After I was done with my Tandy Hills Heat Aversion Therapy I headed to the Beach Street Wal-Mart.As I drove by Town Talk I was surprised to see the store open. After I was done with Wal-Mart I headed back to Town Talk, hoping for the return of hummus and good cheese.
No Town Talk luck. Though, I did get some apples.
I left Town Talk and headed east, on Randol Mill Road, towards my default location.
I soon saw my first Armadillo Roadkill of the year. Recently I had remarked that the armadillos did not seem to be making their usual busy Spring appearance. This concerned me. I like armadillos. They're cute.
I don't know what the cause of death was for this particular armadillo. Usually it is obvious that an armadillo was hit and run over by a car. As in the armadillo is squished. Today's Armadillo Roadkill seemed fairly intact.
It's perplexing.
So much for fish 'n' chips ....
ReplyDeleteI like armadillos, too, and I'm saddened to see any creature meet a violent end (by humans) -- even kangaroo rats which run across the road.
Conditions are very dry in The Big Bend Borderland; the only green & flowers now are mainly alongside the paved roadways -- which of course attract the deer, javelina and butterflies.
Last nite's drive back to Marfa from the Davis Mountains was a veritable obstacle course around fifteen or so muledeer scattered, feeding, all along the roadside until the junction at 118.
These were all large, healthy animals -- graceful over fences for their size -- and thankfully, none jumped in front.
When I make the 40-mile drive south to Shafter Ghost Town, I congratulate myself for not killing anything. When I pull up in front of my friend's place and get out, I see the carnage of colorful butterflies on the grille. I wince.
Coming down the front steps later to hit the trail to the creek, I spy several small birds clutched to the car grille in awkward positions (some upside down), feasting on the butterflies ....
No matter where you go, there you are.
Somaphx---
ReplyDeleteI don't know why the armadillos don't stay off the roads. One would have thought Darwinian selection would have fixed this by now. The poor things are so blind, they can't see a car coming.
You live in such a WILD zone. I've not been there. The birds feasting on all the butterflies you accidentally murdered, I've not seen such a thing before. I have experienced extreme windshield bug carnage before, though, in Montana, so thick an emergency stop had to be made to scrape the windshield.
Durango, know what I was thinking? Since Somaphx lives in these areas and traverses these areas on a frequent basis that she should snap some photos for your EYES ON TEXAS site...like I did of Wink. Seems that's the least she could do for ya...seeing that she's your new doctor and all.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Big Bend...passed through that area on my way back from San Antonio. Didn't see a deer one or armadillo. Did see LOTS and LOTS of beautiful pink wild flowers, yellow ones and purple ones as well. Massive thunderstorm last night, tons of wetness all around.
CT2---
ReplyDeleteI'm a little confused following your logic regarding Somaphx. Should it not be me showing Somaphx my gratitude for her free medical services?
I'm thinking, now that you've suggested it, that you and Annie should be taking pics and sending them to me. I could make a Queen of Wink and Princess Annie show you West Texas section on my Texas website.
No no no...all wrong, it's a veritable pleasure treating all your somatic illnesses.
ReplyDeleteWe'd love to snap some shots. We have some of San Antonio of the River Walk and Sea World. Just let me know if you'd like any of those. We do also have a video of our hitchhiking episode when I got us all turned around and lost...being geographically impaired is quite a nuisance at times.
I like your style, Cheap Tricks! (How many somacities afflict Durango?)
ReplyDeleteI'd be honored to provide photographic entrails of my scurious wanderings for Durango's many blogs; however, as I mentioned somewhere else here re. his "Olympus" piece, I have a problem with men helping themselves to more than I offer -- (i.e. my Olympus, presently awol in New Mexico).
A retrieval roadtrip? This would cost more than the $350 I paid for the camera back in 2004 -- Door #3 is better left closed when we already know it's the goat -- not the new car, n'est-ce pas?
I've not seen the Marfa Lights in person neither has the ailing Mr. Durango...maybe we should come visit your cave there in Marfaville and experience the lights with such an experienced wanderer. What say you...Mr. D?
ReplyDeleteI would be delighted and overjoyed to share mysterious lights and some beautiful country on both sides of the border with my new friends ....
ReplyDeletecave-dwelling in far west Texas ain't for pussies .... strap 'em on and hit the road.
Bring your passport.
CT2---It appears to me that you and Miss Somaphx have arranged to show me the Light. I always sort of knew this would happen one day.
ReplyDeleteSomaphx---
ReplyDeleteMy doctors haven't come up with a precise listing of all the somacities that affect me.
The Queen of Wink and I will need some precise directional information to program into our GPS to guide us to your cave.
Durango, your generalised (love Euro spellings!) spectrum of non-specific symptoms is vexing. I'm just going to toss a few possibilities here for you to consider:
ReplyDelete* Vitamin B and or Vit/K deficiency
* Need a fasting glucose level
* CBC workup
* Check for Lyme's disease
* Possible side effects of med(s) combination? Some produce sun sensitivity ....
which brings me to suggest you & cheap tricks may want to schedule your Big Bend Border trip for end of the summer (the heat index is rising & window of opportunity closing)....if you were serious at all about driving down.
Also, do you wear a "neckerchief" when you're chooglin'? These are good for dipping in cool water and tied loosely around the neck for a quick cool-down.
In larger towns which actually offer goods & services, you can buy these already set up for the freezer.