We enjoyed an entire week of Panhandle Texas Kitsch. Tex Randall greeted us as we drove into Canyon, Texas, last week; his spirit was everywhere. After nearly 8 months of being absent from Texas, this much Texana was manageable. It topped off our low “Texas tanks.” We spent the next five days in Canyon before we packed up and moved an hour or so down the road to Silverton. In many ways, Canyon reminds me of growing up in San Marcos. It is a small Texas Town with a university. The Courthouse Square sits off-center from most of the highways. And there is a lot of pride in their local football teams, displayed on every window around the square. Yep, I felt right at home.
After fighting a cold for a week, we finally felt better enough to venture out to Palo Duro Canyon and do a drive-through on Monday. We were here in 2007, but much has changed. Touristy places have popped up all over. There is a yuppie Mercantile just down the road from the entrance. The old RV park outside the gates was closed and now had a fake town front and Zipline Towers. However, the park is still the same: big, beautiful, and accessible.
The uncluttered, wide-open vistas surround us as we navigate the switchbacks that take us into the Canyon. There is a beautiful new building for group events at the base of the cliff. The rest of the drive through the park reminded us of a visit in 2007. A quick stop at the Trading Post for an Ice Cream (Blue Bell, of course) spoke of Lone Stars and starry nights, as "The stars at night are big and bright…" echoed in my ear. Those from Texas are likely finishing the chorus in your head right now, so you know what I mean. We finished the drive with a good idea of how we hoped to spend the rest of the week.
On Tuesday, we did a couple of short hikes in the canyon after having brunch in Canyon. The walk started behind the Event Center and is called the Pioneer Nature Trail. The grasslands included what we called Cedar Trees when we were growing up. It is really a Western Red Juniper and has a deep fragrance that fills the air with memories of childhood exploring "the Hill" above my old house in San Marcos with my friend Richard. Mesquite and dried sunflowers fill in much of the space between the trees. We could hear birds moving around us, and I fell into a rhythm with the comforting crunch of gravel under our feet. The gravel became dirt as we neared the river. The silenced footsteps allowed us to walk up on four large turkeys picking their way through the grass under the trees at the dry riverbed. They did not seem too concerned about us as long as we kept a respectful distance. These were large birds, and when they stepped out of the shade, the sun revealed that they were wearing coats of many colors. We stood and watched them for quite some time. My camera was quietly clicking away most of the time. But, we had more to see and so we slipped past the Turkeys, and they remained as unconcerned as ever.
We walked the Paseo del Rio next. We did part of this short trail in the Spring of 2007, and I remember it being lined with wildflowers. But this year, it was lined with dried seed heads that were just as beautiful. The creek near the picnic area where we joined the trail was dry. Apparently, the water was just below the surface because the grass was green, and the trees did not seem stressed. We enjoyed the shade while it lasted, but soon found ourselves beside a fast-flowing stream that cut its way through the ravines. The picture is of one spot where we saw a couple of families who had stopped to play in the water. The canyon cliffs above have looked down on this, their mother stream, for thousands of years. In flood or drought, this is the very core of Palo Duro. It is why Native People lived here for thousands of years. The stream also brought Charles Goodnight and his cattle. Tourists now flock to the park to be embraced in the arms of this natural wonderland.
After the trail, we stopped by the Trading Post for a planned “lupper" of burgers and onion rings that we spied people enjoying the day before. We also took in the birding blind we had discovered the day before. The burger was terrific, and the birding was great fun. (I have included a few shots of these, an other, "birds with attitude" in the following pictures!) We returned to Koko after a good day in the arms of the Palo Duro.
"Hey, You with the camera! What are you doing?" 
"I'm so pretty..." 
A young White-crowned Sparrow 
A mature White-crowned Sparrow getting a drink. 
"Back off, buster!" 
A young Cardinal 
"Let us pray..." 
A Spotted Towhee does not want to be disturbed while he drinks. 
A House Finch 
A Young Cardinal posing for the camera. 
Male Cardinal checking out the crowd. 
Just hoppin' around 
"I'm okay! No really, I'm OK!" 
"What's it to ya'!" 
"Sunflower Seeds, AGAIN?" 
"This is MY rock!" 
Black-capped Titmouse 
Birds do not have middle fingers! 
Let's eat! 
"Shall we gather at the river..." 
There's a bug in there somewhere. I can hear it!" 
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
We drove out to the Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge on Tierra Blanca Creek for our last day in Canyon. This was the site of a large dam built in the 1930s. Unfortunately, the engineering for the dam failed, and it was drained in the 1940s. It remained nearly empty for many decades. Last Spring, the heavy rains filled the lakebed. The picture above shows the lake as the waters have receded over the Summer. Unfortunately, the waters are toxic, polluted by runoff from the huge cattle feedlots surrounding it and the heavy use of fertilizers on the fields. The water has that polluted green of phosphates and a large algal mat that uses up the oxygen. The birds still use it as part of the Central Flyway for migration, but the resident birds look elsewhere along the creek.
What have the authorities done about the pollution? They have allowed the local farmers to cut hay off the Refuge, removing the nitrates and phosphates in the hay. Have they stopped the influx of pollutants? The storyboards did not give any clue to that question. There were a few birds, but the trails and drive did not get us close enough, except for a tiny blind at the end of the lake. We were excited to read that there was a Prairie Dog Town with burrowing owls not far away. After a short drive we walked a quarter mile up a ridge only to see a few prairie dogs on the next ridge. Alas, there were no owls to be seen. The storyboards along the walk were informative, but I was disappointed that we did not get to enjoy the Prairie Dog Town.
Overall, it was a good day, though not quite what we had hoped for. But then again, that is part of wandering. The best way to manage is to keep our expectations in check!
