Icy Photo Album.

Ice In Texas

For those who want to see more of the icy landscape, I've uploaded a web album. Click on the image.

The Worst.

We think it's official. In nearly 4 years on the road, this is the absolutely worst weather we have endured. Since Interstate 10 is still closed, we had to pony up for another night at the Alamo Fiesta RV Resort. (That's I-10 above; if you look in the upper right-hand corner, you will see the arrow directing all traffic to the exit ramp, where last night and tonight you will find the world's larges truck stop. Every available spot at Wal Mart, Home Depot, the Park and Ride lot, and even a church with the bad luck to be too close to the exit, occupied by a big rig.) Surreal.

It rained all last night, leaving every exposed surface, (even vertical ones!) with a 1/2 inch layer of ice. Further on on our route, up in the hill country, the problem was snow. Lots of snow, which is why over 200 miles of the Interstate are closed. They're now saying tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. That's putting the Pack Hunt out of reach, unless it gets moved to Sunday. Good thing we'll be there for a month- so it's not like the "pack" is going to miss out on hunting... just the opportunity to try and win us some cold, hard cash doing it.

There is an upside. Ice storms sure are pretty.

Today's Picture...

Lemme just say if we wanted to live through crap like this, we would have stayed up north. Looks like "up north", doesn't it? But it's the Fiesta RV resort, in Boerne, TX- just a few miles northwest of San Antonio. We took refuge here when the freezing rain was replaced by heavy sleet... coming sideways. Hopefully, things will clear up by tomorrow, but it's not looking good right now. In fact it's raining hard and the temp is right around 30 degrees. I'll try to get some more pictures up.

Image of the Day.

Still life, by Katrina.

This was a piece of barn roof, still wrapped around a large tree 16 months after the fact. Hopefully, tomorrow's image won't be of a mass of twisted metal, including the Express caused by the ice/sleet/wintry mix/snow/North Wind that lies dead in our path to New Mexico.

Internet access will be spotty for the next 4-5 weeks, so keep checking.

Picture of the Day

Busking, outside Cafe Du Monde. French Quarter, New Orleans, LA.

Pizza Hut It Ain't!

We've made our first pilgrimage into New Orleans in two years. To say that things look a little different, would be understating the obvious.

For the most part, this trip was pretty business-like. We spent a couple of hours on about a quarter-mile section of N. Peters Street.. the French Market area. We needed to restock on our- Oops! I almost let it slip.. a secret ingredient for my famous Bloody Marys, (available only at the French Marketplace Seafood Co.).

Then it was time for lunch. Prior to our visit I'd asked for recommendations for cheap eats in the Quarter. The recommendation was for the Louisiana Pizza Kitchen, located in this building on the corner of Decatur and Barracks St., right at the end of the French Market.

Now, when I think of New Orleans, pizza (or Italian food in general) is not the thing that first jumps into my mind. After I thought about it a bit, though, I figured we'd get some local flavor even in a pizza joint. Was I right. The boys at PepsiCo just haven't got a clue when it comes to a "sausage-lover's pizza". Check out the Salciccia Marinara pizza on this menu. Now, that's a sausage lover's pizza! Margaret had the Crawfish Etouffe pizza.. actually, we shared. Washed down with a Turbo Dog. We will be back. And a HUGE Hat Tip to Matthew Mullenix for this recommendation!

We passed on the dessert at the Pizza Kitchen, and opted instead for a more "touristy" treat: Coffee and Beignets at Cafe du Monde. Picked up a couple of cool new T-Shirts at Jester's, some Mardi Gras masks to send to Margaret's grandkids, and we were ready to head back across Ponchartrain to Fountainbleu State Park.

Daily Optimism

We've added a little something to the blog. Once you find it you, too, will feel a little more optimistic with each passing second...

Pic of the Day

Or, why I stayed ashore for four years in the Navy.

What Sighthounds Do.

Watch this. Don't forget to breathe.


