Briscoe County

We left Oklahoma with grey skies and rain. We were not far from the Texas border, so this drive will not take that long. We cross the state line into Texas and start to notice a change in the landscape. We start to see cactus and small canyons develop. The dirt here is red clay and makes for a striking landscape with the green of the trees and the yellow and orange of the cactus flowers. The rain has followed us and is off and on. The roads here are very good and traffic is light. The small country lanes are not paved and are red mud right now. The clay cannot absorb the water fast enough and it runs down the gullies in a thick ooze. We go through some of the small towns and realize that they don't really have sewer systems. The rain is six inches deep in the low spots of the town. Good thing we have a Cherokee, Guenther’s little VW Jetta would just float away.

We make it to our campsite for the next three days. We are staying in Caprock Canyons State Park. The rain is pouring and there is thunder all around us. We check in and head to our spot. The first thing we see are bison walking along the road. Yeah, you read this right, I have bison to take pictures of tomorrow. First thing first, we find our site and Guenther plugs us in for hydro. I look out the window and see my first deer over on the campsite beside us. I immediately grab the camera and start shooting. I can always take out the tip outs later, there are deer next door. I look over across the road and there is another one. Well off I go to shoot my little friends. I look to our right and there is a wide canyon with red rocks and green trees. We are going through sensory over load right about now. Where to look, what to shoot, is my camera set up right, how is my exposure…Okay calm down and breathe. Plenty of time for pictures.

I get the coffee on and we take a walk over to the canyon and snap some pictures. We have a quick bite to eat and then head off for a walk. The rain has cleared and the sun peaks through every now and then. Our breath is taken away by the silence the beauty and the lack of population. We come back up and find prairie dogs playing and eating in the field by our motorhome. More picture opportunities! I’m going to go crazy with photos here.

Unfortunately our campsite is a little soggy so I don’t think we are going to be able to have a camp fire tonight. The skies are clearing off and on, so we may be able to see stars tonight.

Day 2

We had a powerful thunderstorm last night, lightning and thunder. This started around 2:00 AM and didn’t stop until about 6:00 AM. The cats of course decided it was safer with us and under the blankets. Oh well, who needs sleep? This morning is overcast and soggy again. However, it gives us time to have a leisurely breakfast and then head into Plansview, for some groceries. This is about an hour away and we get a chance to see some of the country side. This part of Texas can be very flat with red dirt or it opens into canyons that stretch for miles. We get our groceries and as we head back the sky clears and the big Texas sky appears.

When we get back to our park, the buffalo are roaming again. So more photos must be taken. (Thank goodness I don’t use film. It would cost more to develop than the entire trip would cost!) We head back and go for a little walk down towards the canyon.

Time for some dinner, tonight we BBQ. We really miss this at our condo, so every opportunity (no rain) we get we will BBQ in the motorhome. Tonight it is homemade burgers and some potato salad we bought today. It is so nice out we eat out on the picnic table overlooking the canyon. Yeah this is what retirement is all about.

Well we relax for the rest of the evening head off for a good night’s rest. There are no storms in the forecast for tonight.

Day 3

We wake to a cat jumping the bedroom door (again!). Ying hears the coyotes outside and needs Mommy and Daddy to protect him. This would be at 6:00 AM. We settle him down and grab an extra hour of sleep.

The morning is beautiful with sun shining and photo ops right outside the door. Off I go again. It is going to be hard to figure out which to keep and which to discard. Today we travel through the park and then stop at the different campsites and walking trails. This park is quite big and has 4 or 5 different camping areas and miles of trails. They even have an equestrian campsite for people who bring their horses for the trail rides. This keeps us busy most of the afternoon.

The buffalo have moved down to the lake. This creates more photo ops. To see these huge beasts just lumbering across the road and down the hill to the water is amazing. This herd is about 50 head, I can’t imagine what 1000 of these beasts would look or sound like as they crossed the Great Plains centuries ago. This is only the first of many wonderful parks we plan to stay at over the next 5 months. I’m going to be a pile of photo mush by the time I’m done. Well at least it is well documented.

Another BBQ tonight, our first steaks! I get these from Vik’s Meats in Grimsby, Ontario. I marinate them, then freeze them. When the steaks thaw in the marinade they are very tender and flavourful. We have potatoes done on the BBQ with onions and oil. We have a side of mushrooms, onions and peppers. Just to round out this wonderful meal, two Guinness grace our table. Hungry anyone??

This is a park I would highly recommend to anyone who likes the peace and quiet with beautiful views and tons of trails for walking. We didn’t explore the towns around here, but we only had 3 nights. Definitely one to come back to.

Tomorrow we leave here and head farther west to Brantley Lake in New Mexico. Well until you read again….Read more