The Trees of Arkansas

When we got into Arkansas, Adolfo and I were both surprised to see so many pine trees. Adolfo is a big fan of pine trees, and I remember them fondly from growing up in California. Texas has very few besides those found in Lost Pines State Park.

As we gazed at the beautiful pines, I noticed a lot of seemingly dead trees among the pines. Then, I looked down beside the roads and saw mounds of leaves. It hit me, we are missing the show. This area must have been incredible in the fall. We’re here at the wrong time, I thought.

But here and there I began to see trees that were covered with beautiful white flowers. These were stunning against the green pines, and Adolfo and I started looking for the perfect one to photograph.

Our attention was immediately drawn away from the white trees, when we caught sight of a huge bouquet of pink flowers disguised as a tree. I was truly blown away, this was perhaps the most beautiful tree I have ever seen. I fell in love. We saw these trees again in Little Rock. They surround the state Capitol—-What a scene!

Now, as we have moved to higher territory, I haven’t seen so many of the pink bouquet trees, but there are a lot of bright yellow and red bushes, other trees are covered with promising tiny red buds, and the dry, bare trees are showing signs of light green life.

Tricked the Birds

This morning we got up to the realization that the gray water tank in the trailer was full and we would have to go through the grueling process of hitching the trailer up to the truck just to go to the dump station and drain the disgusting sewer and gray water tanks.

So, we started the whole process:
1. Close all vents in the trailer.
2. Put everything away that might be shaken off tables, shelves, counters.
3. Turn off electricity.
4. Check that the refrigerator door is closed tight.
5. Lower the TV antenna.
6. Lift the steps.
7. Unhook the electricity.
8. Unhook the water.
9. Lift the trailer's stabilizing feet.
10. Attach the hitch to the truck.
11. Back up the truck to an exact spot where the hitch fits into the trailer (this generally takes at least 5 tries).
12. Attach five different chains, hooks, and cords.
13. Lower the jack.
14. Lift the spring arms.
15. Remove the chokes from the tires.
16. Pull out the truck's mirrors.
17. Drive to the dump station.
18. Attach the sewer hose.
19. Wait for the black water to empty.
20. Wait for the gray water to empty.
21. Detach the sewer hose.
22. Wash hands!

When we finished with the process and started thinking of reversing the process as we returned to our site, I noticed five robins scouting out our site. They must have been watching us and were sure we were leaving for good. They thought they would have plenty of time to find all kinds of crumbs, and they didn't seem at all interested in vacating the area for our return. Ha, I thought. The wild creatures were laughing at me the other day. Now is my turn.

The Sights and Sounds of Lake Ouachita

Lake Ouachita, Arkansas


Having seen a good bit of Hot Springs, Adolfo and I decided to visit the different lakes around the area—-Lake Catherine, DeGray Lake, and Lake Ouachita.

We got to Lake Ouachita as the sun was going down, so we stayed to watch the sun set over the lake. The sun lit the lake in a multitude of shades of pink, orange, and yellow. The colors darkened and got better and better by the moment.

Banks of Lake Ouachita

Even with all that beauty, I was fascinated with the sounds around us. We could see no creatures, but they were all there--and loud! Birds (or other invisible creatures) chirped loudly, the frogs followed with great guttural croaking, and as I looked to see if I could find the frogs, I’d hear a splash out of the lake. It was like they were right next to us, but we could see nothing.

From the corners of our eyes we could see fish jumping out of the water—thus the splash--but they were always gone when we looked their way. And small heads of who knows what would surface on the water and stay still like a log until you almost believed you were looking at a log. But, just then, the little creature would dunk back under water.

As we walked away from the lake, I thought I heard the sounds of laughing. Perhaps the creatures were all playing with us and laughing at the fact that we couldn’t see them, even though they had us surrounded.

