The RV Park has quieted down. Many of the people that come in are passing through or just here for a few days. Carly, the lab and John, Chico, the Schipperke and Connie, Buddy, the Jack Russellmix,and “V” and Gary are still here. The dog community has been fun to watch develope.  They hang out with each other just like we do.

We have known Mike and Crystal for many years. Today we are actually going to their home. When trying to find out where they lived, Jim asked how far from his shop did they travel. Mike said 45 minutes. Jim said that isn’t what he asked, he wanted to know how far? Mike said he didn’t know. All he knew is it took 45 minutes to get home. Not only were we going out to see their home which they built we also will see a painting we commissioned Crytal to paint. At Desert Sports we get Mike and head out. Boy Howdy, what a drive it was. Up and downwind creeping along narrow ways where there was rock on one side and a sheer drop off on the other.

Their home is off the grid. Solar power and water catchment system. This life style fascinates me. I keep thinking of how completely self sufficient are they.

Solar Panels on the roof. The back of the house in into the earth. Nothing like a outdoor fresh air toilet. Also shots of their kitchen and shower. Pretty neat place.

The main reason for our trip out was to see the painting Crystal has been working on for us. Wow is it pretty! Oh and Kaylo is always the poser.

We are ready to head back home. Mike will drive back to Desert Sports, Doogie riding shotgun. Little guy gets quite a workout today going over the rocky roads. Later in the evening he doesn’t move a muscle.

Dropping Mike off at the shop we head back to RV Park. The Long Draw is a pizza place that has been around for a very long time. We have never stopped there and decided tonight was a good time have pizza. When  we walk in there are lots of long tables. Trying to decide where to sit a fellow tells to sit with them. His name is Carl and his lovely wife Vonna. They live in Comfort and down here for a Jeep rally. This was a great evening. Listened to their stories and a mighty tasty pizza. We recommend stopping by for one when your near Terlingua.

It rained last night! Rain is highly valued here. Everyone watches their rain gauges. We talked with Mike and they got about 3/10 of an inch. It doesn’t sound like much… With his catchment system they were able to get. Today was a lazy day and later in the afternoon we rode down to th Warnock center. It is named after Barton Warnock. He was a professor at Sul Ross University in Alpine Texas. He was a prolific collector of plants and many were named after him. The center is the eastern entrance to Big Bend State Park. He passed away May 9,1998. The center will eventually house his 1,600 plants he pressed during 1979 to 1989.

Today a  road ride to Desert Sports which is on the east side of Terlingua. The road is long and windy with lots of climbs. On to the shop. Doogie is there and he is quite at home. He could really get use to life as a desert dog and there is Kaylo in the corner.

Tuesday Cystal is playing with Katie and Clem at the Starlight. We had to go watch them perform. V and Gary joined us. There was a film crew there. Working on an article for some publication. Never did find out which one.

This afternoon we ran into John and Carly. They were taking John’s mom back to Midland for her to catch a flight back to Kansas City. She came down to play golf at the Lajitas course. It supposedly is a world class golf course. Being in the desert you don’t see the plush green landscape found on most golf courses. We were disappointed that she was leaving. We thought we would have her for a week.

One of my favorite things to do in the morning is to sit on the stoop of the trailer with a cup of coffee and the Doogster.

There was so much wood left over from when everyone was here for the mountain bike festival I decided the day before to invite our RV friends over for a cookout and sit around the fire. Jim giving everyone tips on grilling hamburgers and chicken. The top photo has Connie and Keith. He lives here in the winter. Goes back to Minnesota works like crazy, then back here to be a handyman at the park. The photo below has Dorothy. She grew up on the Crawford ranch north of here. They have had kind of reunion and went to the ranch. There are a lot of buildings and old homestead there. Terry is her son and Susan, Terry’s wife are sitting with Dorothy.  Janna, Dorothy’s daughter is sitting with Connie and Keith.

John and Carly came later and a new Friend Frank with his pup dog Phoebe.

Today we pick up the painting. We are excited to get it home. At the shop one last photo with Crystal and Kaylo. When we get it back to the trailer we hang it in front of the TV. We text her since we don’t have any reception we have decided to watch the painting.

It’s Friday night and we are at the Boat House a photo to send to four friends at Rockfish and a photo of our bartender, Sierra. She was born here and raised in Big Bend. Her father was a park ranger. She described growing up here. It was her and her sister and for a short while a little boy. Other than that the area they lived in that was it. She said she learned to play on her own. Said her mom was always finding bugs, snakes, mice and spiders in her pockets. Her mom dreaded putting her hands in Sierra’s jean pockets  when she did laundry.

Today will be our last day in Lajitas. We eventually do a road ride west. Me on my road bike and Jim on his electric bike. Well little did we know we had a tail wind. We went out 12 miles and headed back. The climbs are harder going back in and the head wind made it really a lot of work.  Every time we ride we see something new. This year the bluebonnet so are awesome. These were about 2 feet tall. The hole in the rock above we had never noticed. The sign about the climb has to wrong we all swear it has to be 18%. We were really glad to get back to the trailer.

With plans to  go to the Long Draw for pizza with V, Gary and John. The plan was to go on in to Studey Butte to the Cinnabar Theater to watch the play “Reefer Madness”. It’s an interesting movie. Produced in 1936 by a church organization to warn parents the evils of Cannabis. It later was brought out in the 1970’s and became a cult movie. Well we got to talking  at the resturant and decided it was better to drive a short really dark drive back to the park, than go into Studey Butte and have an even longer really darker drive home. The inside of the Long Draw is not the fanciest, but the pizza is defiantly worth the drive. I asked Nancy if I could take her photo she really didn’t reply and she didn’t really pose, so I did get a quick shot of her taking Mr. jimmy’s money.

This morning we a packing up to head for Arizona.  Everyone is here to say “See you later!” We have a neat little neighborhood developing in Lajitas. We look forward to next year. Everyone be safe in your travels. I have two photos of the group. One  Connie is in it and the second has Gary in it.

But first we head to Marfa. We have a quest. We are going to se the Marfa lights. There are a lot of theories about the lights. Marfa is also known for the location of the movie Giant. Years ago Jim and I stayed in the Paisano Hotel. It was terribly ruin down and when  went to dinner the clerk told us to be sure to lock the front door when we came back. We did and then we wandered the hotel. We were all over that place the kitchen, basement, banquet rooms. The best We could figure, we were the only ones in the hotel. It has been bought since then and is quite lovely now.

If you have not been to the Big Bend area or West Texas you may not have heard of the Marfa lights. It is an interesting phenomenon. Jim and I went to the viewing area years ago. It was so chilly sitting in the van we finally went back to the hotel.  Fast forward to now much has changed. The high school students were able to set in progress the building of a viewing area and lots of information areas. Really a nice arrangement. We are set up and ready to watch. This time we won’t get so cold.

Stay tuned. Are the lights for real?!