War of the Worlds, Pt. II

Area 51 (not the one in NV), was an interesting sojourn into the world of aliens. We found them quite friendly – even serving us adult beverages. Jy was a little impatient, until he and Cy had some of their own issues with the world being a little “turned upside down”. But there was plenty of “quality library time” for Cy later on in the afternoon. Unfortunately, it brought home the reality of “We Are Not Alone”.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind??

Were we being followed? Probably not, but imagine our surprise when we ran into the same girls from Maryland 3 times – in Big Bend NP on the Santa Elena hike along the Rio Grande, at Carlsbad Caverns NP leaving the evening bat flight program, and in Roswell, on Main St. Hmmm…. Coinicidence? Residents think not!

Zen in Guadalupe

A short hike in Guadalupe National Park. Thank god for the cool (relatively) weather. We built a cairn to mark our passage.

There Will Be a Quiz Following this Post

The biology teacher in the group felt the need to point out the anatomical correctness of the cavern features. Can you identify the structures shown? 5 pts each correct answer (no partial credit).

Carlsbad is Carls"good"

Big Bend: Part II

The hike we took in Big Bend was the shortest; a mere 1.6 miles but switchbacks, full sun, and 90-some degree weather was a lot for the Buckeyes in the group. The first time we all emptied our camelbacks.

Big Bend: Part I

A hike along the Rio Grande in the Big Bend region of Texas was grand. Teeming with life, we were amazed by the amount of vegetation here amidst the desert. Jy had to be convinced to wear a hat and bandanna and still he sleep for over 12 hours immediately following. He missed the beautiful sunset, the vinegaroon Py spotted, and the many skunks who visited us in the park. Sorry no pictures of Mr. Skunk, I didn't hang out too long.

Sunset at Big Bend

Clouds are apparently rare here... we weren't sure whether to be pleased or not. Beautiful sunset Py, Ky, and Cy watched for 45 minutes. (Big Bend kicked Jy's @$$)

Don't Get a $5000 Fine!

Apparently crossing the Rio Grande to touch Mexico can result in a large fine! Ouch! Not to mention jail time. We weren't sure that AAA would bail us out of Mexican jail so Cy and Py only tested the waters... only to find out that the Rio Grande is really the Rio Grosse!

Name That Tune

Hot Sand!

Splish Splash...

... three chycks and their bytch in a bath. We visited Hot Springs National Park where "taking the baths" is the thing to do -- for the low low cost of $30. Wow, what a bargain!

Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend?

Well, Arkansas is the Diamond State so we went in the search for them. This will be Jy's third time digging for diamonds so we figured luck was on our side. 90 degrees with 70-some percent humidity was quite enjoyable and three hours went very quickly. (NOT!) But we had fun and learned who the most meticulous of the group is. We're taking guesses... the winner earns our find!

A Long Drive

We accomplished two tasks on Tuesday: visited the Gateway Arch in St. Louis (Cy greets the Earthlings with the traditional Orkan hello: Nanoo nanoo) and drove to our next stop, Arkansas. Whew....Why does sitting around in a car all day make you soooo tired?