HT to Steven K. in New Mexico.

Picture of the Day

(Not that there will be one every day, but I was having trouble uploading photos lately, and this was actually a test. Still can't get them loaded from Picasa).

A foggy late afternoon at Forth Yargo State Park, Winder, GA a few days before Christmas '06.

We Eat, Therefore We Are... Sated.

We're in the midst of 10 more days in the Gulf Coast area. One thing that has been reinforced to us while here, is that this is where the food lives! Mostly seafood, but we also had to try out a place that kept turning up everywhere we looked, from the Stern's Road Food book, to Chowhound.com.


Doesn 't look like much, does it? But then, barbecue, more than any other cuisine, is immune to the glitz and glamour. In barbecure, rundown is good. When was the last time you heard of food that was transcendental?

"The Brick Pit was transcendental, Food Network worthy and them some in every respect. In a classic old fashioned building, slightly rundown and the bbq aroma permeating the air. Friendly service, a banana pudding that made me gasp, and then the bbq, and the sauce. It takes cajones to put out a sign that says best bbq in Alabama on your front door like the Brick Pit does. After eating there, I believe the sign."

That was "Big Milwaukee", writing in Chowhound. The Sterns were equally effusive in their praise.

We'll now add our voices to the chorus. Ambience, sch-mambience.. it's just like it looks in the pictures. Inside, the ceilings are low, the floor uneven. The walls are covered with graffiti.. mostly praising the food. The restrooms? Don't go there. Literally. The menu is sparse: Pulled pork, ribs, chicken. We didn't try the chicken... who the hell comes down here to eat chicken? I had the ribs plate, and Margaret had the pulled pork plate. Can we say "exquisite" about a joint like this? We will. I can't quite call this the best barbecue I've ever had... but I can't remember where I had any better. This was great. Terrific beans, and cole slaw with real bite. A great lunch, capped off by "Mrs. Waits's Banana Pudding". They couldn't tell us if she's Tom's mom. See the menu here.

That was Saturday, and that was the highlight of our week in Southwest Alabama, but we do want to mention a couple of other places worth visiting... Fish Camp, on State Hwy 59 right here in Summerdale was quite good for lunch, and they apparently have a seafood buffet for dinner. Sorry, no website that I could find.

Yesterday, we went to visit the USS Alabama battleship, which sits on Mobile Bay. I spent 4 years in the Navy; yesterday was the most time I spent on a ship in my life. On the information board showing a lot of Navy slang, I would qualify as a "landlubber". I'll post some pictures on another post, especially one showing a very scary room!

Following the tour of the ship, and the attached submarine, we had a late lunch at Felix's Fish Camp and Grill. This one had it all: Ambience, and good food. We had a sampler of the gumbo, crab, and turtle soups- all very tasty; a "camp salad", consisting of greens, artichoke, and hearts of palm in a homemade Italian dressing. This was followed by a couple of Po'Boys- one fried crawfish tails, and one half-n-half shrimp and oyster. All while sitting in the upper deck bar overlooking Mobile Bay, watching the gliding pelicans.

Ah... food. Tomorrow, we move on to New Orleans. There's no quit in us.

Letting Cats Out of the Bag

This is the type of story that makes blogs so danged valuable. I read something that I think will benefit a bunch of people, and I post it here. Other people read the blog, or the original source, and they pass it on, and suddenly, something that's supposed to be "secret" becomes general knowledge. Anyone who shops on Amazon.com will love this!

A Modest Proposal.

This guy on Fox Sports dot com puts the Boise State - Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl game last Monday as only the 4th "Greatest Bowl Game of All Time". But what does he know? The game featured a great comeback from Oklahoma; an even greater comeback from Boise State, featuring ballsy calls on 4th down, a hook & ladder pass play, a halfback pass in overtime, and a "Statue of Liberty" play to win the game in overtime with a 2-point conversion. For god's sake, these two teams scored 22 points in the last 86 seconds of regulation.

