Big Tex in Canyon, TX

We watched five bison calmly munching, all the while keeping an eye on us. A bobcat furtively moving through the brush.  White tail deer with those tails flagging as they bound across the meadow.  Mule deer hanging out among the trees.  Hundreds of meadow larks flitting and perching all around us with songs combining to sound like the tinkle of glass wind chimes in the breeze.  Adorable black tailed prairie dogs warming themselves in the sun.

The day started out cool; 39F as headed out winter coats in hand for Buffalo Lake NWR. The animals seem to appreciate the brilliant warm sun.  So did we.

You want to know how this flat arid land was formed? Does it really sit on top of one of the worlds largest subterranean reservoirs?  Did dinos live here?  Why have humans been drawn here for centuries?  How did/do they manage?  Check out windmills.  Check out firearms through the ages.  Learn about oil and gas: how is it found?  How do mineral rights work?  Exactly how did/do drillers get it out of the ground?  All this and more can be found at the PPHM.  There is a lot to see.

The Grand Canyon of Texas: Palo Duro Canyon.  They also claim it is the second largest canyon in the US, second only to the Grand Canyon.  Maybe, but it is a distant second!  It doesn’t quite live up to that hype but it is a beautiful place.   Soft layers topped with more erosion resistant caprock make for cool formations and hoodoos.  Cliffs look like layer cakes where the river has sliced through 800 feet of colorful layers of soil.  The hike to lighthouse rock made for a great walk with a beautiful view of the valley from its pedestal

We are in the Texas Panhandle and like all of this area; Lake Meredith is just recovering from a long drought.  The shoreline is part of what they call the “Canadian breaks”, a rugged broken landscape painted a beautiful muted green with patches of a bright red clay layer exposed in areas of heavy erosion or slips.  During this stay, high winds have kept the shallow waters white-capped and murky leaving us to limit our enjoyment to hiking the banks and watching lovely sunsets.  Here’s to hoping the lake continues to recover.  Maybe next time through we will be able to wet a line and test out the beaches.

The clutch fan on the motorhome shut off as we approached Lake Meredith NRA. It has been on since May 2^nd.  The reduced noise level is quite pleasing.  The fan seems to run when we are above 3,000 feet to support the inner cooler, A/C, transmission cooler and engine.  It could have taken a short break around Seattle, based on elevation; but, with traffic and temperatures when we arrived it didn’t.  When it does shut down you can hear the rattle of the diesel, the whine of the transmission and tires and the wind noise.  Doesn’t seem like that much noise should be something to look forward to.  But, it is a relief to only hear the fan run when the radiator needs cooling.

All inspections passed and registrations renewed. Next stop, Choke Canyon State Park.

In Texas beginning this year to renew vehicle registration one has to first get the vehicle inspected.  No sweat, right?

We pulled into the RV dealer in Rockport who was to inspect the motorhome and trailer. Everybody was scurrying about.  A caravan of trailers and motorhomes was enroute back from a show in Corpus.  They could so the inspections but need us out of the way before the convoy arrives.  Double decker trailer?  No problem.  Motorhome, ohoh.  The antilock brake warning light has been on intermittently; of course it’s on this morning.  No dice, it failed inspection and the RV place doesn’t work in International Chassis.

Stop 2, the International Dealer in Corpus Christi.  “We should be able to get to it today”.  We sit, we wait.  We pace, we wait.  A LOT of trucks come and go.  Finally it’s our turn.  The hook up the fancy computer, diagnosis the faulty sensors and make a speedy repair.  OK!  Well not quite.  We have a side clearance light out.  FAIL again. Ack.

We settle in at Padre National Seashore for the night and Kent makes a quick repair, it was a broken wire in the clearance light.  Tomorrow morning, it’ll be third time.  Let’s hope it’s charmed and we get this inspection thing over with and we can be on our way.

We still have to get the car inspected but surely that’ll go better. It’s only two years old.

A dessert carry-in at the Refuge…oh the wonderful sweets and a chance to say our last goodbyes to much of the staff.

Steak night at Canoles with all of this years volunteers plus Dave and Wanda. Delicious and great fun.  We even carried the party on to Dairy Queen.  Quite the nightlife in Tivoli!

Dinner with a group of local volunteers. Fantastic gumbo and smoky cheese bread followed by more desserts.  All of it around a crackling campfire under a clear, star filled sky.

Valentines Day dinner with Brian and Johnna. It was a great chance to catch up before we head west.

I don’t think we will ever fully embrace being Texans what with the soaring humidity and long stretches of oppressive heat. Don’t forget the mosquitoes!  But, we certainly have met a lot of friendly, welcoming folks down here and that will likely keep us stopping back in every now and then.