One side=U.S

 

The other side=Mexico. See the difference? Well, neither do I. 

On a blustery, cold day I hiked from Rio Grande Village (a store, gas station, laundry  and campground) to some hot springs. A few of the bathers swam across the Rio Grande and actually touched Mexico! I expected alarms to go off, but that didn't happen. 

Mexican Nationals leave goo-gags and walking sticks along the trail with requests for "donations." Capitalism is alive and well South of the Border too. 

Meanwhile our Border Patrol can fine or arrest you for doing business with these Mexican craftsmen. It's a strange world we live in. 

Speaking of strange! The temperatures are considerably below average here. This will be the second night where water will turn to ice. At least my beer is staying chilled along with me. 

Believe it or not, Big Bend is booked solid for Spring Break! Who would have thought college kids would want to party on in West Texas instead of Fort Lauderdale? Whatever happened to the days of "Beach Blanket Bingo"? 

Finding a home for Barley and me might be a challenge in the next few weeks. 

I might actually have to sleep under a bridge down by the river.

Who would have thunk it? 

Borderlands National Park...

would be a more descriptive name than Big Bend. 181 miles of the park's boundary is the Rio Grande River. This puny desert stream (dry in many places due to upriver impoundments) forms the border between the U.S and Mexico. 

Down here in West Texas, the idea of two separate nations gets a bit muddled. The river is not a deterrent for people's meanderings. Green and white Border Patrol vehicles ply the paved and dirt roads. Oftentimes, they are seen sitting dormant with a sole occupant scanning the long horizons for "human sign." 

It's all seems sort of sad. A huge effort on America's part to keep the people who clean our hotel rooms, pick our fruits and vegetables, cook our meals, frame our homes and landscape our yards out. I wish the "Powers to Be" could come up with a workable solution to this quagmire.

I'm a first generation American. Sid and Clara were both from the Old World. I feel fortunate and thankful, this nation found space for the two of them. There were immigration questions then and there still are now. An answer is long overdue.

Anyway...Big Bend National Park is a pretty out-worldly looking region. 

It's the most visited place in Texas (even more than the Alamo). One must make an effort to get here. It's out of the way and off the grid. I like that, even though tonight's forecast is for cold, rain, sleet and possibly White Death. I'm hoping the inclement weather goes away soon, or I'll be going away soon. 

Good Night Y'all

Where the Heck is...

Marfa, Texas???

It was a mystery to me until I arrived here myself. Talk about out of the way! But then again that could be said for most of west Texas. I wanted space and that's what I got in sufficient acreage. 

What sets Marfa apart from the rest of the cow s--t stomping towns in these parts is art. Donald Judd, a New York artist and art collector somehow discovered this wide spot on Highway 90. He bought buildings and filled them with artwork. Now there's at least six art galleries in a town of 1,918. 

Marfa is famous for being the backdrop of many Hollywood movies (most notably "Giant" starring James Dean.) 

Let's not forget the Marfa lights too. No one has figured out what causes these flickering, multi-colored lights seen east of town. I looked and looked but they didn't appear for this blogger. 

Marfa began as a railroad watering stop in the 1880's. I stopped at a few watering holes of a different kind. The local post master was incredulous when I told her I didn't  own a sidearm. She told me about her recent purchase of a new .38 Special. 

I was extremely polite to her.

Hey! I'm in Texas! 

Good Night Y'all

Land of Standing Up Rocks...

is the name the Chiricahua Apache Indians used in describing what would one day become a National Monument.  

In the National Park Service scheme of things, it's kind of small. There's about 20 miles of trails which were lovingly built by the Civilian Conversation Corp in the 1930's. When you see infrastructure in the National Parks, it's (oftentimes) CCC construction. They over engineered whatever they created. The Corp left a lasting legacy of well-made pubic works projects.

Thanks Guys! 

Today one can find quiet, big views and lots of whimsical shaped rocks. With a little imagination you can discover:  Punch and Judy, Kissing Rocks, Duck on a Rock, E.T and one Camel. Yes! I walked ten miles for a camel. (Who remembers that cigarette commercial?)

It took me awhile to maneuver, set and balance that 1,000 ton boulder. For the fans of this blog (all 20 or so of you) no biggie. Anything for a good photo op. 

Good night from Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona.

The last photo is Cochise sleeping peacefully nearby.

Next Stop Las Cruces, NM. 

An ocean free day...

It went well! 

I spent quality time with the Saguaro cacti around Scottsdale. 

Fun Facts about Carnegiea gigantea. 

First off. They are named in honor of Andrew Carnegie. Andy is famous for US Steel and building beautiful libraries. His bibliothecas stand out in unusual places like Walden and Trinidad, Colorado. I can spot one a zip code away. 

Two: They can weigh over a ton and grow to 40 feet tall. An arm sprouts after 75-100 years. The specimens who go armless are named spears. I think calling them an exclamation point is more accurate.

Three: Like me, they are cold weenies. After a few hours of below freezing temperatures, they'll perish.

Four: They make crappy shade trees. 

I saw a Humpback whale expelling a breath nearby. It must have got horribly lost! No. That's the man made geyser of Fountain Hills. Robert McCulloch (of chain saw fame) had it built to draw folks to his planned community. He's also the dude who had London Bridge reconstructed over the Colorado River in Lake Havasu City. Rumors abound he thought he was buying the much more ornate Tower Bridge. Whoops! 

I hear an IPA calling my name and I must go. 

Land Ho!

Arizona is the antimatter of Hawaii. There's barely any water, just dirt-dry land all around. I was ready for this look.

I'll miss Hawaii's breaching and blowing Humpback Whales and those bold Green Turtles though.

I won't miss black lava rock.

I shot these photos from Mighty Camelback Mountain in the wilds of Scottsdale after my midnight flight from hell.

Tell us Jeffy, why was it the flight from Hades? OK. I'll tell ya.

A retired pilot (you would think he would understand "red eye" travel and the need for sleep) yammered away the entire flight. He apparently had a captive audience. We were all trapped! 

I knew there was a lot of Blarney spewing from his trap when I overheard this.

"I told Wilbur and Orville, tweak the propeller and wing shape and you'll get this contraption to fly!" 

I'm beat, I'm drinking a great IPA and I'm happy to be back on the Mainland.

I'm torn on whether to get tomorrow's workout in A) Scottsdale's Fashion Square or B) hike a nearby mountain. Decisions. Decisions.

I think I'll go with Choice B.

Barley the Van says Yo to everyone too.

Chiricahua National Monument here we come!

Be well.

I like land. It's easier to hike on. 

You meet the nicest people IV...

Jenny, John and Ana (John Jr. was too embarrassed to be seen with me) are also visiting the Big Island.

I've known Jenny when her last name was Brannan. I watched her grow up since the age of 8. Here she is with two kids and a great husband. I was present at their wedding too.

Does this mean I am getting older too?

Fun visit, wonderful people. 

I board my flight back to Phoenix and Barley the Van tonight at midnight.

OY!