Just a Little Pampering

Buckstaff Bathhouse
Hot Springs, Arkansas

After three days in Hot Springs, I finally got a hot bath! The National Park Headquarters explained that two of the bathhouses are in operation today, and only one of those offers the traditional bath. That made my decision quite simple—-I was headed for Buckstaff Bathhouse for a traditional hot bath. This one was sure to cure my cough and help me lose 60 lbs. Adolfo and I packed bags with swim suits, towels, shampoo, and soap—-all useless at the bathhouse. Men and women go off in different directions, and no accessories are needed.

So, here was the process for a woman’s whirlpool bath:

1. An employee of the bathhouse took me to the dressing room where I stripped and stored my clothing in a locker.


2. A second employee, assigned to me for the entire process, wrapped me in a sheet and took me to a private bathtub. A whirlpool contraption was attached to the tub and made the bath into a jacuzzi. I sat there for a good 10 to 15 minutes enjoying the comforting bath and wondering what a woman of the 1920s would have been thinking as she took a similar bath.


3. Julie, my helper, came back, again wrapped me in a sheet, and directed me to the sitz bath. This one is a small tub just big enough for my rear end. I sat there while my butt warmed for another few minutes before Julie returned with two cups of refreshing, cold water.


4. For the next step, Julie directed me to a box with a hole in the top just big enough to fit my head. This was a Texas summer in a box. I sat in that thing to sweat for way too long. I had to beg to get out before I fainted. This was probably the step in the process that was supposed to help me lose the 60 lbs., but just like most diets, I couldn’t stand it long.


5. Next, Julie took me to a room where I lay on a table for a good while, wrapped in hot towels. Julie was kind to me and gave me a cool towel for around my head.


6. The last step was a fantastic shower. This one had eight showerheads pointed at me from all angles. It was like getting a massage in the shower.

I was too cheap to order a real massage, but I felt quite pampered anyway. Now I’ve just got to convince Adolfo to install a whirlpool bathtub and an eight-head shower in the trailer. That won’t happen, but he did figure out how to get hot water in the trailer. I cannot complain about that.

The Forecast: Snow in Hot Springs

“The forecast is for snow in Hot Springs,” Adolfo read on Weather Underground.com.
“You think we should go?” I asked, wondering if we were ever going to get out of Texas.

We were bound to have to face snow somewhere. Why not now? So, with jackets and snowcaps on, we hitched the trailer in the rain and headed to Arkansas. In Texarkana we waved goodbye to Texas and set out for Hot Springs, the childhood home of William J. Clinton. Dark clouds followed us much of the trip, and it was raining steadily by the time we got here. But what could be better in cold weather than a city famous for hot baths?

Hot Springs seems to wind around the huge Lake Hamilton. At the end of the city is Hot Springs National Park where people once came from all over the country to cure their ailments in the bathhouses that line Central Avenue. Today only two bathhouses are operational, and the most luxurious bathhouse, the Fordyce, has been converted into the National Park Headquarters and museum. The place is amazingly beautiful with huge stained glass skylights and room after room of pampering splendor. The Fordyce Bathhouse opened in 1915 and must have been something else to experience. Although the National Park Service no longer claims to cure ailments with the ancient waters, we saw people at every water fountain in the park filling up gallon containers. Not sure if they just wanted good-tasting 4,000-year-old water or if they still believe the water has curing powers. We’ll just have to fill up our water bottles and find out.

It’s plenty cold here, but no snow yet—just plenty of rain. It rained all night and has rained most of today. Still, Adolfo couldn’t resist a two-mile hike to the waterfalls at the mouth of Lake Catherine—after all, the sun wouldn’t be too bright for photos. I wasn’t completely sold on the idea since it was cold and wet and I hadn’t planned for a hike. By the end, I had warmed up from the exercise, and the trail was beautiful, so I couldn’t complain. The trail followed the stream most of the way providing a beautiful scene and the sound of trickling water falling all around us. Since it was sprinkling the whole time, drips of water decorated the tips of tree limbs like diamonds. The entire trail was covered with leaves, and it was clear that this area must have been breathtaking in the fall. Finally, the waterfall was small, but gorgeous. Silt in the water gave the pool below the falls an unnatural blue color like you see in glacial areas. When we looked away from the waterfall, we looked into the mouth of Lake Catherine. Beauty all around.

