Author: Steve

 

We heard a strange sound last night about 9 o’clock.  It was loud.  Couldn’t place it.  We went outside.  It seemed to be coming from the agricultural field across the fence on the north side of the park.  Something like maybe a hot air balloon flame on steroids; a jet engine; maybe firing up giant crop heaters for the impending cold weather.  None of those explanation made sense though.  Asked around.  Found out.

 

There is a dragstrip three and a half air miles from here.  Sometimes we hear them running on Saturday nights.  This Saturday night, last night, was different.  What we were hearing was a jet engine; more specifically three jet engines attached to a semi-truck called Shockwave.  36,000 horsepower.

 

It made two exhibition runs.  It would have looked something like this video I found on YouTube:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNBEO4udS58

 

It was exciting, even from here, not knowing what it was.

 

 

Old Salt.

 

La Sal Vieja Map

 

Another of the salt lakes.

 

The trailhead.

 

A Harris’s Hawk to welcome me.

 

Engulfed in the chortling calls of sandhill cranes in flight.

 

 

A walk up the trail.

 

 

 

 

 

A small pond on the way.

 

 

A morning vulture liftoff.

 

 

The approach to the lake.

 

 

And the view.

 

 

A look back.

 

Salt harvesting equipment decaying in neglect.

 

 

This is my second trip here recently.  It turns out we have a salt scientist among our friends.  (Yes, that really is a thing.)  I made a trip here to collect a sample, but it didn’t turn out like I wanted.  I didn’t have the right tools, and the hard crusty sample I collected came with a lot of dirt and debris attached.

 

So this time I returned with more sophisticated scientific equipment.

 

And was able to scrape off a top layer of salt to collect a much cleaner sample.

 

 

 

That moved!

 

Closer inspection reveals a charming little wild Texas Tortoise.

 

 

 

 

 

The traditional meal.

 

And a fire table after.

 

 

Thinking of family and friends.  We feel thankful.

 

 

It’s beginning to look a lot like Thankschristmas at our house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re having one friend over for an outdoor dinner on the deck tomorrow.  Judy, the cranberry lady, has been making homemade cranberries for two days and delivering servings to people all over the park as a way to share without all being in the same place at the same time.  The pie and ice cream; just at our house.