Flaming debris!

I'm on my way to Big Bend National Park in Texas but stopped over for a couple of nights in Ft. Stockton. Tomorrow, I'll drive to Big Bend to see the park for the first time and will also check out the RV parks in that area. I'll come back to Ft. Stockton tomorrow night and then pack up and move Wednesday morning to a park closer to Big Bend.

The drive from Stonewall to Ft. Stockton was uneventful...almost. I was east of Ft. Stockton on I-10, just driving along and minding my own business when I was passed by a gang of about 6 or 7 motorcyclist, all riding one behind the other. As the last motorcyclist passed me, I noticed what appeared to be smoke coming from the bike. My first thought was the bike was burning oil but then I realized the smoke seemed to be coming from a nylon type of bag on the rear of the bike. It seemed unlikely to me that smoke would be coming from the bag itself so I didn't give it much more thought. Once the bikes were out of sight, they were also out of mind.

A couple of miles down the road, the driver ahead of me swerved to miss something in the middle of the interstate so I followed his lead and swerved also. As I passed by the object in the road, I looked at it and it appeared to be a T-shirt...that was on fire. It seemed unlikely to me that I had just seen a burning T-shirt in the middle of I-10...but that is certainly what it looked like. No sooner had I passed the flaming T-shirt when the driver ahead of me swerved once again, this time to avoid other flaming objects. I swerved also and once again, tried to get a good view of what was on fire this time. It appeared to be straps...or maybe a belt, I wasn't sure. Not a hundred yards further down the road was yet more burning stuff. This time it looked like it might be part of a bag of some sort...and then it dawned on me...it wasn't my imagination that the bag was smoking on the motorcycle that had passed me earlier, it truly was smoking and apparently, eventually, burst into flames.

Another couple hundred yards down the interstate, I saw 5 or 6 motorcycles pulled over to the side of the road and all the riders were gathered around one bike, a bike that appeared to be smoldering towards the back of the seat. They seemed to have the situation under control so I continued on my journey.

Another 2 or 3 miles down the interstate, I passed one more motorcyclist that had also pulled over to the side of the road. The rider was looking longingly back towards the east, the direction from where he'd came. He had a puzzled look on his face so it didn't take me long to figure out that this guy was the leader of the gang of motorcyclist...apparently a leader that didn't check his rear view mirror very often. He was wondering where the other riders were. I knew something that he didn't know...I knew the other riders were back about 2 or 3 miles, busily stomping out the burning bag that had been on one of the other motorcycles only a few minutes earlier.

I've posted 3 pictures this time. Imagine the 3 pictures side by side, with the top picture being on the left. That is the view from the RV park in Ft. Stockton, Texas. Need I say more?

Until next time.

The Willow City Loop!

This is on the Willow City Loop. When I was here 3 years ago, the distant field that you see in the valley floor was solid blue with bluebonnets. 

This is also on the Willow City Loop. It was late evening and the setting sun was casting that warm, orangish light on everything and creating those long shadows that I love so much. 

It's Saturday evening. Tomorrow, I'll start packing away all the things that I won't be needing until after the move so as to make things easier on myself on Monday morning. On Monday, by the time I have breakfast, shower, pack away all of the items that might bounce around and break while traveling, move the slides in, hitch-up the truck to the trailer, disconnect and store the water line, drain hose and shore power cord, about two and a half hours will have passed. I'm probably slower at doing all those things than most people would be, but that's just my nature. I wish I was an early riser but that's not the case either. So, even forcing myself to get up earlier than normal, it'll probably be at least 10:00 A.M. or even later, before I actually head out.

I've already reserved a space in Ft. Stockton, Texas, which is about 310 west of Stonewall. Barring any problems, it should be an easy day's drive. My actual destination is Terlingua, which is another 150 miles away. But, I decided that since I'm not familiar with that area, I want to check it out first before making longer term reservations. My plan is to spend the first night in Ft. Stockton and then, leaving my trailer behind, drive to Big Bend the next day to scout things out. Terlingua is very near the park border, so I'll get to check out their RV park at that time. If I like what I see, I'll drive back to Ft. Stockton, spend one more night there and then pack up and move again the next day. If I don't like what I see...well, I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

The last few days, I've kind of been in limbo, just waiting for moving day. This evening, I decided to go out one last time for pictures. I drove to the small town of Sandy...at least I think I did. I didn't really see anything that looked like a town, only one or two farmhouses. From there, I drove west to the Willow City Loop, a 13 mile scenic loop off highway 16, between Fredericksburg and Llano. I've been on the loop many times, but the wildflowers aren't doing much this year so, after only a few miles, I turned around and came back home. I took a couple of pictures on the loop and will share those with you.

Until next time.

Wrapping things up!

This is looking north on Highway 1623, just east of Stonewall, Texas.

Some old barns I found along the way. 

This is practically the same as the one from Highway 1623 above. The gate was open so I walked into the pasture to get this shot. 

I'll be spending just a few more days in the Fredericksburg, Texas area so I'm beginning to wrap things up. Yesterday, I finished a painting of some wildflowers and trees and considered starting another new piece but decided against it since the paint wouldn't have time to dry before I move. I'm still trying to work out some of the details of being a mobile artist and storing wet paintings is one of those areas that I'm still working on.

Over the next few days, I'm going to be varnishing some paintings so I can deliver them to the Whistle Pik Gallery before I leave this area. I'll also be taking care of all the little things that need to be done before moving, like doing laundry, shopping for groceries and making sure the truck and trailer are both ready for the move. My next stop will be at the Big Bend National Park but I still haven't decided which RV park I'll be staying in...actually, I haven't even decided which town I'll be staying in, much less which park. Nothing like waiting until the last minute!