Texas Oddities

One of my objectives for this trip is to find roadside oddities. While I haven’t been able to dedicate much time to this endeavor, I have found a few quirky attractions in Texas.


Terlingua Kitch
My first oddities were found in Terlingua. There we encountered Kathy’s Kosmic Kowgirl Kafe. The café consists of a school bus painted bright pink, tables made of cable spools, a small trailer with Betty Boop painted on the side, and another trailer for the kitchen. Unfortunately, Kathy's was closed when we arrived.

In the same dry desert area we found a home with a ship, the top of a submarine, and a statue of liberty out front. A sign over the entrance read “Passing Wind.”

Rest Stops for All
As we traveled from West Texas to the Dallas Fort Worth area, we took a break at a very nice rest stop. As we stretched our legs we noticed a fire hydrant that seemed to be singled out as somehow very important. We walked over and realized that it was a special rest area for dogs. A sign above the hydrant read “K-9 Comfort Station.”

Too bad we don’t have a dog.

Dallas Dino
As we drove into the Dallas area, we saw a lake on the map. Hoping to eat lunch on the banks of the lake, we drove into the community. Unfortunately, there was no access to the lake. However, we found a large dinosaur on the property of one house. The dinosaur’s mouth opened and closed and lights in its eye sockets glared. Nice.

Tourist Trap
Fort Worth’s historic stockyards are a major tourist attraction. This, of course, leads to some eccentricities. Here you can attend Cowboy Church, take pictures of your children riding a longhorn, ride an electric bull, or do any number of cowboy activities.

Cowboy Tower
Finally, in Paris, TX we found the Eiffel Tower. While it is not as tall as the cell phone towers of the area, this tower is much more interesting. It looks like the Eiffel Tower in France, but it has my figure—-wide at the bottom compared with its short height. At the top of the tower is a bright red cowboy hat. Perfect!

We’re looking forward to the peculiarities we can find in Arkansas!

Soup or Salad?

Back when I was in college I got a salad recipe that I loved. The recipe was for Oriental Coleslaw made from Ramen noodles. It was crunchy, healthy, and absolutely yummy. Over the years I lost the recipe and could not remember how the salad was made. As Adolfo and I packed up the kitchen when leaving Austin, I found an old piece of browned paper with the recipe on it!! Yeah! I decided to bring the recipe with us and surprise Adolfo with something new.

Adolfo is a big fan of Ramen soups. When I asked him to get a bunch of Ramen soup packages at the grocery store, he happily took off and brought back every flavor he could find. I was sure he would be pleased with the coleslaw recipe, too.

With renewed excitement I started the salad. I cut up the cabbage and green onions, poured in the almonds and sesame seeds, and began the dressing. Oh no, I didn’t have Accent or rice vinegar. Oh well, I substituted them with a bunch of different spices and Balsamic vinegar. Finally, I took out the Ramen noodles and started breaking them into the salad. Adolfo’s eyes grew big as he watched me shred his beloved noodles.

“What are you doing with those noodles?” He asked in an alarmed tone.
“I’m making a salad,” I responded.
“That’s disgusting! You’re wasting perfectly good noodles!” Adolfo couldn’t conceive of the idea that I was removing the noodles from the spice packet he calls “chemical goodness.”

I calmly continued with my salad, explaining that if he didn’t like it, I would buy him more Ramen noodles for soup. I had him watch as I put the “chemical goodness” in the pantry for future use. And I promised that if he found the salad to be unpalatable, I would make him soup tonight.

Adolfo was not happy when I sat the salad before him. He lectured me a bit on how I could have used something other than Ramen noodles to create a crunchy effect. I simply listened and watched him eat. He ate, but refused to admit that he liked the salad. When he finished, though, he asked for more.

