Friday March 7th Abilene to Caldwell to Livingston, Texas

61491     55*    Windy     Partly cloudy    381 miles

Interesting names of Texas towns:  "Cross Cut", "Point Blank", "Rising Star", "Dime Box", "Energy", "Lamkin", "Fairy".

Today, we saw an emu standing alone in a field; long horn cattle; chickens pecking near the road; horses;  prickly pear cactus; sheep; goats and burrows as we rode Route 36 to Caldwell. Mistletoe attaches itself to specific trees and grows.  It seems to be a pest but doesn't hurt the tree. The American Family radio station was doing trivia questions on blue whales. We learned that elephants weigh less than blue whale tongues. The blue whale heart beats 5-6 times a minute and pumps 10,000 gallons of blood.  Who would have guessed?!  Do you know what animal name means "does not drink?"  (Koala)  Trivia helped pass the time.  As we neared Gatesville, there were more green trees and many homes were made of stone.  I thought it was interesting that water and ice are sold in vending stations along the highway.  Regular gas was down to $2.97.  Most every town, no matter how large or small, has some kind of "Dollar Store". "Family Dollar", "Dollar Tree", and  "Dollar General". Some places had them all and in a few blocks of each other.

As we got closer to Caldwell, the grass got greener and folks were mowing lawns.  Pine trees are more prevalent. The highway had a large breakdown lane which is actually used for the passing lane.  Speed limits were 70-75 mph on roads that would be 50-55 in Washington State. We enjoyed a visit with our friends, Bill and Patrica Perry.  Bill and I once played in the  Boeing Employees Concert Band together before they moved to Texas in 2003.  Of course, we talked about Superbowl 48 and the 12th Man.  We learned that nearby Texas A&M Aggies actually have held a patent on use of the "12 man" from the 1930s.  The Seahawks pay a small fee to use the "12th Man" on a limited basis which is why we usually see "12th Fan" on t-shirts.

We drove on to Livingston and luckily found a room.  There was a girls' softball tournament in town and a family reunion that had booked most of the hotel rooms.

Texas waffle for breakfast

People use the break down lane to pass.  This guy 

is towing a bale of hay.  Another time, a guy was in the 

break down lane ahead of us and he was losing control of 

his truck. Bill explained that people use that lane to drive

in but lose control when returning to the highway. They 

over compensate and cause accidents. We were lucky.

What's a trip without construction!?  We were first in
 line behind the Follow Me car.

Our friends are here!!

Bill and Patricia have created a water feature with petrified
wood found on their lot.

Large pieces of petrified wood

Bill and Patrica Perry at their home in Caldwell, Texas

We had a nice room at La Quinta but it had this
":modern" sink.  If the water came on too fast,
it splashed our all over your front.