New Year’s Day 2012
Driving south from Tulsa, we plan to slowly head for, Austin,TX.
UPDATE, UPDATE! Plans have changed! We are now undertaking a major, fast road trip — 500 miles to Houston, Texas. The Houston Texans just earned a wildcard berth in the NFL play-offs, so we are headed south to Reliant Stadium in Houston to tailgate one more time this season. (If we get there, and can prepare ourselves, it will make an even 10 stadiums we have visited in the two years we have been on the road.) South of Tulsa, we made a quick stop in a small town to shop for a loaf of bread, a couple of bricks of Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar, and few bags of salad and then we continued on.
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Bought some sandwich makings here...where is everybody? |
This rapid rate of travel is a complete change from the start of 2011
when it took us almost two weeks to make our way to Atlanta, Georgia from Washington DC. (a little over 600 miles)
Sometimes, like today, we do find ourselves driving hundreds of miles to a destination. Normally it is something we prefer not to do but today, on the first day of 2012, it feels energizing. Driving south towards Houston, we are passing through miles of golden fields where the foraging black angus share grain with the 1000s of lifting, dropping and folding starlings...
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Angus or Brangus in a field |
As we pass along the back roads, the weathered, crooked electrical poles with their old green glass insulators look like they have been standing beside the road since rural electrification came to this prairie land.
We are no longer in “Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain...” All the time.
...and we have passed Denison, Texas and sadly not stopped in town.
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A watcher last spring |
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Today, we watch... |
When we stayed there, by the Red River on the Oklahoma/Texas line last spring, we would constantly observe people coming to park and just stare at the river for a while. Many of the same people came each morning. This behavior is something we have also observed along the salt water impoundment's on the DelMarVa peninsula, as well as in parking lots by the ocean in Chincoteague, Merritt Island NWR and along the Gulf Coast south of Galveston. People, mostly men, just drive up and sit in their cars looking at the water. Some may drink a cup of coffee or read the newspaper... they stay maybe an hour then drive away.
Today we are those people; the watchers. Not planning a detour, we still left the highway and drove to the hill above the Red River where we had camped last year. We parked and looked silently at the river for a while. The trees were bare and we were the only watchers we saw.
One of our favorite things to do, when driving back roads, is to collect homilies from the signs in front of little rural churches, such as:
“THERE IS A WAY IN A MANGER”
“PRISONER PACKAGES TOOTHBRUSHES/TOOTHPASTE NEEDED”
“JOIN US - FILL A PEW”
“HE LOVES YOU WHEN NO ONE ELSE WILL”
“ARE YOU PRO LIFE OR PRO DEATH?”
“GOD RESTED AND SO SHOULD YOU - SEE YA SUNDAY”
“PRESENT CHOICES DETERMINE FUTURE REWARDS”
We tend to have conversations with these church signs as we drive along...
Driving on some Interstates, it seems that adult book and video stores are advertised at every exit1.
WHISPERS NIGHT CLUB
FABRIC FREE DANCERSADULT XXX
LARGEST SELECTION ADULT TOYS IN SOUTH
BOOBIE BUNGALO
I would like to mention that the road from Dallas to Houston left much to be desired in terms of beauty or interest, although, with so many signs promoting prime bulls, I did learn about Brangus Cattle2. (Especially the “functional females”)
We have passed the fields of contour plowing and the hills covered with farm machinery, “Used and New,” for sale; and are now in a campground about a mile from Reliant Stadium in Houston getting ready to tailgate. (Making special P&P football cards for the Houston fans and creating the overdue window collage for Arrowhead Stadium)
Happy New Year to everyone from the highway and the byway... Make plans to visit us somewhere.
1 The signs quoted are from our driving the past few weeks.
2 This from the Department of Animal Science at Oklahoma State University: The Brangus breed was developed to utilize the superior traits of Angus and Brahman cattle. Their genetics are stabilized at 3/8 Brahman and 5/8 Angus.
The combination results in a breed which unites the traits of two highly successful parent breeds. The Brahman, through rigorous natural selection, developed disease resistance, overall hardiness and outstanding maternal instincts. Angusare known for their superior carcass qualities. They are also extremely functional females which excel in both fertility and milking ability.
500 miles - yikes you two! Happy New Year and special thanks for the church signs collected. What is it about the south? Born there, love so much about it and glad to be living in DC with so many like minded folks.
Cindy
Happy new year! I spent the weekend in your old haunt, NYC, so exciting, so full of people, so ultimately exhausting! What a contradiction to the spaces wide open in Texas.
Ilo-Mai
When I was in TX I saw a Church sign that read "We're not Dairy Queen, but We Have Great Sundays!"
Nashville awaits you always!
Memphis Feb 1,2,3,4 - 2012!
Jake
Have fun in Texas, I hope they win.I like all the favorites this weekend. Next wee is another story. If you have a fax # send it to me so i can send you the whole pool. See you, HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Tony
