“Broke Down South of Dallas” (Junior Brown)

Big Bend National (Tuesday 1/9) 

And for a a bit of toe tapping: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3LK1Mt3CZA 

So a bit of catch up. High drama day was getting up at 5 AM (1/9) after we had to stay over in San Marcos TX  to get to a dealership who agreed to install a part (sensor) I found by luck along the way (outside of Jackson MS …yes the very same Johnny Cash song)…   we ain’t messing around. A few hours of hand wringing sitting in a dealership the size of Logan Airport (I’m the only one masked). Got the truck back at 10:30 and was back to pick up Luann and Lucy Rose. Off immediately to a nasty highway travel through San Antonio to a southern secondary road Route 90 west (still 75mph). Our goal was to get to Amistad Reservoir (Rio Grand) on Mexican US border where we could camp for the night a short 4 hour day’s drive (and after the anxiety of waiting for the check engine light to reappear, that is about as far as I could drive). Lucy again did great in arduous circumstances as there were 15 boon dock sites at the river and 12 had dogs: yes they all seemed to want to guard their turf. 

                                75MPH and the boat was shaking! Worth the risk of passing. 

Today, ah today, might seem like a lifetime ago we left our home in snowy Buckland, but it has been only eight days. The real vacation, ya know the kind you pay for… arriving and getting a rental and seeing the sights… well this is that day for us. It was worth it. It's really starts now. What was in my head (not the drive here) but being here. It is QUIET….  loud quiet. Stars…. lots of them until your neck hurts. And best of all, the feeling of being actually in touch with the planet one is walking on. In the raw. My feet, the ground, the sky. Be where your feet are. You can’t imagine what you start thinking about. 

My sister Elizabeth had been to Big Bend last year and gave us some good insights as to what to expect. Also she had taken a tour of the very “Off Grid Earth Bag House”  (a link to which is in the first few posts) that we will stay in for a few days between our stay in BB National and The BBSRP (TX) for 9 days remote. This will be a great resting up and regrouping time. But that is in a couple days. Another shout out is to another two WTW FWC fellows who actually live two towns over in Conway, MA. Jack and Dani. Thank you for all your foreknowledge of the Big Bend, your pointers and advice. Gave us a real place to base how to plan. I am now in awe of your EV trip out here as well. A lot of planning must have happened before. 

Right now as I type my view:

I sit in my Kermit chair watching how the light/shadows change in this incredible desert with mountains all around. We are at the remote campsite (Pine Canyon 4) where it is as quiet as our home but way different. We can see forever it seems. DRY. 4,137 feet elevation. Vegetation to be careful of and thankful for no Rattlesnakes as they should be hibernating (tarantulas…not sure). The day is hot to my standard, 75. Makes a fair skinned man get out the big hat. Lucy is so glad to be able to spend the last few hours laying on a sand mat fast asleep. Her vacation starts now too.

Rob's 'beer decanter' .. have to take the fizz out.... aging not so gracefully.

I can see the geology all around and it is crazy different from what I am used to, I wish I knew more. I am so out of my clime and place that I have to dig into those guide books. I have seen two big birds I can’t name and strangely happy I can’t look it up on the internet. Gawd help us we are cut off from BIG brother!!!! So I’ll peck away at this when it is dark and I’m not wasting valuable looking around time stuck with a keyboard. This is when it is nice having the Eagle Four Wheel Camper on the truck. Compared to the road barns we see being hauled into the wild so folks can watch a big screen video at night, it is tiny. But it is packed with battery power, fridge, heater, solar, lights and a queen sized bed to sleep on. 

I must also venture into the descriptions of outback camping in desert. Gone are the days of “scratch-holes” and leaving “Charmin Lillies” that quite frankly are soooo not communitarianism in action. What one does not want is to show up in a spectacular earth location, probably unique in the universe, only to find the above unmentionables. LEAVE NO TRACE., Pack it out. That also means no piling of rocks into some spiritual tower. What that does is to be invasive. Those who do it are putting themselves into the place. When they leave what does that say to the next person. Let that person see what was naturally there not what someone else left behind. Leave it cleaner than you found it and not rearranged. 

