Where's Waldo??

This is Paul, our neighbor. I couldn't resist the photo! He IS Waldo, from the shirt to the hat and glasses- what a hoot! Be sure to checkout the July 3rd post again if you first looked at it yesterday. Bridget added a photo of a javelina, which came right through our campsite!

Fort Davis

We visited the old historic site at fort Davis which was a military outpost in the mid to late 1800's, it's purpose to protect travelers and the mail on the El Paso to San Antonio road. There are many restored/ refurbished buildings to view- plus we visited the resident horses. Bridget couldn't resist a photo of an ant hill. They are everywhere. And any tree she can climb, well, she"ll be in it :) Afterward we had ice-cream in a green caboose! The old rail car has been converted to an ice cream shop- very cool. And yes mom, Mark did see a roadrunner, but we haven't been lucky enough to see a quail, although they were pictured at the visitor center so we've been on the lookout. The doves are sure loud around here!

Observatory

We went to Macdonald Observatory and did the solar viewing and tour. Our guide was fabulous! She is a triple major in, get this, math, physics and astronomy!! No lack of brain power there. Plus she is spunky and articulate....necessary qualities in a tour guide :)) Bridget was very interested because she did a unit in 5th grade on the sun and recognized many of the terms used in the presentation. Bridget is pictured here with Sarah, our guide at the highest highway accessible point in Texas, 6800 ft. Above is the 39th ranked most powerful telescope in the world. It started out as 3rd in the 60's. It can see 8 billion light years away! The telescope we saw after that is ranked 5th in the world and can see 13 billion light years away. It is all quite mind boggling! We are camping 13 miles away at Davis Mountain. Later, we will return to the Observatory for the "Star Party!"

July 3rd

Happy Anniversary Grandma and Grandpa Ace! Also, Bridget wants you all to know that on the same day they were married, July 3rd 1937, Amelia Earhart's plane went down over the Pacific. Interesting tidbit :))

The Star Party last night was fun! The clouds went in and out but we were still able to get amazing views of Saturn, Vega, various nebulous clusters, M-13, whirlpool galaxies and other deep sky objects. We were looking at stars anywhere from 349 light years to 25,000 light years away through telescopes set up around the grounds. There were indoor astronomy programs as well. You basically bounce around from activity to activity at your leisure from 9:45 pm until 1:00am. Bridget pooped out at midnight which was fine. Mark and I had been up since sunrise so we were ready too.

This morning we slept in and cooked pancakes and bacon on the outdoor stove. I cut up a yummy fresh pineapple to go with it.  It is a very comfortable 75 degrees here in the West Texas mountains. There are several zone-tailed hawks flying around that have been fun to watch. After the mockingbirds, thrashers and brewer's blackbirds from our last camp site, they are a

welcome site :)

Bridget has made friends with a couple of girls in the neighboring campsite. Pretty soon we're going to head to Fort Davis for some 4th of July programs they have going on:)

We saw a wild hog!!! I added this pic after we posted the blog so I hope most of you still see it! I was playing backgammon with mommy and we were about to have a tie breaker and then mama screamed because she saw the hog and we had all wanted to see a wild hog! Yahoo!!! It was amazing and kind of scary that daddy didn't see it first because when it came out of the woods, the wild hog was standing right in front of him;) My new friends that were in the first picture of this blog, Mia and Katy, said that a few days before we got here, the saw a wild hog too! Our other camping neighbors said that while this hog that you see in the picture was over near us, three baby hogs were over near their camper! How cool is that?!! I'd say, " VERY!!! " cool :))

Sunrise and an early morning ride

Bridget didn't want to get up so we sat and watched the sunrise, then went for an early morning bike ride. We saw a jackrabbit, very large toad, desert rats, lizards, and tracks....some looked like mule deer and others looked like coyote. There are also wild hogs, gray fox and bobcats living in and around the dunes which stretch for miles beyond the park. The rain yesterday brought the animals out. Many tracks led to puddles that were left from the storm. It also made the sand cool, wet and firm, and much easier to walk on!! Bridget wore herself out climbing the dunes and running, rolling and sliding down. Probably why she couldn't get up at dawn :)))

Sunset at monahan

Unfortunately the clouds are obscuring what could be an amazing sunset, but we will try again at sunrise!! Either way, it's peaceful, serene and gorgeous :)) The drive here today really brought to home why I wanted to travel via RV around the country. You just don't feel it when you fly ( at least I don't) that realization that you are really somewhere else. The changes in landscape, plant life, people and culture as you drive from one place to the next, makes you feel like you're moving, yet it's all America, and it's all worth seeing and savoring. A couple from Alaska pulled into the campground a little while ago (and we thought we were far from home!). They've been at it since Memorial Day and are due home mid August, so basically a 10 week tour like us. It's fun sharing stories and experiences. The best part of traveling is the people you meet along the way. They really help solidify the memories. It is so quiet sitting here on top of the dune, thinking and reflecting. This stop was an A++!!

Lots of love from Monahan, Texas .....Jen

Monahan Sandhills

How lucky are we?? Only 75 degrees here in the middle of Texas! A bit of cloud cover makes a huge difference. Plus they had rain showers last night which brought in a cool front. We are here for the night and plan to bike before dinner, then hike the dunes and watch the sunset. This area is a prehistoric seabed covering 600 acres. We are camping right in the park which closes to the public from 10pm-6am. I'm sure it will be mighty quiet and incredibly dark when the sun goes down. Hopefully we can keep the AC off and hear the silence.....