Ramblings and Random Thoughts From the Road - February 24, 2015

Heading to Livingston, Texas and my mind has been wandering as we travel…

...Going through Border Patrol checkpoints is a bit surreal, with the guards, dogs, and assorted cameras and electronic equipment.   Is this how it felt crossing European country borders during World War II--where are your papers?

...Back in winter weather with snow and 25 degree temps!  Weird looking at cacti covered in snow!

...Miles and miles of undeveloped land here in Texas—it is hypnotic to watch it through the window!  The land in Texas is mostly privately-owned, unlike states like California and Arizona, where more than 40% of their land mass is government-owned.  I learned recently that the Federal government owns approximately 28% of total U.S. land mass!  Not to mention lands owned by state and local government agencies.  This is mind-boggling to me!  One of the fundamental rights that our founding fathers bestowed upon us was the right to land ownership.  If you own land, you are financially independent, and therefore not beholden to the government.  One of the principles of The Communist Manifesto was the abolition of private property and the application of all rents of land to public purposes.  Which one sounds more like the U.S.A. today?

...Hey, did you see that billboard for PoPo Restaurant in Boerne, Texas?  It claims to be a Texas tradition since 1929, serving chicken, steaks, and seafood.  Once again, no relation to me, PoPo the Rambling RV Rat, but with a name like mine, how bad can it be?  Unfortunately, Daddy wouldn’t get off the Interstate for me to find out!

...The clouds are hugging the mountains like a Snuggie Blanket Robe!

Snuggling the Mountains

...Passing lots of ranches now.  Mom so happy to see animals like moo cows, sheep, and horses.  We even spotted a ranch with zebras!

...Look to the East.  That’s the name of the sculpture you can see in Fort Stockton, Texas right from the Interstate.  Of course, taking a pic through the window while traveling 65 miles per hour is no easy feat.

Look to the East!  Fort Stockton, TX

...Warning, Will Robinson!  “Big Boomer’s” dashboard alarms and lights says there is a problem with the ABS system.  We are driving in freezing rain/sleet, Sweet Cheeks won’t stop chirping, and Tabatha has been complaining for the last half hour—what cacophony!  We are two hours outside San Antonio, where the nearest International Truck dealer/service area is located.  Daddy pulls over, turns off the truck to check things out.  He finds nothing wrong with the brakes.  He restarts the truck--lights and buzzers are back.  Mommy is in panic; this brings back bad memories (we had a similar problem on our very first trip as full-timers.  In that situation, every light and buzzer was going off simultaneously!  Two days and $4,000 later, we were back on the road).  Now Daddy just taps the brakes a few time, and voila, the lights and alarms are gone!  We get back on the road and continue on our way.  We are home free for now, but I have a sneaky suspicion that we haven’t heard the end of this story.

Yada, yada, yada—even yours truly is tired of his ramblings.  Have a good night and talk to you soon!