Here are a few shots of the Refuge you might enjoy.
The critter of the day at the refuge. 
A lonely place 
Blowing in the wind.
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| "You shall not pass!" |
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| The hills are alive... |
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| Mule deer grazing along the lake bed. |
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| I'm ltae, I'm late! I'm very. very late!" |
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| The Native people used the canyon walls of the refuge were used to kill and slaughter bison. |
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| Another one of God's Creatures. |
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| Prairie Dog Town |
As Friday arrived, it was time to leave Canyon and make the short drive to Silverton, TX. We had a couple of errands to run before we hit the road. We needed to get Koko's State Inspection and fill up with gas along the way. We had hoped to get into Silverton before lunch. However, the RV gods had other ideas.
As we were packing up Koko to leave, we had a bit of a hitch in our get-along. Koko has a full-length slide-out on the driver's side, making the living space inside very comfortable. Unfortunately, the slide-out didn't slide in. It would get to a certain point and stop. The book said to re-sync the two motors that drive the slide. That did not seem to work. I called several repair people, including the one who helped us out before. He did not get back to me; the other two were out of town. Koko cannot be moved as long as the slide is out. The problem is that re-syncing requires that the slide be brought all the way in before you can re-sync. I really had no other choice, so I kept trying. After almost two hours, the slide finally popped into place. At last, we could get Koko to the Tire shop for his inspection before the Thai restaurant next door filled up the parking lot. Fortunately, the inspection went as hoped, and we were on the road to Tulia, where we planned to stop for gas.
After the gas stop, it was after 12:00, and we needed to eat. In Koko, our eating places are limited to restaurants with large parking lots. In Tulia, TX, this meant the Pizza Hut. So, we had a leisurely lunch of Italian fast food and were on our way. (By the way, if you like Spaghetti Marinara, do not get the pasta with meat sauce at Pizza Hut. You have been warned!) We arrived at our campsite in Silverton and got set up. I completed a by-the-book re-sync of the slide, which went out as expected. I finally heard from my slide guy, who suggested I clean out the tracks and try it again. He would be available next week if needed. This will go on my list for the weekend, and we'll see how it goes.
After arriving in Silverton, we made our reconnaissance trip to Caprock Canyons State Park. This part of the Panhandle is even more flat than many other areas. This makes the descent into the Canyon that much more dramatic. I like Palo Duro, but Caprock, for me, is much more scenic. The red rock and deeply creviced cliffs add dark red shadows to the backdrop. The roads and trails wind through rugged landscapes. The presence of Bison and Prairie Dogs adds some character to the place. During our drive-through, both of these creatures welcomed us to the park.
Caprock Canyon is home to the Texas State Bison Herd. Bison were nearly wiped out in the 1870s to starve the Indians into becoming dependent on the US Government on reservations and to open the range for cattle. They slaughtered thousands of the creatures and left their carcasses to rot on the open plains. More than 60 million bison had been reduced to less than 1,000. In 1878, Charles Goodnight captured orphaned calves from the open range and raised them on the JA Ranch in Palo Duro Canyon. These calves were the beginning of the Texas State Herd. They have thrived in Caprock Canyons ever since.
Along with other herds in the Great Plains, they have allowed for a recovery of the largest Land Mammal in North America. We saw a large herd of cows and calves at Lake Theo near the entrance. We also saw several lone Bulls along the roads toward the back of the park. Whether on Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake, among the rolling hills of Custer State Park in South Dakota, or roaming the open plains of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, these magnificent creatures always inspire awe. They have also allowed many Native Communities to recover their traditional ways of life that depend on these noble beasts.
Caprock's other signature mammals are Prairie Dog Town's cute creatures. These rodents live in an expanding community alongside a central camping area of the park. They live alongside humans, bison, and the other animals of the park and provide endless hours of entertainment. However, if a single hawk or fox appears, they will disappear into their burrows in seconds. They share their burrows with field mice and other small critters. They also harbor Rattlesnakes and bullnakes. But these two prefer feeding on the smaller rodents and leave the Prairie Dogs alone. Their burrows are divided into many living areas and can extend hundreds of feet. They are equipped with natural air conditioning, with one entrance built higher than the others to catch the breeze and air out the tunnels. The more I observe and learn about these creatures, the more respect I have for them and the natural processes that have allowed them to prosper in their environment.
The King on his throne! 
A very bored King 
"So I yawned. What's it to you!" 
Bison cow and calf. 
A Noble Profile 
I told you they were cute! 
"I'm laying on weight for winter. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!" 
"Ooooh, that feels sooo goood!" 
"What, you don't scratch?" 
"Did you hear something?" 
Black-tailed Prairie Dog 
Their usual daytime activity. 
"I'm sure I heard something!" 
"Ok, sit in your hole. Leaves more for me!" 
A tree that transformed its root into a trunk! 
Trail buddy 
Red standstone layered with Gypsum. 
A rare pond 
Can you spot the frog? 
An Arroyo 
No idea what it is, but it is blooming 
A fracturing cliff 
The Natural Bridge 
The Magic of Caprock Canyon 
Eagle Point
It has been an excellent first week back in Texas. We have seen some iconic places and enjoyed warm weather and the notorious panhandle winds. We faced uncertainty and found our footing in the changing sands of our wandering. The trick? Leaning in when the wind starts blowing! We have a few more days in Silverton. We hope to return to Caprock before the weather changes on us mid-week. Afterward, we have a couple of museums to check out before we head out for Wichita Falls and points south and west next week.
Our journey continues as we move closer to our family and friends in Central Texas. I am glad you are riding along with us through the open plains of the Panhandle. They have their own beauty, and I am delighted to share it with you.
Travel well, my friends!
Bob
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