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Hi ~ well, we are back in Arizona, homeward-bound.
We left the windy beach on Mustang Island and drove through more flat country with lots of little towns offering accommodation for oil-field workers. Overnighted at Uvalde then got into some really pretty hilly country ~ lots of tall, rocky formations. It was good to get into some different scenery after months in flat lands. We had a nice 3 days at Davis Mountain State Park, good weather and lots to see. As you can see in the photos we were lucky enough to have a herd (?) of javelinas trot right past our trailer! There were also some deer who went begging up to the door of the trailer a couple of sites up from us. There is a restored adobe building that is now a hotel and restaurant where we had a nice dinner. Just a few miles up the road is the MacDonald Observatory where we went for a "star party"- we sat outside while an astronomer pointed out constellations and planets with a laser pointer (yes, it was powerful enough for us to see what he was pointing at) and we even saw the International Space Station pass overhead. Then we got to look through 5 telescopes at planets and star clusters (looked like a small cloud to the naked eye and thousands and thousands of stars through the telescope) then the moon where you could even see 2 places where the astronauts landed!! Jupiter was clear enough to see the bands and it's moons. Also close to the Park is Fort Davis which was active from 1854-91, the soldiers mainly guarding travellers from the Apache. It hasn't got the palisade around the outside like you see in the movies because it never was attacked.
We left Davis and went only 40 miles to Balmorhea State Park, which we had heard was really nice. Well, I guess that was because it has a pool formed by a natural spring and if the weather was hot enough you could swim. The water is 72-76 degrees, certainly not warm enough for me!! There were quite a few scuba divers (it's about 20ft deep) doing their certification. Nothing really there so after 3 nights off we went ~ drove 2 days through New Mexico and now are at Roper Lake State Park in Arizona. After all that time in Texas we never got to see one Texas longhorn! The lake here is man-made and the water level is quite low due to the 12-year drought cycle they are in. There is a golf course nearby ~ have gone to the driving range and plan to play tomorrow. It is VERY windy today so hope the wind drops tomorrow.
Tess news ~ well, her claws don't like the dry air and playing on soft surfaces so 3 of them split! Took her to the vet today to have them cut back and found out that she has a problem with her kidneys that probably is only due to her drinking a lot (?due to the change to the dry desert air) ~we have to monitor how much she has to drink now and hopefully she will be fine.
Hope all is good with you ~ would love to hear from you.
Take care,
Love ,
Malcolm and Elinor (and the nice clean, just bathed puppy)
- comments
LIz Jordan It has been delightful and so interesting to get your updates on your travels Elinor. I think Mr Lionel Warner (astronomer extraordinaire) who was our Science, then Maths teacher but taught us mostly astronomy would be proud of you and your descriptive fascination with the universe.
Christine Ya'll having a good time we can tell! Enjoy your trip home and can't wait for skype catch up. Love Christine & Arthur