“There’s more, but I think I’ll have it.” I answered to Adolfo’s surprise.
“Should I make this recipe again?” I asked.
Sheepishly, Adolfo responded, “Yes.”

I guess the salad was not too sacrilegious.

___________________

Oriental Coleslaw
by Betty Collier, North County Church of the Brethren

1 head of cabbage
1 small bag slivered almonds
1 small bag sesame seeds
8 green onions chopped
2 packages Ramen noodles

Dressing
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup salad oil
2 teaspoons Accent
6 tablespoons rice vinegar

Brown almonds and sesame seeds in small amount of oil. Watch carefully—they burn quickly.
Mix cabbage, onions, noodles, seeds, and almonds just before serving as they’ll get soggy.
Pour dressing over coleslaw.
Enjoy!


Recipe makes at least 8 servings.

Chewing on Sand

Monahans Sandhills State Park

Standing on top of a sand dune in a windstorm is a terrible and wonderful experience. Sand blows into your face and you find yourself eating sand, breathing sand, and crying sand. Still, the sensation of watching wind is amazing. The wind blows across the dune in waves, picking up the sand as it blows. In some cases the moving sand looks ghostly as it blows over the dunes. In other cases you feel you are being taken away in a sea of sand.

On a day without wind, this place might be filled with children riding the dunes. They rent snow sleds at the park headquarters. One group of children was here today, but for the most part we have the place to ourselves. And when standing on the dunes, you feel no one has ever been here before. Before you can pick the sand out of your nostrils, you look behind you and your footprints have been erased by the wind.

Walking around the dunes last night, Adolfo and I spotted several spots that looked like they would make good slides. We decided we couldn't miss the fun, so today I got a sled. We headed up a tall dune, and before I knew it the wind caught the sled and took it over two more dunes. I got a great work out running after it, but Adolfo was the hero. He caught it before it blew all the way to Odessa. We had a blast sliding down the dunes, but it didn't last long. It was hard work fighting the sand showers and lugging my fat ass back up those tall dunes. After a short while we trudged back to the campsite and emptied a dune of sand out of our shoes before going into the trailer.

I suppose tomorrow before we leave I will swallow more sand, laugh about it, and watch some more waves of wind before we take off for our next stop.

"Get a Job, Get a Life, or Get a Divorce"

March 8, 2010, Fort Davis, TX

While driving in Fort Davis, we passed by a store that sells brooms and walking sticks. Seems like a business that was doomed to fail, so I was curious why it was on a main street and why its name appeared on several tourist brochures. Adolfo was taking photos of yet another Airstream on a lot next door, so this was my chance to check out The Broom Shop.

The place looked more like a workshop than a store. Outside were stacks of tree limbs sitting like firewood, and inside was a lot of old equipment and a man sitting on a makeshift piece of equipment he was using to make a broom. Every broom in the store looked like it should belong to a classy witch. The handles were long and rustic--made from trees or from cholla. Rather than made of straw, these brooms were made from broom corn (sorghum) shipped in from South Carolina.

The real charm of the shop was the broom maker, Ron Cox. He is a real talker, and has a great story to tell. He was a master plumber in Bryan, TX before an accident caused him to quit plumbing. He kept busy raising a daughter, but when he started buying more toys than he needed, his wife told him to "get a life, get a job, or get a divorce." On his wife's suggestion, he took up broom making. I assume she didn't expect him to make a fortune at this, but probably expected him to keep busy and stop buying vehicles.

Ron, worked on 100-year-old Shaker broom making equipment until recently when he invented a new tool that allows him to work with curved sticks. The new tool retains the traditional style of broom making and has no motor.

Ron sells his brooms from his small store and to a distributor in Massachusetts. I can only assume that many are sold in the Salem area.

