Did you miss me? Of course you did. I. Sure wish I could remember who it was I asked to mow the lawn while we were gone. I asked a couple of people, but apparently they thought I was joking. My sense of humor tends to hurt as often as it aids.
Kay and I were only gone a week, but it seems longer. West Texas by train is not only the stuff of a Country Western song, but it’s a prime ingredient for challenge. I’d do it again, but not sober.
I mentioned the first part of our trip in my last article. Remember train, rental car, Marfa Lights? Well, life didn’t end after Marfa Lights, but it could’ve and I would’ve still died happy. Unless, I got wedged in a crevasse and had to saw my arm off with my belt buckle. I imagine they would get Wilfred Brimley to play my part in the movie.
We saw plenty of rocks and crevasses on the trip, but I did no falling. Had to catch Kay a time or two. I’m ever alert. That’s what everyone says about me. Says something that rhymes with it, anyway.
Kay’s most enjoyable post-Marfa experience was probably our visit to the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center outside of Fort Davis. It was pretty much a cactus garden, but who in his right mind is going to pull into a cactus garden?
I came away from the Nature Center with a greater appreciation for the beauty associated with desert flora, and with a great need for an ice chest in which to stick my head. I’m such a good husband it hurts.
The thing I liked best AML (After Marfa Lights) was our trip to the McDonald Observatory north of Fort Davis. I learned a ton about stellar stuff. There was no moon the night we were there. I think they were using it to shoot an action movie. The stars were as bright as I have ever seen ‘em.
I don’t know how many of us were gathered there in the outdoor theatre place, but there was a bunch. And, we couldn’t see a thing. The people next to us could’ve been bears, and I wouldn’t have known.
An astrophysicist guy stood in the middle of the rounded area and pointed to different constellations. He said, “What do you call that group of stars right over there?” Nobody could see where he was pointing, ‘cause we couldn’t’ see. I thought I made that clear.
He then said, “Oops, let me use my pointer.” Suddenly, a beam of light shot out over a hundred yards and pointed right to the Big Dipper. He called the pointer a green laser. Reading my mind, he cautioned us about ordering our own laser. Said that if you point one at an airplane or building, the Feds will be on you like ants on a Frito. Something to that effect.
Every constellation that appeared in our hemisphere was pointed out. Except for the Big Bear’s tail I didn’t know what any of them were. – “And, there we see the constellation Libra with Zubeneschamali shining brightly.” – Looked as much like Libra as it did a stick horse riding through roadkill.
When he finished with the star-pointing, we got to go around and stand in line to look at stuff through telescopes that were set up along the perimeter. A bunch of stargazers showed up with their instruments to educate the lot of us. How nice was that?
and Botanical Gardens
We saw a bunch of star clusters called Messiers… galaxies and such. I had trouble understanding stuff. We did get to go into one of the smaller domes and view Saturn. It looked just like the pictures, only smaller. It was a spectacular evening. On the trip back to the Inn I pointed out a few unknown constellations for Kay. “And there we see Spoon and Fork on broken plate.” If Kay hadn’t been so tired, she would’ve been rolling.
The low point of the trip for Kay was when Mark Spring, the manager of the Inn, gave me two free tickets to watch the Alpine Cowboys play the Santa Fe Somethings. They actually have a semi-pro baseball team in Alpine who play in a small replica of Fenway Park.
We had box seats to the game, just to the right of the catcher. I don’t think he appreciated it when I kept yelling, “Show him the heater!” The Cowboys ended up winning their first home game of the season five to one. I yelled ‘em on to victory. Kay? Not so much yelling.
The day after the game we were back on the train. (Come up with a second line to that and you’ve got the first verse of the song you started earlier.) The train ride home was… what it was. As a kid, I would’ve enjoyed the daylights out of it. When I was a kid, it was so much easier to find fun in stuff. Now, my eyes aren’t quite so good.
It is good to be home. I do so enjoy life here. What say we view a piece of life here next time?
END
A little research would have made the article more interesting. For instance, the Alpine Cowboys are not a semi-pro team. They are a professional baseball team in the non-affiliated Pecos League. They play in a replica of Wrigley Field not Fenway Park.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it would've made it more interesting, but it certainly would've made it more factual. Yeah, I don't research much or well. I'm pretty much an idiot. Thanks for setting me straight, Dennis. I learn stuff everyday. Appreciate you reading the piece. mark
ReplyDelete