This evening, I went for a drive towards Blanco, Texas. I took a few pictures along the way and will share them with you.

Until next time.

A change of plans!

Last few minutes of sunlight in the Cave Creek area.

Sunlight filtering down thru the trees.

This small store in the Cypress Mill area looked very tropical to me. 

The same store as seen from the east side. 

I love the louvered shutters!

Time is flying by! On this trip, I'd planned to stay in the Fredericksburg, Texas area for a month and already 3 weeks have come and gone. I can't believe that I'll be hitching up a week from tomorrow. I haven't accomplished nearly as much as I wanted to so I'd better get on the stick.

My original plan was to head east once leaving this area but I've already changed my mind. I've always wanted to visit Big Bend National Park so I've decided that, since it's only a couple hundred miles west,  I'm going to go there before heading east. I'm not certain yet which RV park I'll land in but there are several in the area to choose from.

I've put a few miles on my truck over the last couple of days and I've taken a few pictures along the way. Yesterday, just about sunset, I drove up to Cave Creek, a small town northeast of Fredericksburg. I stumbled onto a back road and took a few pictures just as the sun was setting. Today, I ended up northeast of Johnson City and found a cool old building that appeared to be no longer in use. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Until next time.

A whole herd of 'em!

This is south of Llano, in the Texas Hill Country!

A few wildflowers are blooming but the drought is taking it's toll.

The Longhorns checked me out as I checked them out.

And the Longhorn says " So, what do you think, guys? Should I gore 'im now"?

Once again, I went out for a drive on a country road recommended to me by a local artist. And once again, I found myself out in the boonies...miles and miles from anywhere. This dirt road had a  "washboard" surface, one of those that will jar your teeth right out of their sockets. I'm glad my truck didn't break down because it would've been a long walk out. And my phone wouldn't have been of much use since service is not normally available in these remote areas.

A few days ago, I posted one picture of a Texas Longhorn that I stumbled onto? That Longhorn was in the distance, so I had to zoom in just to get a picture. Well, on this trip, I stumbled onto an entire herd of 'em. They seemed gentle, even though their horns are scary looking.

Until next time.

Up the creek!

This is the southern crossing of the James River. I was able to pick my way through on the rocks so I didn't even get my feet wet.

And this is the northern crossing. I had to think about this one before going for it. 

This is an area just beyond the northern crossing.  I didn't really find anything interesting to paint along this road, however I did find a few interesting barns on my may to this area. 

Here's my trailer and truck in the Peach Country RV Park in Stonewall, Texas.

Actually, I wasn't up the creek, I was in the river...the James River. I'm not 100% certain that's the name of the river but I was driving along the James River Road, so I assumed it must be the James River. A couple of local artists told me that I should see that area, so I took their advice. The James River Road is in Mason County and can be entered from the north or south. I entered from the south and drove for miles and miles along seemingly abandoned dirt roads before finding it. I was out in the boonies, to say the least. I wasn't told that I'd have to cross the river...twice! The southern crossing was a breeze since I could see the bottom the entire distance. The northern crossing caused me some concern. I couldn't see the bottom and there wasn't a flood gauge to show the depth. The water was flowing slowly and my truck sets pretty high above the ground so I decided to go for it. I don't know how deep the water was but I made it across safely. If I had been in a car, I would have turned around. I took a few pictures along the way and will share some of them with you. I'll also post one picture of my trailer in the RV park in Stonewall, Texas.

Until next time.

Herding cows with my truck!

This is the Worm Moon rising. Honest, that's it's name, according to the Farmers' Almanac!

A beautiful sunset, between Stonewall and Fredericksburg, Texas.

GOOD LORD!!! What is that thang?!!! I knew the Longhorns had longhorns but I'd never seen any like this!

It's a rainy, dreary evening in Stonewall, Texas...again. It seems like it's been days since the sun has shone so I've just been hanging around my trailer, waiting for better weather so I can get back out and continue my search for subject matter. This area is in dire need of some serious rain but we've only been getting sprinkles for the last few days. They are predicting storms later tonight but, so far, it's still just drizzling.

About the only excitement that I have to tell you about is getting to use my pickup to herd some cattle! The other evening, I went out for a drive just before sunset and rounded a bend in the highway, only to see 8 cows in the middle of the road. I saw them early enough to where I was able to slow down safely and then, crept my truck slowly through them. With night coming on, I was afraid other drivers might not see them in time and drive straight into them at highway speeds. I called 911 and explained the situation to the operator, who said she'd send a deputy out to take care of it. I waited around with my truck flashers on to alert other drivers and soon, the deputy showed up, as promised. He asked if I was willing to help so, together, he and I were soon herding the cattle down the road. It was kind of fun, being able to drive my pickup from the ditch on one side of the highway, across the highway and into the other ditch and then back again, without being ticketed for it. The deputy finally told me that he had the situation under control and that I could leave. Rats! Just when I was having fun!!!

I haven't taken any photos lately, due to the weather, but I thought you might like to see some that I took a few days ago. Hope you enjoy them.

Until next time. 

The studio in my fifth wheel!

Welcome to my new studio! I have to admit my portable studio is small but I put a lot of thought into it and I'm finding it to be very functional. I keep it set up at all times...when I'm not trucking down the highway at 65 mph, that is. The studio takes up the majority of the living space in my fifth wheel, but that's okay. Being able to travel and paint is the whole reason for doing what I'm doing. The images that you see are somewhat distorted. That wasn't intentional...I simply didn't have enough room to back up any further to take the picture. The red stool is actually a drummer's stool. It's easy to take apart and store while moving and comfortable to sit on while painting. The painting on the easel is of a sunset on the Pedernales River and was completed today. I'll let it dry for 3 months, varnish and frame it and then send it to the gallery.

That's about it for now. See you next time!