Home Sweet Home

This will be a somewhat condensed update, as due to yours truly dropping the laptop and damaging the broadband card we were without Internet access for several days. OOPS!

We stayed in Las Cruces on the the 24th and 25th - went down to El Paso to shop for serapes to use as drapes in living room and then out for a great Mexican dinner in Mesilla, just outside of Las Cruces.

On the 26th we stayed at Balmorhea State Park. This is a really unusual campground, as it also includes a "motel" consisting of several little adobe style cabins clustered near the wetlands display. The park features a large pool and wetlands habitat, all fed by San Solomon Springs. Though it wasn't crowded due to the time of year and cool weather, indications are that it's really crowded once the kids are out of school.

On the 27th we stayed at South Llano River State Park. This is a fabulous park for birdwatching, and hunting. There are several bird blinds available for use by wildlife photographers, and miles of trail to hike, though the trails are closed during hunting season. This is a primary wild turkey breeding area, so certain areas are marked off limits when they are nesting. It seems a little strange, coming from Oregon, to have hunting in a state park, but here in Texas there is nothing equal to the BLM lands we have out on the west coast. All the land, with the exception of a few national parks (which are relatively small) and the forts, all the land is owned by the state or private individuals, thus, hunting is allowed in the state wildlife management areas and state parks.

Once we arrived at the ranch we shifted into unpack and organize mode..... which is where we still are. We're making headway, but there's still a lot to do. This week was primarily devoted to mowing chores, and planting a few flowers in hopes they'll be up in time for the wedding in mid-May. With a little luck Mother Nature will assist in that department. The blue bonnets and other wildflowers are just starting to show up, and it's raining right now, so it should be a really good year for the wildflowers this state is so famous for.