Woke up to 45o, but sunny. We were supposed to be leaving today but Kim
really wanted to try imaging tonight.
The last two nights have been no go because of the wind. Although there was a slight wind expected
today, it was supposed to die down around nightfall. So we extended our stay another night…there
are plenty of roads we haven’t explored and hopefully, Kim will get to take
pictures of the heavens tonight. Besides
we woke up at 8:30 a.m. and were supposed to be out of here by 11. Seemed like too much hustle, so another night
works on several levels.
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Some days ago, I saw a horse that didn’t look right. It looked horsey enough but there was
something different about it. Of course,
we were cruising by at 55 mph, so my glimpse may not have been spot on…and it
really wasn’t something worth turning around for. But it did spark another topic of
conversation: the difference between a mule, burro and donkey. And we were in the mountains without any signal
so my search had to be put on hold. When I got a signal I did some research but
it was on my phone and I just forgot about it when I got back to camp. Today I got back to it... first off, there
are a lot of sites addressing this issue, some which get very technical. Who knew, right? I wanted something basic and on the site animals.mom.me I found a simple answer to my
question:
If you
are shopping for a new equine companion but do not want a horse, you may want
to consider a donkey or a mule. Donkeys and mules are confused for one another
by individuals who do not understand what makes a donkey a donkey and a mule a
mule.
The Donkey
Donkeys,
also known as burros, are asses, not horses. They are shorter and generally
hardier than horses. Donkeys have been used for transporting people and goods
since biblical times. While donkeys have a reputation for being stubborn, they
are also notoriously smart and capable of keeping themselves and their
passengers away from danger.
The Mule
 |
| Mules on a farm near Marfa, TX |
A mule
is produced when you breed a male donkey to a female horse, also known as a
mare. A "hinny," meanwhile, is produced when you breed a stallion, or
male horse, to a female donkey. Mules possess characteristics of both of their
parents but are typically sterile and unable to reproduce. You cannot breed a
mule to get a mule. You have to breed a horse to a donkey to get a mule.
I did some more research today because
I was certain I saw a mule as we were out riding. We turned around so I could
get a better look and take a picture just to be safe. Kim agreed with me that we were looking at
two mules. Each looked like a horse but
with ever so slightly longer ears and their coats weren’t sleek like a horse’s…it
was coarser looking like a donkey’s.
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This park has wi-fi throughout the camp but the best signal
is up at the café. It doesn’t seem to be
a functional café but there is outside seating, it’s protected from the wind,
has lights at night and yes, it has the best signal. This morning I went there to post some
pictures on Facebook and encountered about 20 bicyclists in various stages of
taking down their tents and getting ready to hit the road. It was a tour group…the chase vehicle
proclaimed Adventure Cycling on the
side so I’m guessing that’s who the tour was through. We talked to a couple of riders and found out
they’re planning to ride from San Diego, CA, to St. Augustine, FL, in 59
days. They’ve been averaging 63 miles a
day; however, one day they rode 92 and all agreed that was too much! Because camping reservations have been made
in advance, they have a goal for that day…if they arrive early, that’s just a
little more time to rest up for the next day’s ride. Most of the people I saw were middle aged and
older. One gentleman said that he’s too
old to worry about packing all necessary equipment on his bike…it’s easier to
pay to join a tour group and have the chase vehicle carry all the
equipment. It was interesting to watch
the preparations that they went through…and they left at all different
times. When they were ready to go, they
went. Maybe we’ll see them again
somewhere in our travels since we’re heading in the same direction across Texas
when we leave.
