Today is February 19, 2009 we're still heading east

Today is Thursday, February 19, 2009-- we are in Shawnee, Oklahoma--but I am backing up to fill you in on the last 7 days!



We left off on Feb 12, with Sue clutching her pocketbook (she still is, by the way)--


February 13, Friday
We did the Fredericksburg, TX, shops which were too cute . We ate at the local restaurant on the corner--chicken and dumplins, cornbread and german sausage-- big German influence here in this town.

In some of the shops, we saw a few pillows that looked like they were made out of Fawn hide-- brown with white spots--- they were gorgeous! ( well, city slicker Sue was SURE they were fake-- I disagreed)--and I felt awful that some poor little baby deer got hisself skinned :*(
In one of the shops, we asked the lady if they were real-- she said "OH YES"-- we looked at her in horror, and asked if they were fawn hides--
"Oh no, they are AXIS DEER--- they are spotted their whole lives"-- well, we certainly felt better that a baby critter didn't end up laying on a sofa with a rich bitches backside squashing it ( they were about $150 a pillow) and I personally was sorry they were so expensive-- they would have looked so cute in my house!--

We headed west to Abilene, TX--along the way we saw GIANT windmill farms-- thousands of them , just twirling quietly - We called our "in house" tour guide ( Karen Sabrsula, of Simonton, TX, who, if you remember, was busy hiding under her sofa when she thought we might POP IN)--She told us they were a project of Ole T. Boone Pickens--

There were many, many dead skunks along the way--- Sue could focus, as we sped by, on the features of the squashed, dead skunk---
"nice markings" she'd say
" Oh, that one had a handsome coat" she'd state as the black and white blob blurred by--

we also saw quite a few of the "Axis Deer" dead along the highway--- the thought crossed my mind to have Sue get out and skin a hunk off--- she generally will do most anything you ask her to :*)-- but she didn't seem willing to do this ---

There are a few oil wells pumping all over the place--- My cousin John D, said that the pumps we see are just pumps-- those giant tower things are used when they are DRILLING for oil--

The dirt here is DEEP DEEP red-- I'm not sure if it's clay or dirt-- can't tell whilst whizzing by at 80 MPH--by the way, here the speed limit signs are posted: White sign on top: 70MPH ( some places it's been 80 ! )-and then right under it a Black sign with white writing : 65 MPH-- Day and night speed limits

The land here looks just like the plains did that John Wayne rode his horse around in---scruffy bushes, red clay/dirt and a few buttes-- ( a raised mountain looking thing with a FLAT top)
Sue pointed out the butte: " Oh, look ! there's some buttes---"
"Oh , Yeah," I said glancing over
"or mesas", she added
"WHAT???"

" Well, "she said, deep in thought, they look like buttes, but they may be MESAS"
AA--RR--GG---HH---
Here we go again, Miss" is it a hawk or a falcon"

There are tons of black cattle, which keeps Sue occupied with deep bovine thoughts--

We got to Abilene--We ate at a place called Lytles Cattle House--- we had chicken fried steak with white gravy--the place was sorta like Outback, but Texas BBQ style--

There are a bazillion , bazillion pick up trucks here--- vehicle of choice, but I'm thinking there are an inordinate number of RED ones--- zillions of them--- could be that the red ones just stick out, but tons of them , none the less--

a few days ago, we did have another toilet blowing up episode--We had just checked in and we hadn't even gotten all the suitcases in--- Sue came running out of the bathroom saying water was spouting out everywhere--We got our room changed AGAIN--
I suggested Sue stop eating all that fruit and stick to cookies and fudge, like I'm doing--

In our stash of food we've brought, I have some absolutely deee-lishious SOFT dried bananas--Sue had never seen them, so I offered the bag to her--- she raised her eyeglasses to her forehead ( s***t-- how do you spell forehead?) and stuck her face on the ingredient label and said, horrified, " It has SUGAR and artificial banana flavoring!!!"
"Yeah??? Point???" I replied
So she pulled out HER bananas she brought--- they were in a package like proscuitto comes in--- they looked like ROADKILL in a package-- you had to peel the slices off
She presented them to me PROUDLY-- "here! try mine--- they are all natural---"
( they are called "NOTHING BUT BANANAS, FLATTENED" )--
well, I peeled off a slice--- no easy feat--- got goo under my nails-- I took a bite, which again was no easy task--- it was like jerky--- that's what this crap is like---BANANA JERKY!-- I chewed and chewed and chewed trying to soften this "all natural stuff " up- I swallowed a giant knot of banana and decided I'll stick with my Sam's club delicacy.

well, gotta hit the road---
Later~~
Mar