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TEXAS PANHANDLE
Through the Lens of Eric Blackwell
60-90
minutes northeast of Lubbock
Photos
taken on several drives between Floydada
and Turkey, Texas.
by Eric Blackwell
October/November 2006
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Quitaque
peak seen from the Flomot valley
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Surprising
topology only 60-90 minutes northeast of Lubbock
In
the hour's drive from Floydada
to Turkey we
encountered wetlands (due to extensive October rains) with an egret,
sheep and a sheep dog on a hillside (looking like highland Scotland),
bales of hay in expansive fields, mule deer in a meadow, and even
an ancient expanse of sand dunes. And on our return, via Silverton,
a spectacular view off the "caprock" into canyonlands and distant
valleys. … |
| Sheep and
sheep dog near Flomot |
A spectacular
view near Silverton,
Texas,
off the "caprock" into canyonlands and distant valleys. |
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A Railroad
Tunnel near Quitaque,
Texas.
The
highlight of the "Rails to Trails" trail about 8-10 miles south
of Quitaque.
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Light
at the end of the tunnel
"You
can see the ranger's truck tracks through the guano - looks almost
like someone has driven through a recent deep snow. The ranger seems
to make at least one trip each day along the full length of the
trail, which is reassuring for us old bike riders." - Eric
Blackwell, November 08, 2006
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| Common egret
in a field 20 miles west of Flomot |
And
in the wee hours of the morning on Saturday, October 21st, we set
up portable hammocks in a field south of Quitaque
and saw, in almost perfect dark sky conditions, an impressive Orionid
meteor shower (with an average of 1-2 meteors per minute between 2:30
and 3:30 a.m). The only better viewing conditions in Texas are probably
in the Big Bend Park.
I wish that we had discovered this interesting territory so near Lubbock
many years ago! - Eric Blackwell, Lubbock, Texas |
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