That would be enough, but this one had one thing that none of the other games on the list had, regardless of position:

Watch this. (The part I'm talking about starts around 2:40; but watch the rest of the highlights, too!)

For me this was, at least, the most entertaining game I've ever seen. Much more entertaining than the Rose Bowl.

Hire Me!

Home Depot? Any other big box businesses? I'm as capable as anybody of driving stock prices down and losing money, and I could sure use a couple hundred million dollar "parachute". I'm waiting for your call.

They Did, After All, Give the World Sweetened Iced Tea...

...and bad dentition. And the "Stars & Bars". I was googling "Classic Margarita Recipe", in an attempt to fine tune my own margaritas. I came across this atrocity from Southern Living Magazine, (What's wrong with this picture???):

Fresh lime wedge (optional)
Margarita salt (optional)
Ice
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons orange liqueur
2 tablespoons tequila
1/3 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Garnish: lime slice

If you chose "half a bag of sugar", go brush your teeth. Don't forget to floss. And who measures cocktails with tablespoons?? This thing has so much wrong with it. I'm surprised the Tequila isn't "optional". (Who needs it, long's ya gotcher sugar!)

For what it's worth, the best recipe I found was at "drinkboy.com" Check it out.

2233

Somebody write that down. That's the total on the old counter. We're starting over with the Site Meter. I get to play with a whole lot more data with this one, and we never again have to wonder what the hell "Pasta Pronta" is. (By the way, I did click it out of curiosity... not all that long ago. Now I know. God bless Paul Popiel!).

You can thank your lucky stars I didn't opt for the pay version of site meter.. I'd know more about you than your domestic partners, whoever they may be. Too much information. Those of you blogging, or engaged in e-commerce ought to check it out.

Papa's Got A Brand New (Body) Bag.

When I heard that James Brown had died, I knew I wanted to put something here. He passed away this weekend, in Atlanta, where we happen to be. There was a brief bit on the local news Friday night that he was hospitalized with pneumonia, had cancelled two appearances, but was ready to go on New Year's Eve at BB King's in New York. So when word came the next day that he'd died, I was surprised.

This ends a long, turbulent career for one of the most, if not the most influential musicians, and showmen, of our generation.

Jody Rosen, in this article on Slate.com pretty much sums it up:

"But Brown's achievement is larger than his own oeuvre and the genres that it begat. Flip on the radio virtually anywhere on earth today, and you will hear the sound of the Brown Revolution, the blare of propulsive, polyrhythmic dance music. Beats have conquered the world, even the West, where polyphony was born and melody and harmony have traditionally held sway. No other musician—not Louis Armstrong, not Elvis Presley, not Bob Dylan—can claim so central a role in this momentous cultural shift. "Make It Funky," James commanded, and from Boise to Berlin to Bangkok, they have." RTWT.

It hardly seems proper to say Rest In Peace for Soul Brother #1, so how about:

R.I.F. (Rest In Funk) Take it to the Bridge! Hey!!

Happy Holidays To All!

From the denizens of the Hare-Brained Express, currently parked, as you see here, at Fort Yargo State Park in Winder, GA.

Budding photographers who are interested in this image, (how did he get this exposure from near pitch-darkness??), can get the info with a few drachmas in the old tip jar! Heh heh heh.

Comments

I just noticed that the "Comments" feature on the blog was switched off. Not sure how it happened, but I know there are thous... uh, hun...., dozen..., oh hell, a couple of you out there that will want to comment on some of the recent onslaught of posts. This is to let you know that I've fixed it, so go ahead and comment away!

Eat Your Hearts Out...

No, this is not yet another post about eating! Just thought we'd show you folks up north and especially in the Northwest, and the great plains, what our weekend was like. It was sooooo nice we went to the beach and collected seashells. It's still nice.. it's been in the 70's since last Thursday, and it's going to stay warm until the weekend. These scenes are the beach on the Gulf of Mexico West of Gulf Shores. But the rain will be here Thursday, so I'm going to be out of here tomorrow, happy that the "travelblog" has been caught up. Web albums are updated at http://picasaweb.google.com/home.

