This pretty 'RAIN'bow appeared after some very heavy thunderstorms came through the area, as if nature wanted to 'make up' for it's violent weather.
There were flash-flood warnings everywhere and I seriously started to doubt our choice to buy an RV instead of a boat!
Boy, did it rain!
Of course the plants are not complaining and flowers keep popping up everywhere, like these Prickly Poppies:
Echinocereus chloranthus or brown/red flowered cactus |
Desert stars |
A little while ago I had started the application for my Green Card renewal and received a letter that I needed to have my 'biometrics' taken. Since my last renewal, 10 years ago, the USCIS has set different requirements, so now everybody needs to be (electronically) fingerprinted. Not such a big deal, but since we have our (mail) 'address' in Livingston, they had set up an appointment at a Houston field office. Yikes! It took a lot of explaining and e-mailing (you know, government ....) but finally I managed to have it moved to the office closest to us, in .... El Paso. That's still 5,5 hours! |
Bluebonnets lining the roads on the way to El Paso |
We decided to make a little trip out of it and stay overnight in El Paso. I had an 8 o'clock appointment so I booked a hotel less than 5 minutes away.
One thing about El Paso, it's not much of a city, but the hotels are very cheap. I got one for $50 which included Texas shaped waffles for breakfast!

While in 'civilization' we went on a shopping spree.
We'd recently weeded out all of our too old/ill fitted/never-worn/wrong-color/wrong size and 'what-was-I-thinking' clothes and had made a list of things to replace or add to what was left.
It was fun, but after a couple of hours we were exhausted! Nothing like that slow going shopping pace to wear you out, and kill your back in the meantime!

We'd promised ourselves some Sushi, our favorite choice for dinner, very hard to get in the middle of the (Texan) dessert, but fortunately readily available here.
We always share a sample platter, with a large Sapporo to wash it all down. As they say in Holland; 'fish need to swim!' Yum!
The next morning everything went surprisingly smooth at the immigration office, we were in and out in about 45 minutes! In addition to the fingerprints, I had my mug-shot taken and had to sign my life away on one of those electronic screens that never come out looking like anything.
I sure wish they would open a few more of these offices, I mean, 5,5 hours for a 30 minute procedure!
Since we drove through Presidio on the way up, we decided to return via Fort Davis and Alpine and pick up our monthly groceries. The last ones before we leave!Yahoo!
I had hoped for some signs (and pictures) of wildlife but we didn't see anything until just south of Alpine when I noticed 'something' moving in the distance:
It turned out to be a small herd of Barbary Sheep or Aoudad.
These sheep are not native to Texas but were introduced in Texas in the late 1940s after World War
II, when soldiers who had been stationed on the Barbary Coast of
northern Africa recognized their potential as a game species and had
some shipped to ranches in Texas.
Like the Oryx, Nilgai antelope, and Axis and Fallow deer they're collectively known as 'exotics', and very popular amongst hunters.
They're found in arid mountainous areas and are able to obtain all their moisture from food, but if liquid water is available, they drink and wallow in it.
Notoriously skittish and elusive they surprised me by being comfortable enough to allow us to watch them for a while and take some pictures (from a fair distance of course).
He doesn't know how lucky he is that I'm not a hunter! |
Other than getting hit by a serious downpour driving through the Davis Mountains the ride was otherwise uneventful and we were home in time for happy hour! Happy but tired ....
OK, no blog without a bird of course, so here's a shot of a very vociferous Gambel's Quail, we encountered during one of our coffee breaks.
It must be mating time, because he was answered by a rival somewhere in the distance, and got quite riled and puffed up by it!
Gambel's Quail |
Right, ..... the ones that I forgot to pack! :-(
...... sigh... |