Our rig is parked below a Texas Ebony Tree in the campground of Falcon State Park in southern Texas.  This weekend has brought a crowd of mostly fisher families to enjoy the grand reservoir above the Falcon Dam.  The old town of Falcon is long submerged along the old banks of the Rio Grande River.  The new town of Falcon is a bit east of here.  It has never recovered from its relocation.

We’re in a wet desert now of Mesquite, Sage Brush, and various kinds of Acacia.  The birdlife includes Cactus Wren, Black-throated Sparrow, and the Cardinal-like Pyrruloxia.  We found rarer birds below the dam at the strange little town of Salineno.  Peccaries (now called Javelina) wander in small herds about the campground to entertain us.

The weather last week started off hot, but rain brought much cooler nights starting in the middle of the week.  Today the mercury rose from about 40 to 90 during the course of the day.  Now at dusk the thermometer says 74 and is falling fast.

Coyotes howl distantly in the thorn scrub that surrounds us.  Mockingbirds perch on the Spanish Dagger Yucca plants scattered across the sandstone plain here above the flooded river valley.  Gas wells are scattered about the park and its surroundings.  A compressor station adjacent to the park packages the product for shipping.  Fracking was invented here and gives us cheap gas.  Hurrah.  Ranching is another popular industry here.  Beef makes good use of land unsuitable for other kinds of agriculture.  It almost grows itself for free.  Of course, feeding it some corn at the end makes it prime and tastier. 

Other business here is international trade and border management.  Several of our neighbors operate radar balloons that adorn our skyline.  They try to interfere with some of the international trade.

Spring is coming.  The deciduous Mesquite began leafing out about two weeks ago and now the low hills are lime green.  Several of the acacias are in bloom drawing bees to the pale yellow and fragrant flowers.  Anne is studying the butterflies.  Only a few fly in this season, but most here are different from those at home.

Tomorrow we move to Lake Casa Blanca State Park at the edge of the City of Laredo.  Residents here say Laredo has become a Mexican town and is best avoided.  I’ll tell you next week if that seems so to us.  Some 85 miles north of here, the city promises even more extremes of temperature and a drier climate.  It is closer to home even as we follow the south border of Texas east to west.  Along this section the border is really north/south, so we are heading north toward home.  We will go farther away only when we approach the Big Bend region. 

Meanwhile we enjoy the local customs.  Here all of the radio and television is Spanish language.  Anne is severely disappointed to have missed the last episode of Downton Abbey.  Don’t tell here what happened.  Internet is sparse and sporadic.  I’m hoping to upload this note this evening, but if not then at some later time.  We’re hoping for better communications, at least, near Laredo.  The beef should be good too.