After a kind invitation from the guys camp to eat breakfast I came back to my camp to take a shower. It had been a long time since I had been to Lajitas, Texas and I decided to rectify that.
I personally do not leave the campgrounds after Wednesday or actually Tuesday is the last day I venture out. You better make darn sure you are 100% sober or you will get a free ride to Alpine courtesy of the DPS (Department of Public Safety) or as one blogger very appropriately calls them "Perry's Militia".
After this stop I did not drive far when I saw another person that was pulled over and a lady DPS officer was administering a sobriety test. This guy bore a striking resemblance to JW of TFL but he was shorter, probably in his late 60's and drove a no frills motorcycle. Poor guy he looked terrified!
It had been a couple of years...2007 to be exact since I had been to Lajitas. Stopped coming once shower tents were invented, but that is a topic for another post. This store did not exist at the time or if it did I do not remember it (I suffer from CRS you know). Stopped to buy a 10 lb bag of ice and it cost me $2.75...it is a good thing I came to this town for something else other than ice since I could have stayed at the cook-off safe from Perry's militia and bought a 20 lb bag of ice for $5.00 and saved money, gas and aggravation.
During those times I drove here to shower, I would pass the Lajitas Cemetery. For some odd reason I have always had a fascination with cemeteries though I have no idea why.
I guess seeing rocks over gravesites transported me to old western movies and how they buried their dead.
This being El Dia de los Muertos many had flowers and relatives visiting and decorating their final resting place.
Headed on back mindful of the 60 mph speed limit and going 50 mph. when a DPS trooper heading towards Lajitas stops and makes a U-turn. Dang (actually I uttered something else) I just knew I was going to get pulled over for no reason other than a dirty windshield. He rode my ass for a while...I am sure he ran my plates through and found I was not a wanted criminal and finally backed off.
I had already been gone for about 45 minutes or so when I came back to the same location of the first car that had been pulled over. They had DPS, Sheriff's Department and an unmarked car at the scene.
If you want to go sightseeing....arrive early and do so before all the heat descend on the area.
Good night. May you all have Terlingua Dreams.