Ron was as happy to just chat as he was to sell brooms. In fact, there was no pressure what so ever. He told me the history of a broom maker in North Carolina who used sorghum to make a quick broom for his wife when he had run out of straw. His wife was so impressed that he started using sorghum in all his brooms. His business skyrocketed. A businessman from the north visited and asked the secret. Unwilling to tell, the broom maker called the sorghum “broom corn.”

Ron Cox didn’t seem to have many secrets. He was happy to show just how his brooms were made and to share stories of his family, his wife, and the many interesting customers he meets. He seemed to truly enjoy life and his work.

Land and Stars

The Davis Mountains aren't far from the Big Bend area, but the terrain has changed a bit. The mountains in Big Bend are jagged. Here they are rounded. As you look across the horizon, you see rolling mountains and much more green. The area remains dry desert, but there are many trees here-oaks, pines...etc. The cacti are somewhat different, too. A lot of agave here and many more cholla, but there are no ocotillo. It appears there was a fire here recently. The mountainside is charred, but the yucca seem to have survived. Some were burned down nearly completely, but now you can see green coming up. I was inspired by these yucca. Somehow they gave hope of new life. I found these to be beautiful.

The wild life has changed some, too. We still have javalina; I saw one this morning. Bun now we have deer. I took a shower this afternoon and sat outside at our picnic table to brush my hair as it dried. I heard a rustling behind me, and out came a deer. More rustling behind me, but I could only see a small deer back behind the trees. The mother stood and watched me a bit. Then she slowly walked to the next campsite. The small deer followed from behind the trees. The small deer only dared to come out when the mother was well away from me.

Yesterday Adolfo and I drove around the charming town of Fort Davis. It is very small, and seems to have very few grocery stores or other amenities. But, it is full of inns, hotels, bed and breakfasts, and RV parks. I guess others have found it quite charming as well. Sadly, the town is split in half as so many towns are. The more wealthy live on one side, the poor on the other. The poor section appears to be very poor. People live in very old and poorly maintained trailers.

This morning we took a tour through the McDonald Observatory. It was very interesting to see what a great piece of technology is located out here in nowhere land. Of course, it makes perfect sense that it is here because there is little here. There is very little light pollution. There are quite a few observatories on these mountains. The newest is the HIT which was built in the late 1990s.

Quilting Among the Wild

Taking life slowly pays off. Adolfo and I just returned from a hike to a small spring. The spring was beautiful and surprising in this desert. Still, we were both burning from the hot sun, and were glad to get back to the trailer for some rest. After cooling off a while, I went outside to do some quilting on the picnic table. While I quilted quietly, I listened to all the activity around me. Adolfo and I seemed to be the only humans in the campground, but there were plenty of other creatures.

The birds sang to me in many languages. A woodpecker played the drums. Off to the side of me I heard a lot of rustling in the bushes. I assumed it was javelinas since I’d seen several in the campground yesterday. But when I looked to my left a large coyote was just 30 feet away. It was regal with a long bushy tail. I watched it for a while as it made its way to the open campsite beside us. It scoped out the site a bit, and then it slowly crossed the road and went off behind the restrooms. I went back to quilting. In less than five minutes, the coyote came running out chasing another coyote. They fought, or played, a bit and then ran back off the side of the campground.

Getting back to my quilting, I was aware of a dove scampering around me on the ground. It was followed by a bright red cardinal. They both disappeared under the trailer.

I decided that Adolfo was missing out on this wonderful experience I was having, so I went into the trailer to Invite him out. While talking to him, I looked out the opposite window of the trailer. There I saw twelve javelinas grazing on the campground grass a few campsites down. Both of us grabbed our cameras and went down where the javelinas were. Other humans had found their way to the site as well. There were five humans with cameras and twelve wild pigs that didn’t mind our presence one bit. The only indication that they noticed us was that their fur spiked up when we made a loud noise. We watched them some time and returned to our campsite. Within a half hour, the javelinas were down grazing at our site. We had fourteen of them. They came very close to me and I thoroughly enjoyed watching them as they dined.

