ODESSA TEXAS TO VAN HORN TEXAS::NAILED BY A FREAK OVERNIGHT WINTER STORM IN ODESSA!!

AND THIS IS WHAT WE WOKE UP TO THIS MORNING

Winds in the night picked up with gusts flapping Kelly’s bedroom awning cover so she had to pull her slide in.  Occasionally I could hear sounds on the roof that sounded like somebody was throwing handfuls off gravel up there.  Had no idea what it could be.  Also had no idea what those night winds were carrying with them until this morning when we first opened our curtains.  ‘OMG’ we had us a winter storm going on outside!!!!  The parking lot had bands of ‘SNOW’ blown across it and those sounds on the roof in the night must have been clusters of frozen ice pellets coming down.  According to our weather site the outside temperatures was 24F.  There had been no winter storm warnings that we knew of so I’m sure everyone in this area woke up to a big surprise.  I wasn’t long in digging out my packed away winter gear to get Pheebs outside.  Of course with her furry coat on the snowy cold didn’t bother her.  There was no point in even thinking about going anywhere until the storm blew itself out so we hunkered down and waited.  Forecast high for Odessa tomorrow (Thursday) is 63F so it looks like we just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time:((

Our travel priorities today had been pretty simple, find us a batch of warm air somewhere West of where we were.  We knew we were close to it but we first had to get ourselves there……but it was not to be.  Because of the overnight freak snowstorm we were delayed in Odessa until well after noon.  With no major road equipment for clearing snow and ice off the roads we just had to wait for milder temperatures to thaw things out. 

NO SHOPPING CARTS IN THE STILES TODAY

Had us a relaxing morning around the rig reading, and bonking around on our laptops.  Considered walking to a nearby Walmart for something to do but decided it was just too darn cold and windy to walk anywhere.

AND IT WAS A RELAXING MORNING FOR THE DOGGY TOO

CHIPPING ICE OFF THE PASSENGER SIDE MIRROR WITH A KITCHEN SPATULA….I HAD TOTALLY FORGOT I HAD AN ICE SCRAPER BY THE DRIVER’S SEAT

The weather advisory ended at 11 and 45 minutes later I noticed snow melting in the parking lot.  We also noticed the street beside us was finally clear of  ice and snow.  Didn’t take us long to get ourselves packed up and squared away.  At 12:25 we rolled out of the Sam’s Club parking lot heading for I-20.  We hadn’t gone 3 blocks when we noticed there was no snow anywhere and when we got to the Interstate it was totally bare and dry.  Geeezzzz, was the winter storm just in the Sam’s Club Parking lot???  We hadn’t gone far when we saw 3 different vehicles in the ditch so that told us the Interstate had indeed received the same ice and snow we did so our decision to stay put for the morning was a good one.

MUCH OF TEXAS IS VERY FLAT SO WE JUST SET THE RIG ON CRUISE CONTROL AND LET THE MILES ROLL BY

ONE OF THREE VEHICLES STILL IN THE DITCH FROM THE OVERNIGHT ICE AND SNOW STORM

THERE MUST BE THOUSANDS OF THESE ‘DONKEY ENGINES’ IN TEXAS

A TYPICAL MODERN TEXAS OIL RIG

IT WAS NICE TO SEE SOME HILLS ALONG THE WAY

OUR SHARP EYED NAVIGATOR IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE ARE

IT’S STARTING TO LOOK A LITTLE SOUTHWESTY HERE

Today’s traffic was lighter than Tuesday’s traffic and we figured yesterday’s rush was due to post-Christmas sales.  The crush of cars and people in that Midland Walmart was unbelievable.

SEEMED LIKE IT WAS GETTING FOGGY UP AHEAD

AND WHAT’S THAT ON THOSE TREES??

West of Pecos I noticed a kind of a odd looking fog ahead.  Had a feeling it had something to do with colder eastern air running into the warmer western air.  And it did.  Began noticing a curious thing when shrubbery and trees began taking on an icy look to them kind of like a fairy wonderland.  Roads were fine but the icy fog cloud had touched everything with a painters silvery brush.  Tried to get a few photos going by but they are nowhere near the real beauty I saw.

