I just got back from Xmas in West Texas and have to say it was great, right up there with Xmas in Mexico in San Cristoval de las Casas and its marketplace of wild orchids and wood smoke.
Here are a few photos to show you a little bit of what you missed:
Yes, West Texas may be the last frontier in the CONUS where if a dog can drive an SUV there's no need to get Google or its robots or drones involved in things. Note how carefully this driver is checking his rear view mirror before pulling out into traffic. Shame about the cat about two blocks down, though.
lovely photos, thnx for sharing
the second last one would make a really nice jig saw puzzle.
lovely photos, thnx for sharing
There are actually places you can send a digital pic and they will make it into a jig-saw puzzle for you. Maybe Kent would send you the original file and you could get it done.
I had this done several years ago and it did just fine. Google something like "custom jig saw puzzle" and you should find some options.
Why does that dog have 2 GPS antennas on his truck?
Looks like the top one has a ground plane normally used for static sessions, never seen one mounted on the side of a truck!
Woof!!
😉
> Why does that dog have 2 GPS antennas on his truck?
Ever try and refold a map without thumbs?
>
With the Eagle Ford shale boom and the other areas of the "Last Frontier" of Texas... enjoy while you can. Gee Tx is about to become even more saturated to the max with petro $$$. Hmmm....maybe Louisiana can sell them Shreveport and/or Lake Charles for a nice price...;-)
Dog is probably a new "financial advisor" moving into the area from Dallas or Houston.
Second to last photo looks an awful lot like a shot from officer's row onto the parade grounds at Ft. Davis National Park.
> Dog is probably a new "financial advisor" moving into the area from Dallas or Houston.
Looks like a Labrador Receiver to me...:pinch:
Any chance the 4th shot with the building is on the Johnson ranch?
> Any chance the 4th shot with the building is on the Johnson ranch?
I'd say that the chances are excellent that Lyndon Johnson was instrumental in the preservation of that building and many others on the site, but when I took that photo, I was standing approximately at
N 30-35-50.2
W 103-53-36.4
It appears you were at Fort Davis. For some reason when I cut and pasted your coordinates into Google Earth it took me to the Philippines. I had to manually drag to the correct location.
N30°35'50.2"
W103°53'36.4"
Yes, apparently Fort Davis is in the Philipines as far as Google Maps is concerned.
I don't know what to tell you but your link takes me to the Philippines again. I really don't think that is correct. I can manually go to your coordinates. Must be something weird with my Google Earth.
I *thought* that was Fort Davis! I'm glad to know that I remembered correctly because it's been at least 30 years since I've been there.
Harsh, but beautiful country. Thank you for posting the pictures!
True North vs. Mag North
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=N30°3 5'50.2"+W103°53'36.4"&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x86efeb5d6d399e77:0x4bd5b7dd9dc2ff02,N30°35'50.2"+W103°53'36.4"&gl=us&ei=_tS9UuS_OqfR2wX6n4HgBA&ved=0CC4Q8gE
If you examine the aerial images carefully, you'll see two different layouts for the buildings of Fort Davis. The earliest layout was with the buildings oriented true North per regulations. Only the foundations of those earlier buildings remain, but appear in the aerials. Then, when the fort was rebuilt, the regulations were interpreted as allowing orientation to magnetic North, which was better suited to the site. Those are the buildings that mostly remain.
Mine did the same too, John. Then I edited out the hyphens and used spaces and that spun the world around to Jeff Davis County, Tejas, CSA
Kent
That link worked fine.
One problem tho' ...... NO SNOW!!
-JD-
Wunnerful pics Kent.
In a former life (long, long ago..in a faraway land) I was married to the daughter of a West Texas pipeline welder. Spent the Holidays several times near Fluvanna, Tx.
The weather was generally just as your pics showed.
I have a lot of fond Christmas memories of saddling up the horses and taking my boys riding the canyons and cap rocks; then trying to get back to the ranch house before sunset because it would get cold as hell.
I also have memories of trying to get my drunk father-in-law's welding truck out of a ditch in Justiceburg on a snowy evening. I guess he was on his way to Post (closest wet county). It was easier getting his truck out of that ditch than it was trying to get his ass out of jail....not so fond memories..:bored:
thanks for "way back" trip with the pics.
Well, in that case, here are a few more:
Mitre Peak between Fort Davis and Alpine. 
The field notes of probably at least a hundred different surveys give bearings to the peak from various corners.
Jeff Davis Co. Courthouse
On the Grounds of the Fort
(I've edited out a sign that reads "Stay off the Wagon")
