Coming Home to Myself

I left the Grand Canon and had no idea how to navigate back to Texas northwest through Albuquerque. As my cell phone had no service and some folks would call me directionally challenged, I stopped at a Walmart to get a satellite NAV system for the car. I named her "Beulla" since I was traveling through small farming communities.

With my tank full of unleaded and my cup full of leaded, I'm on a java high trying to make it home to Austin by Sunday night, in time to teach pastels at Laguna Gloria Monday morning.


Saturday I traveled until about midnight and crashed in Ft. Sumner, tired from my long trip. Trying hard not to stop and take photos, my resistance eventually wore thin and Sunday I began taking photos from the side of the road.

This was a grimy experience. Wearing 3 inch flip flops, I went slipping and sliding, and sunk deep in the slick, red mud to shoot this cotton field! Glad I had baby wipes, paper towels and spare shoes!


Crazy tree...red grass in the background making me miss Sedona already.

You know you're back in Texas because the bugs are bigger when they hit your windshield, always right in the darn center, and the juice spreads a thick opaque film all over when you try to wash it off!


Here's what happened to Holly! She has her own drive-in just this side of Texas from New Mexico!


My alter ego...I used to paint under the name of Holly. Now we know why I don't anymore!


Multi-eco fields: Saw lots of these big wind turbines in fields with oil pumps and cotton.

Lacking major drive-throughs and wanting to avoid the DQ's, I had fun stopping at country convenience stores for gas, beef jerky and coffee--and chatting with the local proprietors. Picked up some peppered beef jerky by "Old Trapper" naturally smoked since 1969. That's my dog's name, so I had to have it! Yumm.


Signs and more signs: In New Mexico I passed a town sign called "Progress" and a bill board that read, "Follow Me. --God". This is a sign in Zephyr, Texas.


Zephyr Baptist Church, historical building.

Either I've had too much coffee or I'm just getting too close to home...I've discovered a propensity for a thick Texas drawl and bad language the closer I get to Austin!


Lots of spirit in Zephyr...this town deserves a field trip back for painting and photo opps. I saved the location in Beulla's memory.


A popular sentiment across the land...not just in Zephyr.


Zephyr homestead

Side note: Passing through Lubbock, with 4 hours and 45 minutes till I get to Austin, I spotted a sign that read, Texas Men's Human Resource Center. Hmm. Are we not too sure that Texas men are in fact human so we have to have a research center to find out? I thought so, too. I've always said Texas men are from another planet! Tee hee!


Somewhere along the road through a maze of back roads and country towns. I have no idea how Beulla got me home, but she did...and fast!

Mental note to self: Texas is like a bad husband who just doesn't want you to travel or do anything new, but stay at home barefoot and cook for him. But you just have to do what you want to anyway! Lord, I gotta get outta here! (Do you hear the Texas twang?!)


"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered." --Nelson Mandela

Well, Nelson, that just says it all! There's no place like home...and I can't wait to leave again! I think my new home is the open road...stay tuned to find out!