Bakers' Blessings: Big Spring to Pook & Diesel

8:30 a.m. - pulled out of Whip In RV Park. Temperature: 54 degrees. Cloudy. Wind: 10-15 mph. Route: I-20 > Exit 340 > Dublin > Texas Hwy. 6 > Midway COE Campground. ETA: 3:00ish.

8:57 a.m. - Colorado Lake State Park. Lake was so small I almost missed it. Did miss taking it's picture.

This area is looking more like where we both grew up: grass, trees, rolling terrain, mesquite trees. plowed fields. pasture land, cows and horses, kind of red dirt (Don), cedars, freshly plowed gardens, pine trees (Don's fav).

9:07 a.m. - Don's Trooper sighting (TS): 4 since we left park.

Little bitty drops of water. didn't last long.

Generating windmills everywhere. Not a good sign. Must be windy here a lot. Both sides of the road.

9:20 a.m. - Stopped for gas @ 235 Travel Stop. easy off, easy access, easy on. $3.25/gal.

Oil pumps still dotting the landscape. I'm disappointed: it's too early for the Texas Bluebonnets, here.

Notice flags in Sweetwater. It's still windy today, but not as bad as yesterday. Present temperature: 51 - 53 degrees.

TS-5

My goodness, there are miles and miles of electricity generating windmills.

Noodle Dome Rd? Makes you wonder how some of these things got their name.

What's that I smell?

If anyone asks you, the little town of Merkel is just west of Abilene.

If we had a piece of land in Texas with a hill by the highway, this is what I'd do. These are those metal cut-outs that you see at flea markets and specialty shops. This was touching scene of a cowboy kneeling by the cross with his horse standing by. Speaks volumes. If I'm ever headed west on I-20 between Tye & Merkel, I will stop and get a better picture of this.

Tye, Texas

10:10 a.m. - Abilene. Nice size town. Don almost moved here once; Pepsi wanted him to manager their plant here. ooops. Big detour.

Back on I-20.

Elmdale (don't blink)

Rest area for cereal. Red bud tree in bloom

10:45 a.m. - Back on Road.

Clyde (Don's daddy's name), White's RV Park here. Whataburger sighting in Clyde.

Baird, Texas

North side of Texas Hill Country. Very pretty.

Yeah!!! I saw some bluebonnets along the road, but not in this picture. This is more pretty hill country.

Putnam, Texas

Motorcoach pulling a helicopter! We're going to travel with them! Wondering how they got it on that trailer... landed it? I LOVE traveling with camera and laptop. This was really fun to see and record and now I will remember it.

Notice the bottom right corner of this self-pic. Can you guess how that got there? Pretty cool, huh? Couldn't do it again if I tried.

TS 6 (that's code for 'trooper sighting #6')

Cisco, Tx. Someone is raising llamas here. It's pretty through here. We love the hill country. Pink buttercups blooming on in the median.

11:28 a.m. exit 340 to Hwy 6. 84 miles to Pook & Diesel!!

We love seeing the ponds of water along the way in the pastures of green grass. Carbon, Texas.. don't blink. Excuse the antenna in the middle of this picture. You may notice that I obsess about a few things: trees (dead or alive), flowers, bodies of water, & horses. (oh, and I forgot... roads.)

Plum thickets are blooming. Nice two lane highway. Contented cows. Hmmm, this place is for sale.

Prickly pear cactus???? (shudder)

Pretty mini lake. Preventive burning and it helps the new growth. Lots of animals: goats, donkeys, hogs, cows, horses. Love it.

Gorman, Texas Home of the peanut capital. Temperature: 58

Comanche, Texas (some where, missed the town, but saw the sign)

Little white chapel. Pecan and peach orchards abound here.

DeLeon, Texas (home of Morris & Carol Pruitt and The Peach & Melon Festival). This is just out of DeLeon and it has trees (dead & alive), water, cows & horses. Jackpot!

ooooooo saw beautiful purple & white irises! my fav! Mistletoe hanging in the trees.

Dublin,Texas The red buds are blooming in Texas! 12:15 p.m. - stopped for gas. $3.19.9/gal. Dublin is an old town.

I must be happy to be in Texas... I'm taking LOTS of pictures. It's so green and pretty. And I've seen two cardinals.

Game preserve! There are prong horns and deer in this picture, but hard to see.

Clairette, Tx; Bosque River; Hico, Tx - famous for Billy the Kid legend and Wiseman CHOCOLATE (and there was no place for us to park! :-(() A mural painted on the wall of a building in Hico. Wish I could have gotten the whole mural.

Bluebonnets! and Indian Paint Brushes. Horses at Hico... guess that makes them Hico Horses.

Don says "no wind, very pleasant drive today." He's just tired of being in the truck.

Iredell, Tx

A mansion on the hill... hope they have one in heaven, too. The big gate at the entrance said, "Mosley Ranch."

Meridian, Tx

Missed a photo opp while texting Les... Longhorn cattle.

Clifton, Tx. - Stopped at Brookshire's Grocery and bought fried chicken for lunch. Ate in the Savannah. Darlene called while we were in the store. They were stopped at the same rest area we stopped at Tuesday, just a few miles from the NM border. Sure was good to hear her voice.

2:00 p.m. - back on Hwy 6 toward P & D. Talking to Darlene made me want to hear Snookie's voice, so I just called her when we got back in the truck. She didn't recognize my voice (sigh) until she her Don laugh... then she knew it was me. They are still at Beaudry's in Chandler getting the wheels packed, etc. They plan to head for California in the morning. God's speed, Good Friends!

Valley Mills, Tx This is a champion performance horse ranch. The ranch house was beautiful. Tophand Cowboy Church in the white tent at this ranch and roping arena. The sun is shining through the haze.

2:20 p.m. - Our home for 2 weeks, Lake Waco, Midway Park. There's the lake!!

Got all set up, except DirecTV cable isn't long enough AND there is NO internet service here. Let's move! No TV and no internet, should be a pleasant two wee

5:00 p.m. - Going to Leslie's house to see her, Pook & Diesel!! Ck u later!

YEAH! POOK and DIESEL and LESLIE!

Pook was out in the neighbor's front yard playing with 'the girls'... neighbors grandkids, when we arrived. She ran to her front door, opened it and yelled, "They're here!" and then ran just as hard as she could down the sidewalk to me. Camden said, "Hi!"

Leslie (and her wonderful mother-in-law) have been working so hard to get the house ready to sell, along with her 8 to 5 j-o-b and taking care of two small children. I think she's happy we're here. I could just eat Camden "Diesel" aka "CamDiesel" up! He's grown so much and is walking everywhere. LOVES his mama. She's dealing with his separation anxiety at this stage, which probably has a lot to do with his daddy being in a different location. Emma "Pook" is such a happy girl, dancing and chattering like a little magpie. LOVES outdoors, like her Nonna. We went to Double Dave's Pizza for dinner. (The Double D brand is for Dave & Darlene) Yes, that's cottage cheese and chopped boiled eggs in her plate. She ate pizza, also.

Diesel loves his food!

Got his little cheeks stuffed full. When we got back to the house, it's bath time and bed time for Diesel. Pook got to stay up a little longer to play with the camera. She loves taking pictures. Wonder who she got that from? Here's her Webkinz, etc.And Papa Doppy. And Nonna. And her mommy. She does a really good job for a four year old. OK, Pook, it's time for bed, so my sweet Emma brushes her teeth and gives everyone nite-nite kisses with gobs of "I love you's" all around. We sure are enjoying being here with our family. Hopefully, we will be able to help out a little as Leslie certainly has her plate full.