It's not Squinty Eyes Dunes National Monument,

It's White Sands National Monument in New Mexico. 

Today, it was a gauzy sun day, and my eyes were slits. It would be brutal on a bright, sunshiny day. I would have to purchase a pair of Oakley sunglasses with their "thermal nuclear protection" not to be blinded by the light.

The brilliant color of the sand is due to gypsum. It's a rare form of sand since gypsum is water soluble. Here in the Tularosa Basin, there are no waterways to carry the common mineral away. The fine grain white stuff is trapped in a natural bowl for all to enjoy. 

The National Park Service loans plastic sleds for the tykes and grown up kids to use for schussing down the dunes. You gotta love it.

Half a million visitors a year do. 

Back to warm and sunny Arizona mañana,

Jeff

How do you like that centerfold shot of Barley?

Michelin Tires...

Are trying to kill me and Barley.

Don't buy Michelins.

I'm in Sierra Blanca, Texas trying to limp into El Paso.

I'm getting rid of all the Michelins left on Barley.

What did I ever do to France to deserve this?

"What a long strange trip it's been" II
http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2015/03/a-long-strange-trip-it-been.html

Be safe out there,

Jeff

I'm in Alamogordo, NM now. Texas was starting to get to me.

"I Saw Miles and Miles of Texas."

Bob Wills and Asleep at the Wheel.

I was seeing Mexico too. This was true Borderland country with geographic names criss-crossing between English and Spanish. The Spanish names seemed to be edging out the Anglo ones though.

I took a quiet hike in Big Bend Ranch State Park and pondered the "why" are there so many Texan Spring Breakers in the middle of nada? 

The reason: Texans don't have anyplace else to go. Texas has a pittance of public land for people to trod upon without violating private property rights. (I would not recommend trespassing in the Lone Star State.) Texas is the second most populated state and the second largest in our nation. There's a meager 4.2% of land to play on. If we are comparison shopping, Colorado (eighth largest state) has 48% public playgrounds. This is one of the many reasons, I love the Centennial State more.

I stopped along my way in a grocery store in Presidio. It's so close to the border there's a Mexican Consulate in town. While trying to purchase a half dozen eggs, I was given a friendly lesson on how to ask for the huevos en Espanol. Even though the Stars and Stripes were on all the Public Buildings, this didn't bother me at all. 

It's all so appropriate in the Borderland country of West Texas.

Buenas Noches from Marfa,

Jeff