Texas-Big-Big Big

EL PASO 876 Miles-Was this mile marker sign located in Kansas, Colorado or Mississippi? Howdy partner-welcome to the big state of Texas-this sign was located on the interstate entering from Louisiana.

I like Texas-rural Texas-Levis, boots, trucks, cattle, horses, and folks with manners-No Maam- You’ all come back!

About 30 years I met Elyse and her husband-owners of the 3 Springs Ranch. It’s a great ranch, located in the Hill Country west of Austin. This is cattle country-with some open range and cattle guards everywhere. For the edification of eastern dudes. cattle guards are shallow pits in the road with pipes or rails placed ever 3-4 inches. Livestock won’t cross the “threatening bridge”.

Creek crossings are also interesting. Each low area of the road has a water gauge located on the side. It is marked in increments of one foot-preventing “drive throughs” from becoming “float throughs”.

Vocabulary changes here: stock means cattle, not IBM; fix a little something means cooking; a big pond is a tank; you get the picture-RURAL! It’s a wonderful place to visit-peaceful, interesting, picturesque, and best of all, you can drive a “short piece” to Round Mountain and get the best chicken fried steak in Texas –so their sign reads.

As we headed west on I-10 towards El Paso, I couldn't help wishing I was driving a Vette. The road is straight as an arrow as far as the eye can see. Traffic is light-what a pace to "put the pedal to the metal (or fiberglass)".

One song was "stuck in my mind". It was the old Marty Robbins Hit, " Out in the west Texas Town of El Paso- I fell in love with a ....................".