Hunting With Dutch

In between the Turkey Run and the ASFA Region 4 Invitational, we managed to squeeze in a little hunting with Dutch Salmon. It was brief, but there were lots and lots of rabbits. None more photogenic than this guy.

I think I've mentioned this before, but the jackrabbits in Southern New Mexico almost never give you an opportunity to get a shot like this. They generally just run... away, leaving the photographer with just their, and the hounds', butts... receding into the distance. This was rare. (and if you've seen our Christmas card this year, I'll bet you'll find this guy familiar!)

Fanny, and Dutch's Angie, and the hare all make the turn for the fence.

Angie closing in.

...and Fanny goes for it. Swing and a miss!

One Big Bird

Sometimes I wish I had the expensive camera and lens with me when we take the dogs into the desert. Then I think about what all that fine dust would do to it, and I'm glad I take the cheaper (and lighter) setup into this environment.

All this to apologise for the quality of this shot I got of one of a pair of Golden Eagles I saw when I took Randir and Buffy out to look for some slow jackrabbits. When I first got out of the car, it was sitting on the ground and I thought it was a vulture. Then it took off. Unmistakeable.



The Buffster and the Oldster did get to run around eventually, although there were no jackrabbits. And I did wait until this giant raptor had moved well out of range.

Your Tax Dollars at Work.

See that line of white tower sections? On the left side is Interstate 8 in California, approaching Yuma. On the other side is... you guessed it: Mexico.

Yeah... that'll keep 'em out.

Calling All Amateur (or Professional) Botanists.

After the Turkey Run, we spent the evening parked at the home of a deerhound owner a little north of San Diego. Among the lush flora of their yard was this "alien being". The homeowner doesn't know what it is. Anybody out there help?

The Bird of Paradise at the bottom is just a bonus shot, because it's very pretty.

A Day at the Bosque.

No trip to Socorro is complete without at least one trip around the auto tour route of the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in nearby San Antonio. Here are just a few of my favorite shots: I'll make a web album with a few more and post a link later.

Light Goose Feeding Frenzy

A Prairie Falcon

Distinguished Uninvited Guests

Crane Landing, or Ballet?

On the Road.

To Review: Way back in October, we shot the ASFA Region 6 Invitational. That was followed a week later by the LGRA & NOTRA OB Nationals, which was followed 2 weeks later by the Region 9 Invitational. We then made the loooooong trek- in 5 days- to Albuquerque, for the Region 3 Invitational, and a TCC hunt, also in New Mexico, the following weekend. That gave us three days to get to Los Alamitos, CA (no easy feat!), and then 5 days to scuttle back East to Hutto, TX for the Region 4 Invitational. By this point, we were so good at this, we stopped for a couple of days in Deming, NM and went hunting with Dutch Salmon. Another week, and we were in Tallahassee for an ACC trial. We're currently in "vacation" mode, in Summerdale, AL, at the Rainbow Plantation RV Park until it's time to head for Atlanta for Christmas, then the year end GANG trials in Cartersville. Along the way, we had a lot of fun, and lots of good eats. We'll follow up as time permits, with photos, travelogues, and food reviews.

And if only it would end there, but like sharks, we have to keep moving to stay alive. We're going to head back West to Louisiana for an AKC trial in January, then we're going to make it all the way back to New Mexico for a real vacation. We'll be at Dutch's Pack Hunt in January, and his Desert Hare Classic in February. In between, we'll play like touristas and take lots of pictures, and maybe even go to Old Mexico and do some shopping... get some real good Tequila.

For those who have been counting that's across the country one, two, two-and-a-half times in a couple of months. Like it says on the map: Insane.

