In the Big Bend. . . Briefly

Once through the Maverick entrance the traffic did lighten up a bit. I was able to pull off the road pretty much where I wanted and shoot what I wanted. That's always important to a photographer who finds it terribly difficult to play the scofflaw. Other Parks often have more constraints - like cliffs, blind curves, few safe places to get out of the car and shoot. It's often very frustrating. Not at Big Bend. I was loving this place.

All over the west you find these natural monuments and I regularly marvel at the idea they're created by erosion. And the top of each the "statue", if you will, is the remains of the caprock, the softer material below spreading out to create the monument's pedestal. Admittedly, some of the statues would be labeled "impressionist" because an impression of something is all you can take away. But I really loved this one of the leprechaun leaning against a shoe. Okay, maybe a little imagination helps.

This image is just a pleasant composition, shot from my window of the terrain north of Panther Jct Rd as I moved east across the Park. A brief hesitation because of my time crunch; I was anxious to get to the Chisos Basin Rd.

Closer to a portion of the natural fortress of the Chisos Mountains, the hair on my neck is standing up. How many Lipan Apaches can hide in the Chisos Basin? I stopped long enough to get another "exterior" shot. When I get to the turnoff, it'll be like entering a forest and I can't wait!

Rats! I hadn't been looking for Bluebonnets. Okay, Bluebonnets: click. Let's move on. The turnoff's just up there aways. Yeah, it was there, I turned south on the Basin Rd and immediately found myself at the end of a very long line. I left myself some room and thought about my dilemma. The line's not moving - at all. If it starts moving, how long can I spend taking pictures till I have to bail anyway? If I leave right now, I can get home by 10 PM. . . and I can always come back. . . I have to come back. What little I've seen of the place is pulling. . . but I need to come back and do it right when I have time on my side. I'm glad I left myself room. The line hasn't moved at all and no one squawked about my u-turn. I'm outta here.

Jeez! Even leavin's great. Clouds rolling in in the mid afternoon.

Well, that's it. I spent hours getting there, stayed very briefly, and spent hours (it seemed like forever) driving home - and it was still a great experience!