Travels with Seaglass and Merry Andrew

listening in!
Evnin', all!

Hi, Marg-ie!

Hi ossobuco and Margo,

MA and Seaglass,
Yes, I remember the landscape around Abilene. Rather sparse, dusty, everything either sticks or bites. It must have been very hot too. I'm glad you two made it ok and certainly hope the remainder of your trip is uneventful - except for the fun things. Be assured your rainforest clicks are progressing well.

Hi, y'all. Update: sitting at the same Kinko's in Abilene. Just got back from an overnighter to old San Antone and the Alamo. Neither of us had ever seen that revered structure before. Rained like hell. Good thing that most of what's worth seeing is indoors. Last night we did the Riverwalk thing and even took the boat ride which meanders all over the River. Some marketing genius (from Mad. Ave., no doubt) had a brilliant idea in developing that particular concept. If I can find a link, I'll post it, but can't spend too much time online just now.

Gustav -- where in hell are you? Seaglass wants to know if you've been sniffing swamp gas again.

Oss -- thanks for the thought of meeting us, but 700 or 800 miles really is out of the way.

Rodeo (Texas Cowboy Reunion at Stamford, TX) this weekend. Damn! I left my spurs behind back in Boston.

Merry, are you wearing one of those big ol' hats like Dan Blocker used to wear in "Bonanza"? Or are you going more for the sinister look, like Black Bart?

That's what's been killing me. Over and over in my mind the same question has been haunting me:

"What are Merry and the legendary Seaglass wearing? And are they safe"?

These are troubling times.

I think MA told us somewhere else what he'll be wearing (now - where was that?) I'm sure one item was a Stetson (but no description of exact style) (do Stetsons have style?)

Following along and enjoying the trip. Thanks for the great updates, kids!

Merry, it has been so much fun following along with you and Seaglass. I've loved all the suggestions from Danon--you should write a travel book, there are not only good suggestions, but interesting historic facts.

One disappointment is that Dys and I can't invite you and Seaglass to the house we just bought in Albuquerque. The closing is on the 8th of July and we won't actually move in for a few days after that.

Please let us know if you travel the that area again--we would love to have you stay with us. Lots of good things going on in New Mexico.

I was arrested in Albuquerque once.

Hi MA and Seaglass,
The Alamo!! Now there is a reverent site for Tejanos. I've recently learned that there was a very large percentage of the "good guys" inside the mission during the battle that were Mexicans. It makes sense, they were born and grew up there. Anyway, people generally don't realize it - but WE were the "wet backs" then!!! The Mexican government was being invaded by us. It was a good war - and we won. (grin)

The riverwalk, a really good place for a great lunch. And some unique shopping. Ok, ladies there's enough for everyone!!!
Here is a thumbnail site for pix of the riverwalk, http://www.exploitz.com/pictures/4855/index.php

I'm sure you two visited the Missions Trail sites. For everyone else - http://hotx.com/missions/
Really good sites for some outstanding photos!!!!!!!!1

I bet not too many people know that the author O. Henry lived in San Antonio. http://www.accd.edu/sac/english/mcquien/htmlfils/ohenry2.htm

MA, You may borrow my spurs, they are old classics. Just always remember the old saying - "Don't squat with spurs on."

Keep those updates coming.

Stay dry. And cool.

margo,
Try this site = http://www.stetsonhat.com/

Diane,
Thanks, I really love to visit places and try to find out as much as possible ahead of time. Makes it more interesting to me. Say hello to Dys for me.

gus,
What for??
<<Most of the time I don't ask certain questions - because the answer isn't usually worth the effort of asking the question. But, with you I'm confident of an interesting response. lol I told my wife Patti about your signature - she was ROTFLHAO. Keep it up.>>

Howdy, everyone, howdy. Thanks so much for sharing our trip with us. Always nice to have to have traveling companions. And thank you, Danon, for all the links you've been providing that I haven't been able to provide. But here's one:

http://bigcountrytexas.com/
The first item there is a link to the Texas Cowboy Reunion. Seaglass and I attenbded the opening events yesterday. This is one of the highlights of the Summer season in the Big Country, as locals call the Greater Abilene area. The rodeo started away back in 1930, at the height of the Great Depression, when most cattle were still being herded on horseback and pickup trucks and jeeps were a distinct novelty. As I mentioned in an earlier post, it's where barrel racing was first introduced as a way to give the ladies on horseback something competitive to do. It is also the venue where the first officially sanctioned American Quarter Horse show was held (forgot the year). Will Rogers was a visitor to the rodeo in 1935 (he arrived incognito but was immediately spotted). That years some 55,000 visitors attended the rodeo, a record number and pretty incredible for a town of Stamford's size.