With today’s late start our destination was Van Horn Texas about a hundred and sixty miles away.  Think it was around 2:45 when we merged with another of the country’s major Interstates that I think has it’s eastern beginning somewhere in Florida.  I-10.

It was maybe 20 miles east of Van Horn when we came down out of the fog cloud that I first caught sight of distant mountains on the horizon.  Oh what a nice feeling that always is for me every year and I repeatedly look forward to that moment.  And to add icing to the cake it was about this same time our oppressive gray cloud cover began to break up allowing old Sol to finally shine through and bathe us in glorious warm sunshine.

YESIREEEE THERE ARE THE HAZY MOUNTAINS ON THE HORIZON

THURSDAY WE WILL BE OFF THE FLAT TEXAS PLAINS AND INTO THE MOUNTAINS OF NEW MEXICO

VAN HORN TEXAS LIES TO THE LEFT OF THAT ROCKY MOUNTAIN TOP KNOB

Our propane was getting low so we exited Van Horn’s first ramp which took us to a Love’s Truck stop where we were able to get our big propane tank filled.  Decided to top off our gas tank as well but the gas bar there was jam packed with 4 wheelers so we took the service road 3 stop signs to the west where we knew a McDonalds to be.  Kelly had read on-line of a large dirt parking lot behind McDonalds where people have overnighted.   Truckers use this spot but it’s a big enough area to not be near the trucks.  There’s also a gas station here so we filled up.

PROPANE STOP AT LOVE’S TRUCK STOP IN VAN HORN AND A GAS FILL UP AT A STATION ACROSS FROM MCDONALDS

In all the years we have overnighted in places like Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, and Cracker Barrels we have never been bothered or harassed by anyone or anything.  Well until Tuesday night in Odessa that is.  Some local yokel with a souped up car figured it would be great sport to harass the RV people (us) in their Motorhome.  He first drove by real close blowing his horn.  But that was all…….until he returned later around midnight and woke us up by squealing his car’s tires over and over again in the parking lot near us.  What a jerk!!

BEEN AWHILE SINCE I’VE HAD A PICTURE OF THE MOTORHOME WITH MOUNTAINS IN THE BACKGROUND

Tomorrow we will head towards El Paso Texas then veer off onto the 375 bi-pass and follow Howard Payne’s directions on to get around El Paso the easy way.  Howard and Linda just did that a few days ago and thanks to Howard for blogging about the route.  Alternate RV Route Around El Paso Texas

No idea as to where we will be Thursday night except to say we will finally be in warmer air  somewhere in New Mexico under starry skies I should think.  See you there:))

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A ten-year-old Jewish boy was failing math. His parents tried everything from tutors to hypnosis; but to no avail. Finally, at the insistence of a family friend, they decided to enroll their son in a private Catholic school.  After the first day, the boy's parents were surprised when he walked in after school with a stern, focused and very determined expression on his face.  He went straight past them, right to his room and quietly closed the door. For nearly two hours he toiled away in his room with math books strewn about his desk and the surrounding floor. He emerged long enough to eat, and after quickly cleaning his plate, went straight back to his room, closed the door and worked feverishly at his studies until bedtime.  This pattern of behavior continued until it was time for the first quarter's report card. The boy walked in with it unopened, laid it on the dinner table and went straight to his room.  Cautiously, his mother opened it and, to her amazement, she saw a large red 'A' under the subject of Math. Overjoyed, she and her husband rushed into their son's room, thrilled at his remarkable progress.  Was it the nuns that did it? the father asked. The boy shook his head and said "No."  Was it the one-to-one tutoring? The peer-mentoring? "No."  The textbooks? The teachers? The curriculum?  "No," said the son. "On that first day, when I walked in the front door and saw that guy nailed to the plus sign, I KNEW they were serious! ==============================