I was out in West Texas yesterday, finishing up a project that had taken me to Terrell County where the entire school census K-12 is about 113 students. The weather was delightful. The strips of blue mountains on the horizon are in Mexico.
This view toward Mexico was from a high point on the 40 minute drive from the tract to the paved road:
An unusually wet year meant an unusually large number of jackrabbits:
Refreshing scenery and a welcomed break from the pine forests I'm accustomed to.
> Refreshing scenery and a welcomed break from the pine forests I'm accustomed to.
Yes, you'd need a rock drill much more than a chain saw to work in that country.
That country definitely has a beauty all its own.
Nice shot of el conejo. Those buggers can hide in two inches of scrub and then scare the hell out of you when they bolt.
> That country definitely has a beauty all its own.
I wish I had a soundtrack of the desert for the past few days. It was twenty birds in all directions at all times during the day. Aside from the low-frequency rumblings of distant trains and the occasional military jet on a low-level training flight, it would have been just cicadas.
In my heart, that's the kind of noise that will allow a man to think.
> In my heart, that's the kind of noise that will allow a man to think.
The beauty of that country is that even in town there is plenty of elbow room and the desert is never far away.
The services are definitely a bit on the sketchy side, but if you like CF steak, you're in luck (as long as the cafe is open when you're back in town for supper).
And when you need to buy gas, be specific about what kind, okay?
Was there a warm smell of colitas rising up through the air? B-)
> Was there a warm smell of colitas rising up through the air?
Interestingly, I'm pretty sure that the California Eagles have never been to Terrell County, Texas. The main scents in the air were those of creosote bush and cenizo.
Nice scenery and excelent weather for the field work!
Looks also nice for some painting.
Thanks for sharing,
Christof.
Beautiful country, but I sure wouldn't want to slip and fall and break a leg or have some other medical problem.
Hard to imagine someone would want a survey in this landscape........kind of like where god lost his sandles -...
> Nice scenery and excelent weather for the field work!
> Looks also nice for some painting.
Thanks, Christ, and thanks very much for RinexDates 1.7 which continues to perform splendidly. At the end of each day, that was me back at the Desert Air Motel running the Trimble .DAT files through RinexDates to prepare them for post-processing. It worked like a charm.
> Beautiful country, but I sure wouldn't want to slip and fall and break a leg or have some other medical problem.
Yes, the folks who have medical problems or are just accident-prone should definitely not go to West Texas.
It was a real pleasure to take that challenge and to be able to give something back for all the wisdom here available.
Chr.
What kind on instrument is that you have setup on the tripod? I always enjoy your posts and these pics are great, too.
> What kind on instrument is that you have setup on the tripod?
That is a Zeiss Elta50 hooked up to an SDR33. Both are vintage, but both work very well for the purpose, which was just setting out some boundary markers from control points. The Elta50 is very light, has excellent optics, and much better accuracy than the manufacturer's spec. The SDR33 is simple and functional, without an elaborate overhead of whistles and bells.
Some on here have never experienced a situation where there is only THE motel and THE gas station and THE cafe. In days of old that list included THE TV station as well and, of course, only one source of telephone service. Price is irrelevant. Results are all that matter.
> Some on here have never experienced a situation where there is only THE motel and THE gas station and THE cafe. In days of old that list included THE TV station as well and, of course, only one source of telephone service. Price is irrelevant. Results are all that matter.
The motel has jumped its rates to $42 per night from the $25 per night it cost for a single 20 years ago. It's always a ride in the time machine back to the 1960's to stay there and management has made sure to subscribe to the satellite TV channels that broadcast nothing but 1960's-vintage programs in case you missed that episode of "Perry Mason" or "Lost in Space"
Fortunately for me, the need has never arisen to rent a room at this motel on old US Hwy 290 in Sheffield.
But don't let me leave you with the idea that Sanderson doesn't have lodging choices. Just next door to the Desert Air is the Outback Oasis, complete with entertaining road sign to let the traveler know that they are one long ways from anywhere.
Henley and Frey are from Texas.
well ain't this place a geographical oddity...
... two weeks from everywhere.