Seaglass says she intends to ride in the Seasoned Women's Barrel Race next year, no matter what Gus says about it. Gus, I'm wearing a very stylish straw Stetson, Seaglass has a pink straw cowgirl hat and we spend our time almost exclusively in blue jeans, except when it gets so hot you just have to change to shorts.

In Hawaii we'd be known as paniolo and paniola. This is, of course, subject to any corrections from Pueo. Where is he lately, anyway?

We shall keep in touch and y'all keep those cards and letters coming!

(Hugs and kisses from Seaglass [she says].)

Thanks, Danon

I'm almost afraid to ask - but just what is a barrel race? Do you have to drink to the bottom of the barrel?.......

Roll out the barrel..............

I was wondering where you were, M.A; but, I've read everything from this post and am now up to date-- I'm glad to hear that you two are having a great time.

Margo: I thought that barrel races consisted of going into a barrel and being rolled around (!) ; but this site http://www.angelfire.com/ga2/barrelrcr57/learning.html suggests otherwise...

Seaglass and MA,
That's a great link. I like the Grand Entry Parade. My riding buddy and I used to enter the arena riding backwards. Just for fun. I rode some pretty hefty stock when I was 17 or 18 yrs old. The bareback horses and the bulls were what I did. The last bull I rode was in Louisiana - a really big red bull that when I settled down on his back I could feel the muscles rippling under the seat of my pants. It was the first time I thought that I could get hurt - I was thinking that when I heard the announcer telling everyone how this bull had never been ridden in three years of rodeoing. That didn't set well with my feelings either. I let the boys pull the rope tight and wrap it around my fingers - the flank strap guy was ready - so I tipped my hat and went for a ride. The gate swung out and the big red bull hesitated for what seemed like an eternity - then he gracefully threw his head into the arena - took two straight jumps toward the middle of the arena, turned left and started spinning. I had been told what to expect by the clowns. Bulls are like people, creatures of habit, and generally do the same movements each time they buck. I stayed on 8 secs. That was my last ride.

margo,
I think drom has filled us all in with the barrel racing link. Thanks drom.

Aaahhhh - horses, and spending money, and getting hurt. Hmmmm.

I think I liked my idea better!

margo,
I too like your idea better.

Hi, folks. Sorry for the long recess in communication here. We've been racing around like crazy. Here's a quick itinerary, with detail to follow in one to two days when we're back on Seaglass' own computer in Volcano, HI.

Abilene to an overnight in Lamesa, TX. Next morning, across the border to the Carlsbad Caverns in NM. Awesome. If anyone has a link, pls post it. If not, I'll find one in a day or so. Spent the day and night at Carlsbad, then on to Roswell NM and the UFO Museum (among other things)> Again, link appreciated. Next, Lincoln, NM, historic stomping ground of Billy the Kid. On to Gallup, NM, and a day at Chaco Canyon, home of the Anasazi pueblo dwellers. On to Tuscon, the San Xavier Mision and Tombstone. Yuma Terr prison (AZ). Link to come. Right now we're in LA awaiting to maybe hear from Lightwizard. Tomorrow a.m. we fly off to the Sandwich Isles.

Aloha, all.

(PS -- Gus, you been sniffin' that swamp gas again? Seaglass wants to know.)

Hereby: done :wink:


Different link






... and I do hope, you'll have some lazy recreation as well :wink:

(Looks like Walter beat by a little...)

Here's the Carlsbad Caverns home page.

It's like a football stadium underground.

The UFO museum's website isn't quite as good as the one from the New Mexico Dept. of Tourism's, so here's that one, instead.

I like both of those places quite a bit, but I really dig on the cliff dwellings.

Here's a good site, with lots of photos, of Chaco Canyon.

An even better place to see the ancient Indian communities is Mesa Verde, in SW Colorado.