Blog#10 Big Bend National Park

Published by Eileen Salazar on 03/12/201803/12/2018

Day 12- Marfa to Big Bend National Park

Left Marfa for Big Bend National Park(Texas), after a good breakfast of leftover burrito. Past the next town, Alpine, and a few miles out of town, came upon this in the middle of nowhere. I recall now that I saw a similar building the other side of Marfa and the sign on it read Marfa Prada. These West Texans have a wicked sense of humor.

Enroute from Alpine to the next town, Marathon, I witnessed a red tail hawk being hit by a car. It was in the road with another red tail, getting tail, I surmised. I stopped and went to see if it was mortally injured, and it appeared to have a broken leg, possibly a broken wing as well. It was alert and not oozing, It was able to use it’s wings to get off the road. I sat and watched it from the car, thinking that from experience, it sometimes takes a few minutes for birds to die. It didn’t die. And I could not drive away and just leave it there to starve to death. I thought I would call the non- emergent Texas Highway Patrol and ask if there was an organization they could contact that does bird rescue work. No cell service… I am in West Texas. I can’t just leave that hawk. It was looking right into my eyes. If you were raised Catholic, you know about guilt.I got out of the car and stood there while a Border Patrol truck went on by. A couple minutes later, there came another Border Patrol truck. (They take border patrolling seriously in Texas). This time, being a Clever American Woman, I looked directly at the driver and held out my hands palms up, indicating “Why not stop and help?” He slowed, spun around and came right back. He was a friendly young man who asked if I needed help. I explained the situation, and he said that he, too, had no cell service. I asked if he could radio someone—police, sheriff, marshall, air force. He had no radio. I was immediately in fear for my life, because if the Border Patrol out in West Texas has no way to communicate with each other, who is going to stop that murderous, raping mob swarming our border, the ones President Trump says they are sending to us. “They” no doubt gave all those crimanals a bottle of water and a sack lunch before scooting then out across the desert. Better hurry with that wall. Just be prepared, you masons. No way to get hold of the rockyard to order more block. Anyway, I said to this nice young man, “Well, you suck. You are of no use to me whatsoever”. In reply, he laughed, got back in his truck and left me.

I drove on into Marathon, where I finally had cell service. I googled the Marathon Police Department and then followed my Google Map to a house that did not resemble a police department. But the house had bird feeders, and I saw these quail. Not like ours back home.

Scaled Quail

Sorry, I am a birder. I digress.

Being ridden with guilt, I continued to brainstorm. I called the Alpine police, explained my need and was given a number for the Marathon police. I called that number, and it turned out to be the Brewster County Sherriff’s office. I again explained my need, and she said that there is no critter rescue that she knows of. But wait, she says, she’s going to patch me through to a guy that can maybe help. So I stay on the line and very soon I am talking with the highway patrol. He takes the info on the hawk whereabouts and thanks me, telling me that the state wildlife people will go check on rescuing the hawk, or euthanizing it. It may or may not have happened, but I was able to sleep.
Drove into Big Bend, seeing antelope on the way.

Antelope

Driving into Big Bend

When I arrived at my campsite, the first thing to greet me was a Vermillion Flycatcher,

My valentine, the Vermillion Flycatcher

one of my favorites. He was hanging out on the low tree branches that hung over my spot. He was dancing for someone—I don’t think it was me. It’s that time of year.
I met a couple of retired teachers from upstate New York. They had a small trailer and had pulled it from home, stopping to do some volunteer work in New Orleans. They have been giving their time each year to New Orleans, helping to rebuild after Katrina. Rae-Louise and Ken—good folks.
I also met a young family from Waco. I had to ask about Joanna and Chip Gaines’ silos— were the cupcakes any good? They told me they were. In fact, their dogsitter (with their dogs as we spoke) works at the bakery!
Having developed a rapport with the campers around me, I felt safe enough to sleep with all the car windows open. The breeze was lovely, there were no bugs. I was hoping to wake to the noise of javelinas rooting in my campsite, but no such luck.

Morning visitor to the campground

My campsite in the Rio Grande Valley

The road to Rio Grande Valley Campground

On the campsite foodbin

Second day in Big Bend, I drove to the opposite side of the park to the Chisos Mountain Basin, ~ 3400 ft plus climb in elevation.

Golden Fronted Woodpecker

Up there, they see cougars, bobcat, bear and gray foxes. I didn’t hold out much hope for the first three, but I had some inside info on where to

see the fox. So I cruised the area last night in the dark, and on the 4th pass, saw the gray fox, sitting in the loading bay behind Chisos Mountain Lodge restaurant. He lit out as soon as I turned the car so my headlights hit him, but I saw him. I’ll swear to it.

I met a woman, another retired teacher, who is biking from Big Bend with her husband all the way to Minnesota. Pedal biking, yet she seemed sane. What possesses these energetic souls? I wish it was catching.