Borders

Adolfo taking yet another photograph along the Rio Grande

Last time we visited Big Bend was several years before 9/11. At that time we visited the small town of Santa Elena on the Mexican side of Rio Grande. We were surprised that the border was completely open for people to cross. At the crossing point there was a sign that let you know that you were leaving the US and that you could not enter Mexico with firearms…etc. A man in a small boat picked you up on the shores of the Rio Grande and rowed you across to Santa Elena.

The town of Santa Elena consisted of no more than two streets. People served food from their homes or sold souvenirs. There was a school with a museum that housed the work of the children and a dinosaur bone. A church sat on one of the streets and a small plaza was in the middle. We ate at a woman’s house. She had a typed menu that offered tortillas de maiz or de urina. We got a kick out of the error, but ordered corn tortillas just in case the flour tortillas actually contained urine. The day was an important one for Mexico; it was election day, and Vicente Fox was running as the PAN candidate. The PRI had been in power for more than 70 years, and the people of Santa Elena laughed when Adolfo suggested that the PAN candidate might win. “No way. The PRI always win,” they retorted. They were wrong this time—the PAN actually won, and Vicente Fox became president. This was big history in Mexico, but Santa Elena was much more affected by the events of 9/11 in the United States.


Because of events in New York and Washington, D.C., the lives of the people of Santa Elena and Boquillas del Carmen--the other town across from Big Bend—-have changed completely. With the crack down on border towns, the border crossings have been closed. No longer can U.S. citizens visit the small towns, and the people of those towns cannot cross into the U.S. where they purchased food and supplies to survive. Now it is a four-hour drive to a Mexican town of size where they can buy food and other supplies. The citizens of Santa Elena and Boquillas aren’t even allowed to sell their artesanias at the banks of the river. They leave their articles there with a small jar for your money, but this is illegal, and they could get into trouble as could the Americans who purchase the contraband walking sticks, beaded creatures, or other items.

Yesterday I spoke with a resident of Study Butte who owns a quilt shop. She said the border issue is a very sore spot with people on both sides of the border. The economy on both sides was affected. Stores on the American side relied on the business of Mexicans who freely traveled up here to purchase supplies, and people on the Mexican side relied on tourism from the park. The border closing also broke up families. Some members of families lived on this side of the river and others lived across the river. I remember that people on the Mexican side owned cars that they left on this side to get around once across the river. I wonder what happened to those cars.

It’s sad when governments make decisions that so totally affect the lives of people just for political gain. I cannot imagine that this area would ever be a threat to the U.S. Terrorists or other trouble makers would be singled out very quickly in such small communities where everyone knows each other. The woman at the quilt shop was so angry about the situation that she said she will not vote for incumbents again.


Me, Mom, and Dad on the banks of the Rio Grande near Boquillas

The Desert

As we drive around Big Bend, my eyes are naturally drawn to the mountains that fill the horizon with such glory. Some mountains appear to be fuzzy with yellow grasses growing as cotton balls up the mountainsides. Other mountains are pure rock jutting straight up from the earth. Belts of red, orange, and yellow encircle some mountains and pour sands of the same colors down the sides.

The desert landscape is much more than mountains. Looking across the horizon, the land is dotted with prickly pears of many different types. Some contain yellow spines, others red. Still others have no spines at all but instead have furry brown polka dots. My favorite are the scandalous Pepto Bismo-pink prickly pears that create a spectacle where they grow.

The smoky ocotillos reach for the sun. Small red buds appear as nail polish on their finger tips. The chollas are indecisive. They begin growing out in one direction but change their minds and turn around as if they see something new in another area of the desert.


Short and tall yucca look like characters in a Dr. Seuss book with spiked hair and grass skirts.


To my surprise, the branches of a dry bush with ugly big spines appear to be lined with a hint of red against the blue sky. As the sun goes down in the evening, the light catches the green pads of the prickly pears and they light up against the mountains.