DAY THREE: Alpine (May 17)
The day got off to a bad start with the cat hiding behind the sofa and not coming out when we were ready to leave. I tried everything and could not get him, could not reach him, and didn’t want to let the sofa down like SO told me to do. It would not have worked anyway. But neither did the broom I used to try to sweep him out. My SO got scratched trying to help. It’s a little tiny space and you cannot reach back there because of the awkward way you have to lean your head against the wall, aside from the fact that you also need to be double-jointed to thrust your arms into the space from that direction. Hard to explain but trust me. I was so frustrated and angry, sweating like a pig before I thought to open a can of cat food. Out the silly thing trotted. I scooped him up and shoved him the carrier. We were literally idling in the driveway with everything loaded, including the dog. I stayed hot for a while, and the cat was horrible most of the way to Alpine.
We stopped at Langtry to go through the Judge Roy Bean exhibit. This whole trip is a sort of revisitation of a trip I took when I was ten with a favorite uncle and aunt. The Roy Bean buildings have been worked on a lot since 1963. A botanical garden has been added. We walked across the street to buy a bag of rock candy -- I had bought a bag of rock candy when I was 10. This new one was half as much candy and four times more money than the 1963 bag. Plus, the original bag had been cloth or leather with a little drawstring. This one was just cellophane and staples.
We arrived in Alpine just ahead of a hailstorm. SO finished setting up the trailer outside, maybe two minutes before the storm struck. It was full of thunder and lightning, quite exiting. We stayed under a tornado watch for the rest of the day. He watched TV, a little nervously, while I took a nap in the bedroom. The altercation with the cat this morning has changed the cat’s whole outlook. He has spent the entire day hidden behind the sofa. Poor thing. I feel bad about how ugly I was to him, shouting and sweeping him with a broom.
We went out for pizza. When we got back I did some laundry. The sun went down and the air cooled. Alpine is such a clean little town. I rarely have the feeling that I could live in a place, but I feel that way about this town. There are book stores and art galleries on nearly every corner. They're building a big new public library. My SO commented that people in Alpine must actually READ. Almost any time there's a university in a town, Sul Ross State University, it makes for a more literate population, but Alpine is still a small town, about the size I consider desirable.
Onward ...
DAY FOUR - Fort Davis & a Star Party
This was the best day yet. We got up early, had breakfast in the trailer, and drove to Marfa. The scenery was better than I have been led to believe, and we passed the place on the highway where people gather to watch for the mysterious Marfa lights. I had done some research on them and decided that they were way too irregular to count on, so we have decided to skip them.
When we arrived in Marfa the St. Mary cathedral was ringing their bells. It was noon and the bells rang on and on. I did not recognize the song, not being a Catholic or at all religious, but it was moving and I enjoyed it, reminded me of bell songs I'd heard in France.
While in Marfa we walked around the town square and into the old Paisano Hotel. It is still a lovely place with a plaza and fountain, rough hewn beams in the lobby, and a wall of signed publicity photographs of all the members of the move “Giant,” which was filmed there 50 years ago.
From Marfa we headed to Fort Davis to see the old historical park. We stopped for a barbecue sandwich at a place just outside the park gates. Was pretty good, but the service was lousy. We asked for a to-go cup for our tea and were really glad later that we did that. It is hot and dry in this country.
Fort Davis historical park was one I remembered from the trip when I was 10. They’ve done a lot more restoration since then, and even though it was hot, I think my SO really enjoyed the afternoon. We were able to take the dog with us, and she also seemed to enjoy herself. She loves to walk on a leash, and kept leading us down this path and that one. She drank a bowl full of water when we got back to the Suburban
Then tonight, around 8:00, we left for the McDonald’s Observatory to attend a Star Party. We had read about them on the internet. Anyone can attend, and it’s just $10 per person, a real bargain. I had tried to back out, being tired from our busy day, but my SO insisted we go, saying that it was something we would probably never get back there again to do. I'm so happy he persisted.
The Star Party begins in the amphitheater behind the visitor’s center. A presenter discusses the origins of the study of astronomy, and then with a powerful laser pointer, begins to point out things in the sky above us. First was Venus, then Saturn, then from there he went on to some of the better known constellations, and then to the more obscure. While he was making his presentation, the International Space Station came over, and he pointed that out to many oohs and aahs. The sky above the observatory is so huge and absolutely clear, the only light pollution came from the quarter moonshine.
After the presentation, we moved down the walkway where there were several telescopes set up, aimed at a particular object in the heavens. Lines began to form, and the first one we got to was pointed at Saturn with all its rings. Next came Venus, then two views of the moon, a star cluster, and finally another galaxy, Maffei1, a spiral galaxy that is close to ours. It was fascinating and the conditions were just perfect. We drove back to Alpine elated by the experience, dodging wild javelina and mule deer that kept trying to cross the road in front of us.
Onward .....
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