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We had a late breakfast today and were waiting for the temperature to rise a little bit, so we didn’t get out on the bikes until about noon. Figured out a route that would take us west to Marfa, then north to Fort Davis. Then the plan was to head south back to Alpine. But as so often happens with a Kim n Karen adventure, our plans changed. First, we hadn’t intended to eat lunch because of the late breakfast but because I had to go to the bathroom, we found ourselves in a wonderful smelling café and since it’s our policy to pay for a flush, we found ourselves sitting at a table and ordering a late lunch. Second, I had hoped to find a Walgreen’s in Fort Davis because we wanted to print some pictures. Well, Fort Davis is quaint but Walgreen’s hasn’t discovered it yet. In fact the closest Walgreen’s is about 250 miles away, so we looked at our options…there was a Wal-Mart in Fort Stockton and Wal-Mart prints pictures, so we decided to go the extra 90 miles to Fort Stockton to get our pictures printed then ride the 70 miles to Marathon via 385. We had the time and it was a great day to ride. We took Hwy 17 up to I-10….Hwy 17 was a dream, built for cruising! Winding roads through the mountains on a warm sunny day…even saw a bobcat along the road. Top notch!! I-10 is built for getting somewhere fast, not as much fun in among the semis, but we kept ahead of the pack. For the most part, the roads we’ve ridden in Texas have been in good condition. No frost bumps like we have back in Michigan…just smooth road here, ready for riding. Anyway, we get to Wal-Mart in Fort Stockton to find that yes, we do print pictures, but sorry, none of our four machines are working. Another reason to dislike Wal-Mart! And no, there is no other place in town that prints pictures…that the clerk knows of. Aghhh! Anyway, we head back to Marathon but soon realize we’re on Hwy 285, not 385. They both go south to Hwy 90, except 285 goes to Sanderson which is 55 miles east of Marathon. Aghhh! We figure out how to get back over to 385 and then continue on our merry way. Today, cruising along 385, we saw several herds of pronghorn and about a ½ mile of prairie dog town. There were prairie dogs standing right next to the road and their holes were off to the side of the road. We saw them off in a field the other day…don’t know why we didn’t notice that they were much closer than that. All in all, we had a good ride today, even though we didn’t get our pictures printed.
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There are 2 signs on Hwy 385 on the way from Ft. Stockton to
Marathon. The first sign states that I’m
Entering Sierra Madera Astrobleme…then
a mile or more down the road, a sign tells me that I’m Exiting Sierra Madera Astrobleme.
Been down that road 3 times and I’ve seen those signs 3 times and
each time I was clueless as to what to expect in this area. I didn’t see anything unusual, I didn’t smell
anything unusual...yet the highway department thought I needed to know about
something. So I finally turned to Google
and my curiosity was satisfied: 00
It is 13 km (8 mi)
in diameter and the age is estimated to be less than 100 million years (Cretaceous or
younger).
There
should be a flagpole rising up out of the crater that says ‘Sierra Madera
Astrobleme’…then passing motorists might have a clue as to what the signs mean. 😏
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 |
| Ghost bike near Marathon, TX |
We’ve
driven the road to Alpine at least 6 times since we’ve been here…and today was
the first time either of us noticed the Ghost Bike attached to a fence post
about 8 miles from camp. This Ghost Bike
belongs to Rene Joseph Ulmschneider.
This an excerpt from a July 23, 2012, Midland Reporter-Telegram article
written by staff writer Audrie Palmer:
Friends who knew Rene Joseph Ulmschneider
said it wasn’t unusual for him to take his bicycle on weekend trips and
vacations.
It was on a trip to far West Texas that the
60 year-old member of the Permian Basin Bicycle Association died after being
hit by a car. He was in Marathon for the weekend
with his wife, Emmy, a recently retired science teacher at Carver Center.
Mr. Ulmschneider was killed at 2:16 p.m. Friday
(July 20, 2012) while riding in the eastbound lane of Highway 90, 10 miles west
of Marathon.
Department of Public Safety troopers said
Lesly Lammons, 31, of Alpine, was driving a 2008 Kia SUV when she hit
Ulmschneider. Lammons was charged with intoxication
manslaughter Friday and was released from the Brewster County jail on a $10,000
bond Saturday morning, according to the Brewster County Sheriff’s Office.
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Despite
my nervousness when booking this campground, it has been a good place to
stay. Rural area, dark skies for Kim’s
viewing, close proximity to Big Bend, wildlife, etc. When we leave tomorrow, the one thing I will
not miss is the trains. All times of the
night, the trains come rumbling through.
We hear them and we feel them…again and again and again. Both freight and passenger trains. We’ve camped in the vicinity of train tracks
before but none as active as these.
Nope, I will not miss the trains.
Our new neighbors, staying in a conversion van, relayed this story to
Kim in their lilting French Canadian accent:
They’re from Quebec and Wednesday night had stayed in the Wal-Mart
parking lot in Fort Stockton, but oh, the trains…the noise of the trains all
through the night. So the man said figured they should go stay in Marathon; it
might cost money but at least they wouldn’t have the trains. Ha! Guess he was a little surprised when the
first train rumbled on by. 😧
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Wildlife sightings: Bobcat, prairie dogs, pronghorn, mule deer and
numerous roadrunners
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Rode 261 miles today