Getting Stuffed. Healthy Version.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Boy are we getting our share. On Saturday, we went to the Wolf Bay Lodge in Elberta, Alabama for the "best seafood" in, (depending on who you believe amongst the posters to Chowhound, Chefmoz, or Roadfood forums), the Gulf, the state of Alabama, the country, or the world! I knew we might be a little disappointed when we read the menu, noting that everything is "fried". For the healthy grilled versions, it would cost a dollar more. The restaurant also seemed to be filled primarily with families... not the "foodies" I would expect to populate the dining forums at the above websites; and weighted heavily toward the geezer class, (your author included).

At any rate, I opted for the West Indies Salad, a Mobile area specialty consisting of a whole bunch of marinated crabmeat mixed with sweet onions, sold at "Market Price", which on this day was 15 bucks. Margaret had the sampler platter with shrimp, stuffed shrimp, catfish, and oysters.

Now, being fried doesn't necessarily mean artery-clogging breading. The coating was very light and tasty. The stuffed shrimp and oysters were especially tasty. The salad was excellent. But how would we know this was the best seafood in (pick your geographical area) without something to compare it to?

So last night we drove the 12 miles to Fairhope, AL on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay, to try out the Old Bay Steamer, where they also offer fried seafood, but the way everybody eats it is steamed. They also modestly proclaim to have the "best seafood on the Eastern Shore". Well- they don't lie. In fact, I would call this the best seafood in the world! And the only way to eat it is to get the "The Big Steamer" sampler for 2- a large bar tray filled with about 2 dozen (whole)giant royal red gulf shrimp, 4 snow crab clusters(about 20 legs and a couple claws), a half dozen steamed oysters, corn on the cob, red potatoes, and way more cocktail sauce and drawn butter than would be healthy. I washed mine down with an excellent Abita Restoration Ale from Abita Springs, LA. Be prepared to make a serious mess! Two rolls of paper towel are supplied to each table, and you also get a large fingerbowl with lemon wedges and warm water. We can't wait to get back and do it again.

If you find yourselves in the Mobile area and want to go to the Old Bay Steamer, go online first and print out the $10 coupon- (good on any ticket over $50- and trust me, it's real easy to go over $50.)

Now it's time to break camp and head to Georgia for the Holidays. Margaret's already left, so she can make it to grandaughter's school presentation tonight. I'm following in the morning.

I have one more day of WiFi here at Rainbow Plantation in Summerdale, and may use it to catch up on all our previous travel.. I'll at least post some pictures from the last few weeks. What a long, strange trip it's been.

It's a Dynasty.

It's official. Grand Valley wins, 17-14. And Cullen Finnerty finishes his career as the winningest starting quarterback in NCAA history, with a mind-boggling record of 51-4. Them's some big numbers.

Another Big Game!

In just over an hour, there will be another big game. Unlike a few weeks back, where Michigan played Ohio State for an "unofficial" National Championship, this one is for real. This one is in NCAA Division II, and features my alma mater, Grand Valley State University, 14-0, and the number one seed, vs. 14-0, number two seed, Northwest Missouri State in a rematch of last year's national title game, won by the Lakers. It was their third national title in the last four years. Win one today, and I would call them an official "Dynasty".

This is a lot of fun for me, because when I attended (this gets wordy) "Thomas Jefferson College of the Grand Valley State Colleges" in the early 70's (we got college credit for bowling, bicycling, producing a humor magazine and, not incidently- photography), the football program was only in it's 3rd or 4th year- they had yet to win a single football game! They are now the owners of the nation's longest winning streak (27)... that's in all divisions.

Things have certainly changed. Go Lakers!!

Get Well Tim Johnson. Please!

From time to time we report on political news about our adopted "home" state, South Dakota. This one has national implications. Our Democratic Senator, Tim Johnson has suffered an apparent stroke and is in critical condition. If he dies, or is incapable of returning to the Senate, the Republican governor of the state will undoubtedly replace him with a Republican which will revert power back to the bad guys.

