was a pleasure for us to experience it.

On the way back North to Marfa and ultimately, Fort Davis, we had to make the requisite stop at the Marfa Border Patrol checkpoint.  What a great day to enjoy with new friends....another fantastic West Texas experience....this time to see "how the other half lives".