So back to the nuts and bolts. Toiletry. All earth creatures have a daily part of the life cycle. Humans though are somewhat unique. We concentrate our waste (as do porcupines). So in our little Camper we have currently two systems to be hopefully upgraded to a composting toilet next year.  Currently we have the marine ports potty inside. This would give us a 7-10 day’s use. It is only for emergency situations where we are in a ‘peoplely’ areas or it is raining heavily. Where we are now there are strict Fed standards (good) that do not allow scratch-holes, one must carry out (like a spelunker) all waste. We have a fold up seat that separates the liquid from solids. Solids in a ‘wag bag’ (corn plastic so as to dissolve fast) and the liquid into a sealable plastic container. Both are sealed and brought out to the area center and disposed of in a way that does not screw up what we came here to see. A good idea and only curmudgeons would resist on stupid grounds. We are many; twice as many as when I was born. Saw stupid, now see two! Gotta protect our planet’s gems from our humanly destructive ways. So sayeth the (Rob) Lord.

Sifting through the plethora of digital photos takes time after shooting too many. But in the evening when the sun has gone down but the  stars aren’t out yet one can peck away at them. Then there is cribbage and rummicube (one of my mom’s favorites). They are the only small games to bring along for those rainy days or boring camp sites. Weight of everything is an issue. Wine bottles for instance… all that glass weight for 4 portions of wine. Beer only in cans which is ok as long as there are beers worth drinking in cans (Hence the Lagunitas in bottles). Frightening to go into a beer store and it is all BUD light etc. 

                            A hot one in the sun, 80 in the shade.... 5 minutes after sunset 60!

Great day waking up and stepping out of the camper into ga ga here you are. Wander about and BTW did you know it cold in the desert before sunup? Well yes it is. Routines: Up, pants/shoes on...harness on Lucy. Back out the camper door so she does not bolt past you after that Javalina right outside. Once down she is thrilled to be free again and a short walk of 15 minutes works for here to do her business (also picked up) Back to the camper where the other has started the pre setup coffee pot!! and Lucy's bowl ready...with water. Then we separate into duties if traveling that day, prepping the breakdown of the queen bed(!), and storing the gear while the other starts prepping the camper top down. Lucy tied outside to something and in no time, if it is a moving on day we are ready to go. Luxury is a campsite for a few days, where next we go.

Our following night was in a camp spot a few miles along the same canyon. Again jaw drop views. Easy set up and "take two". Great star viewing and just enjoying being away from the noise. So much noise that folks don't even think of it as noise. My neighbor once told me his friends came to stay and could not sleep because it was "too" quiet; they were scared. We even saw a "noise machine" on the bedside table in a place we stayed (waiting to have truck fixed). A "noise machine"... that is a scarier concept than quiet. What must one be imagining in quiet that noise will protect you? It isn't protecting you it is distracting you. We are a too distracted people. 

                        Rio Grande Santa Elena Gorge Mexico/Us border (the bluff is Mexico)

Then 'Oh Boy' day. I won't deny it has been a bit of a tough haul to get here but as Buddha said: Judge your accomplishments by what you had to give up to achieve them". Well heck we should be in party central right now! And we are. Every moment is a great new view. Every hour the light changes the same view. I feel full. Oh Boy day is a break in the rapid pace of things and a slowing down. Again a fortunate 3 day rental at the Off the Grid Earth Bag House. We arrived this afternoon after wonderful day of seeing Big Bend splendor, an settled in to what some folks would love and others feel a hardship. An off the grid house where one is expected to be somewhat a minimalist. Solar/battery powered. Rain tank for water, composting toilet, just living mindfully in a harsh environment. (no frills). It is beautiful and comfortable and the sky is still starry! We rest here but also regroup: clean out camper and prep for the next nine days in a 3 remote spots in the Big Bend Ranch State park. I will post this after reviewing the last few days photos sometime while here air the Earth Bag house. And then post. 

                            Arrival at the Off Grid Earth Bag House (link in previous post)

Friday the 13th... and all is well. A good day at the Earth Bag house. Was able to arrange the Mexican Truck/camper insurance (required) and to wire an LED bar light in front receiver hitch. A temp solution for this trip. But where traveling outback roads at night that amount of light is essential to see the road sharp rocks, holes, or worser to avoid. Cleaned the camper and reorganized now we know. Oil added to truck and tightened the turn buckles that holds the camper in place.... a good day. Luann made Tacos in our Omni stove top Oven. Lucy loves being at a house ...on the couch. But on leash outside for her... she wants to run!

Last note: we are off for 9 days into boonies with no cell ...so no blog. but maybe (we get back out 24th) soon thereafter I'll update the 3: 3/day camps in BBRSP.  The map for this was posted (Google Earth shots) in a previous post. Our 20 gallon on board water tank will be just about right for the stay. When we come out we will be in Fort Davis for 3 days to recover and be back on line. (1/24). Stay Safe everybody!