Things that make you go "hmmmm".

I hope their checking Johnson for Polonium.

NM Travel Albums

For more pictures from the Camino Real International Center , Hwy 107, and the Quebrades Back country Byway, click here, and here. Enjoy.

Festival of the Cranes

This is the third year in a row we've come to Socorro at this time. We're primarily here to hunt with our hounds, but there are so many other things going on in the area. The biggest, of course, is the Festival of the Cranes, held jointly at the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge near San Antonio, and the campus of New Mexico Technical University in Socorro. Art fairs are held around town, and in nearby communities such as Magdalena. Not to be confused with the Festival of the Cranes, there's also this...

Stop the Presses! Dining Correction.

Today, following a rugged drive from Pueblocito to San Antonio on the Quebradas Scenic Backroads Byway,

we decided to try the green chile cheeseburger across the road from the Owl Bar. We have an aquaintance in Socorro who has maintained for years that the burgers at Manny's Buckhorn Tavern were way better than the Owl's. Well... these two diners agree! At the Owl, I've always left feeling like I could go for another burger. (Or in many cases, I did have another!) That was certainly not the case at Manny's. Big enough that they cut it in half for you. Great meat, great bun, and really great chile. Much smaller than the Owl, you will need to plan on waiting a while for a seat.

It's not just us, either... here is just a sample of many websites I found. Those are just average Joes. This one is from a guy who went looking for the best burgers in America. (See number 7).

Going NoMail.

Rumor has it there's a somewhat important football game Saturday. It's no rumor that we'll be watching and will be completely incommunicado until it's over. Don't even try to reach us.. for anything, until about 7PM EST. If you've been living under a rock in Islamabad all year, an excellent explanation can be found here.

Plugs!

Observant readers will have noticed the links on the right hand side of the blog.. (Including the Tip Jar! Remember that? Hmmm?). One is for GoCoursing.com. Well, two weeks ago, Rally started wearing her snazzy new coursing blankets from GoCoursing.com. We thought you'd like to see how they look in action. This image is from the Region 9 Regional Invitational in Gilbertsville, NY where she finished 2nd in Field Champion stake. This weekend in Albuquerque, at the Region 3 Invitational she was First in Field Champion. Pretty good results. Is it the clothes?

Eating Tip: New Mexico Version

This post is guaranteed to elicit a comment from Louisiana. Guaranteed. We arrived in Socorro, NM last night. A short trip from Albuquerque, got us to Casey's Socorro RV Park. We got settled in and decided that common-sense eating would have to wait: We headed 8 miles south to the famous Owl Bar, home of great green chile cheeseburgers. No red wine was consumed- it seemed out of place- but we did enjoy the cheeseburgers, a bowl of chiles and beans, and home made fries. And a Corona. (The beer selection is sadly lacking).

Needing to get the Escape to the local Ford dealer early this morning for a new clutch, and front brake rotors, we decided to hit the Socorro Springs Brewery for breakfast. A microbrewery and pub that opens at 6:30 AM Monday through Friday is rare indeed. That the fare is excellent is just a bonus. No, we didn't have beer for breakfast. Starbucks coffee is the house brew in the AM. Margaret had Eggs Florentine, which she pronounced delicious. I had the SSBC omelette: 3 Eggs, green chile, capicola ham, feta cheese, spinach, pepper jack. Fat and moist, it was just what the doctor ordered. Well, maybe not. Good though.

Get Drunk.. Stay Thin.. Live Longer

Counterintuitive? You bet. But we just love research results like this.

Trouble Looms for the Antis

The "lame duck" congress will probably pass this legislation shortly. It spells trouble for the more activist of the socalled "animal rights activists" who, as we know, really deep down, hate animals. It's interesting that this act was co-sponsored by very conservative and very liberal lawmakers. Hip Hip Hooray!

Weather Elsewhere

Fortunately, this one will not effect New Orleans.