7th Generation Texian: A LITTLE ROAD TRIP

Well, needed a break from work, so my buddy Jeff and I went to the ranch to check on things, all looked normal. The water catchment was full, and it has rained enough that the wildflowers are going nuts for a change. Wanted to make sure my Thompson T1 .45 rifle was still working, so ran about 50 rounds through it, it was flawless as expected.
These are between Sheffield and Dryden Tx.

While stopped to take this photo, I kicked a broken Dr Pepper bottle in the grass, wish it hadn't been broken, I would have kept it, research shows it's a 1959 vintage bottle.

Found this colorful lizard at the ranch.

Lots of stuff blooming, I have to id this..............

About 8 miles or so east of Marathon Tx, where the antelope play... but they don't want you to take their picture.

This pasture was stunningly beautiful yellow flowers, there are so many yellow wildflowers, I quit trying to id them, and just call the DYF's, ( damn yellow flower ).

Blackfoot daisy, and what my mom called Sweet William were in abundance as well.

Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park from or hotel courtyard in Old Terlingua Ghost town, it was a beautiful sunset, star gazing night, and sunrise.
You need to make time to run out there sometime, the place is really full of good hard working folks, and they are thankful to see you as your tourist dollars fuel their economy.

Have never seen this before, will have to id it as well.

Mule Ear Peaks in the park from Terlingua.

Older fella on a moped driving by us where we had stopped by the Terlingua Cemetery to look for a misplaced set of sun glass's.

By the way, Big Bend Bluebonnets, as I have heard them called, grow about 3 to 4 feet tall, in comparison with our central Texas variety, which grow about 12 to 18 inches, were having a great spring due to the rain of late. I got some seeds, and will put them out at the house, and see how they do.

Hoodoo's........reminds me of John Wayne's qoute in North to Alaska...................

Yes, that's Mexico across the water.

We went up FM170 from Presidio to Ruidosa Tx, and then on to Candelaria, and back to Pinto Canyon road that goes north to Marfa. It started raining HARD about the time we turned north to Marfa, and I have NEVER been on Pinto Canyon Road ( 28 miles of gravel, rocks, etc ) when it rained. We left Ruidosa and were at about 2700 ft elevation, and when we came out on the plateau south of Marfa we were at almost 6000 ft.
Let me warn you that when it rains in Pinto Canyon, that dirt, turns into some kind of slime, dirty, wet, tire sucking, unrelenting, quagmire, black, rocky, volcanic nasty mess.............
Yes, it was ugly, but they needed the rain, and I'm proud for them, but it's a good 300 foot drop off a sheer canyon edge in a LOT of places, and on a incline, and then a decline up and down switchbacks, it is a harrowing experience but we made it ! The canyon looked the best I remember in about 30 years or so.