Texas and Blow Me Down
The winds picked up as we headed east on I-10 through Fort Stockton. (Side-winds blowing on a small motorhome can be dangerous and also make driving very uncomfortable.) Having only about a ¼ tank of diesel, we watched carefully for the best price as we drove through Fort Stockton. Diesel prices had been coming down as we drove east from California where we often paid over $3.00 per gallon. Now in Texas, the lowest prices were in the $2.30 range. Finding prices in Fort Stockton in the high $2.40 range we decided to continue driving to the next town, in hopes of finding cheaper diesel. Taking the Hwy. 190 exit from I-10, we headed toward the little, West Texas town of Iraan. (We like the Hwy 190 route because it carries less traffic and is a shorter route back Bryan.)
Sure enough, in Iraan, we found diesel in the mid-$2.30 range and filled up. But by now, the wind was really howling, so we began to search for an RV park as a port in the storm. A lady in the local BBQ joint (excellent BBQ, BTW) informed us that the town-owned two RV parks and that for only $11 we could have our choice which included electricity, water, sewage and cable TV. When I asked her if local residents worried that some confused Air Force pilot might drop a bomb on her city, she looked at me quizzically for a second before she grinned and explained that the two places are not only spelled differently but that the town of Iraan was named after a local oil mogul and his wife (Ira and Ann Yates). It is pronounced “Ira Ann.” “No! We don’t worry about American bombs here,” she responded.
While watching the local weather that night, the forecast advised that a big frontal system was coming into Texas and might have high winds, freezing rain, and other nasty stuff. So, the next morning we put the “pedal to the metal” and drove back home to Bryan. After being gone for 1 ½ months, our little home in the woods looked very inviting. To prepare for leaving, we had simply turned off the water pump, drained the pipes, locked the doors and gates and “hit the road.” When we had our home built, our idea was to keep everything simple so that we could leave anytime we wish – you know, no pets, no manicured lawn, no non-native plants that require watering, fertilizing and such. We informed our neighbor that we were leaving and if he saw somebody in our place, to throw a rock at them or something. He agreed!
In preparation to leave, I also propped up the fence with some new posts to keep out the neighbor’s cows. But, while we were gone, a big tree fell across the fence in the back by the creek, and a cow or two stepped across the fence and spent several days mowing our grass, pooping on the sidewalk and leaving large muddy footprints everywhere. However, since there is no source of drinking water for cows on our place, she likely became very thirsty and found her way back across the fence before we returned. I hinted to Pat by asking if her chainsaw was running so that she could cut up the tree that knocked down the fence. She just muttered something unintelligible. I don’t really think Pat wants to cut up the tree -- but with her chainsaw, it should be a relatively easy job.
Oh yes, I forgot to mention the other livestock that we feed here. We feed birds! So when we left, I filled all the bird feeders as full as possible. When we returned, most of the feeders were empty and there was not a bird in sight. The exceptions were the hummingbird feeder and the Goldfinch feeder. Our hummingbirds do not overwinter here, so obviously, they headed south without finishing their dinner. Goldfinches spend the winter in my backyard, but they had not yet arrived, so the thistle seed in their feeder was moldy and uneaten. I cleaned the feeders and the bird bath, filled the feeders with clean seeds and watched to see how long it would be till the birds returned. Within an hour, the chickadees were back. Within 12 hours, almost all the old regulars were back. Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmouse, Cardinals, Downy Woodpeckers, Carolina Wrens, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers and even a couple of immature goldfinches appeared as if they had been waiting for us.
One of the first things we noticed upon returning home is how large a regular home is compared to the tight quarters in our motorhome. Of course, space has its disadvantages. Now, when I lose my glasses I must search a much larger area than in the motorhome. Oh well!
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