dokodemo

Mark is working on his PhD from the University in Austin, and Asenath is a massage therapist. They wanted some quiet and a chance to learn to be more self-sufficient. Alpine is a beautiful place for this experiment.

This year had record-breaking rainfall (30 inches compared to the usual 11). I was told it is uncharacteristically lush and green. That being said, every plant there is spiky, pointy, dry or a combination. The soil is made of extremely hard dirt and gravel. Beautiful mountains and mesas rise up on the edges of the desert, and the homes in the area tend towards low and flat.

On the drive in, I noticed many hawks sitting on the side of the road, unconcerned about a van rolling by. At one point a tarantula was walking slowly on the pavement as I blew over. The van seemed to be losing a little power, and it was smoking a bit when I stopped for gas.

Arriving at the place and saying hello, we went for a little stroll with the dogs, Lucy and Hounddog. I was totally amazed by the landscape and the setting sun sinking behind the mesas. The sky is big out there in the same way that it is in Montana or Wyoming. Clouds curve around in cresecent shapes which extend for miles and miles. Cactus, sage, and all kinds of alien plants I've never seen pop up where they can. Jackrabbits and kangaroo rats scurry around constantly. Hawks are everywhere. This place is not as dead as it looks.

Asenath made an excellent pot pie and later cobbler (I mean, she literally rolled out the dough and made it while we sat at the table)! I hadn't eaten such good homemade food in quite some time.

These two are extremely generous, warm, and fascinating people. It was really a spectaculor honour to be the first visitor they had welcomed since moving out there.

In the morning, Asenath and I went into Alpine to see about meeting up with a mechanic friend of hers, John. This man is an artist, machinist, farmer, architect, geologist, jewelrysmith, etc etc etc. It was impossible to gauge his age due to glowing health and the leathery tan which the desert provides. He was a 3rd generation vegetarian and had spent most of his life in this desert.

He has fashioned several "Art Cars" including Geronimo's Cadillac, a 6 passenger Adventurer touring car, a Cadillac limo painted by a local artist, and a Jeep which has front and back steering for incredible maneuverability. John also makes custom safari-rack luggage carriers, chandeliers, outdoor stoves, and almost anything else. His shop was incredible. Tools for every craft were available, including his "mobile shop" in an old school bus.

I had to special order new spark plugs from the local auto shop, so left the van at John's shop until the morning.

A local bookshop was hosting an art show organized by Beverly (John's partner). She had local artists all prepare paintings of GW on black velvet, with excellent results. Sadly my photos don't do them justice. Beverly, like John, had spent a lifetime in the desert and was just saturated with knowledge about the plants, animals, and politics of the area. She was truly a free spirit and her enthusiasm for life was contageous.

That evening, we went out to view the Mysterious Marfa Lights. We did see the type described in that link, which is quite skeptical. Locals talked about another type of light which causes great chaos, interacting with eleotromechanical systems (such as automobiles). One story reported that in WWII, a runway was built in the desert to train pilots. The Lights shut down the runway beacons, and assembled themselves in a new location, luring pilots to land among the cactii.

Marfa has constructed a viewing center for the lights, which was really an amazing building. Beautiful architecture and well appointed with free binoculars, signs and displays, and so on.

We later drove out onto a 15 mile long dirt road leading through county property to a ranch. The full moon was so bright that we drove without headlights for a while. Jackrabbits were too numerous to count, more than a dozen were easily spotted within a half hour. Owls of two distinct sizes were also seen. One -huge- one, and several tiny ones. Walking out among the desert under the full moon was a truly unreal experience which I am sure will remain one of my top memories throughout my life. We talked long about the Marfa lights and how excellent it was to overhear the other tourists there, willing to open their minds and bend their realities. One man was sternly informing his wife that these were just headlights, while she truly Want To Believe.

In the morning I was treated to a most needed and most wonderful massage session with Asenath. She is exceptionally gifted, and I urge anyone in Alpine to pay her a visit. The details of the session are fairly individual specific so I will spare the report and implore you to try her service.

With new sparks, the van ran better but was still missing a cylinder, so I had to make the decision to go back to Austin, where specialty VW shops can be found and I have friends to stay with.

As it happened, Asenath and Mark were coming into Austin as well, and they graciously offered to escort me in case of engine trouble on the highway. I-10 through Texas is quite lightly travelled and there are enormous open spaces between towns. My gas mileage was horrifyingly low, like 12mpg (should be 22) so I had to stop for gas twice, while they were able to do the whole thing on one tank in their Caravan.

The good news is that now I get to visit more in Austin, see Mark and Asenath in Austin, and then drive back out to their place when the van is repaired. We will aim for the Big Bend national park, which is reputedly amazing now since the uncharacteristic rain has greened and lushified the area. I'm looking forward to seeing Peanut and Loverboy the cats, John and beverly, and Alpine itself again.