I'm in Marfa, TX this Christmas Eve, and quite happy to be here. Today was a humbling day cycling between Marathon and Marfa. Strong headwinds, light snow, hills, and the sound of my own whimpering where nearly overwhelming. But even these distractions didn't entirely keep me from appreciating the amazing landscape. The sandstone bluffs, buttes, and mountains around Alpine are breathtaking.
I haven't seen much of the town of Marfa, and likely won't till I leave Saturday am. I brought enough food for a small army, so if you're in the vicinity, stop in and I'll feed you.
I met Guil Jones today, the owner of La Loma del Chivo where I stayed last night. I had stopped at a picnic area beside the road to try and warm my feet. He saw me and pulled in in his early 70s El Camino to introduce himself. He is nice guy, and a cool cat for sure. I'm sorry I didn't get more of a chance to get to know him.
A few birds I've seen over the last couple of days... Pyrrhuloxia, Canyon wrens, Black-throated sparrows, Western scrub jays, Chihuahuan ravens, and possibly a Brewer's sparrow.
Wishing you all love in your hearts and peace of mind this Christmas.
Love,
Carl
Merry Christmas Carl. Thanks for bringing us on your adventure. (The landscape looks much like the outskirts of Tempe, AZ where I spent a week last year)
ReplyDeleteMark
As long as your whimpering didn't drown out the sounds of the wind blowing, you're doing pretty well, I think. I hope you have a warm and peaceful Christmas today. You deserve a day of rest.
ReplyDeleteI hate that your adventure is coming to an end as I have enjoyed "going along" with you. I've learned a lot, too. I'd never heard of a pyrrhuloxia before (I had to scroll up to spell it), but now I do - the gray cardinal, a finch. And the geography is incredible! I love hearing how all that came to be.
Hope you're having a really nice Christmas. Marfa has become a fairly major Texas arts center, but I suspect that aspect may be largely unavailable on Christmas day. I'm not surprised that you ended up there to avoid the very challenging climbs you would have had going through Fort Davis and beyond. We kept having a hard time imagining doing it on a bike.
ReplyDeleteA "small world!" item: my Oregon cousin and his wife spent last night in Marfa. They are driving to San Antonio today and We'll join them tomorrow for three days together before they head home. They've been in that area since Monday with their son and daughter-in-law and her family. I had really wondered if you and they might somehow pass each other, and the chances were probably greatly increased by you staying Marfa. If I could have arranged it somehow, I would have had him to stop you and tell you that Herb and Susie said Merry Christmas.
Glad you're still seeing good birds. For some reason, I particularly enjoy the Black-throated sparrow.
Stay safe and free of frostbite.
Merry Christmas, Carl. Finally got the chance to catch up on your posts since you left "wee Wimberley." Glad you made it to Marfa in good shape and good spirits. You've seen some good birds, esp. the Pyrrhloxia, raven, and Canyon wren. Hope you get to see a Cactus wren before you head home to Vermont--for some reason, I think they're hilarious birds.
ReplyDeleteMore trivia about Judge Roy Bean. Supposedly, he fell in love with Lillie Langtry, aka the Jersey Lily, British actress/singer and long-time mistress of King Edward VII, after seeing her picture in the newspaper. The town was already named Langtry but he called his saloon the Jersey Lilly in her honor. He somehow persuaded her to travel from England and built an opera house in anticipation of her visit. Sadly, he died a few months before her actual visit in 1904. Can you imagine what that trip was like--by train to the Wild West, by a woman who was used to the finest of everything in England and Europe?
Stay warm and looking forward to your posts from Ft. Davis and beyond.
Susie
Thanks all for your comments! I enjoy the reading/learning.
ReplyDeleteSo I check out the Pyrrhuloxia (please don't ask me to pronounce the name if you don't feel like laughing) interesting looking bird..like he crest! I also look up the Cactus wren ..isn't it amazing how bird can adapt to their environment!. Cactus wren can survive without free standing water?!
Harris Hawk .. ansome Hawk would love to see one.
C happy biking! Will be looking for more beauties that you point out ...it ain't done yet!!!!
Susie, I saw the opera house at Langtry too. Ol' Judge Bean must have been quite a sweet talker to get Miss Lilly to make that trip!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you also for the comment about the cactus wren. I did see them... there was two or three flitting around the outdoor kitchen of La Loma del Chivo in Marathon. Not shy at all, and larger than most wrens. A very cool bird!
Herb, I really liked the the Black-throated sparrows too, a life bird for me. I saw a wren along the roadside and was trying to decide if I should dig the binos out of the bag again (usually whatever bird I'm looking at disappears somewhere in this process). But I dug them out and was treated to great looks at BTSPs. I didn't know what they were, and found them on-line. Wish I had more time to check out Marfa...
And Diane, Carol, and Mark, thanks for coming along with me as well. Having the blog conversation has been fun, and kept me connected to yous guys.