Left Houston Hobby Airport this afternoon on Southwest Airlines flight 2888, bound for Midland. As usual these days, the flight was full and left late. Mark, in the middle seat, and I talked the entire trip, making the time pass quickly. Of course, we discussed Texas counties and courthouses, too. As we approached the Permian Basin the weather became an issue: thunderstorms were filling the afternoon skies. The flight attendants sit down as the aircraft wove between impressive thunderheads on approach to the airport. From my window I had a view of hundreds of oil wells scattered across the landscape, connected by roads that, from the air, created an intricate, organic pattern.
We landed in a light rain that turned heavy as I was about to leave the terminal in search of my rental car. I hadn't thought to bring an umbrella! After waiting a bit, I gave up and accepted my wet fate. The temperature was 73 degrees as I left the airport. Not the west Texas I remember. I drove through the cool rain to Odessa, on the Black Sea. No, Odessa, on the Permian Basin. It always reminds me of an early record album by the Bee Gees titled "Odessa." I have a copy at home, completed with a red velet cover. Really.
Back on topic. I checked into, where else, a Marriott in Odessa, across the street from the Music City Mall. Huh? Is Odessa the "music city?" I'll look into that later.
Friday morning, I'll begin a 3 day, 15 county road trip through the Permian Basin of Texas. East on I-20 past Midland to Stanton and Big Spring, then south to Garden City and Big Lake. Turning west at Big Lake to Rankin and then northwest to Crane before returning to Odessa. About 235 miles total. I'll visit 6 county seats, plus 2 ghost towns that were former county seats and the ruins of their courthouses.
Goodnight.
We landed in a light rain that turned heavy as I was about to leave the terminal in search of my rental car. I hadn't thought to bring an umbrella! After waiting a bit, I gave up and accepted my wet fate. The temperature was 73 degrees as I left the airport. Not the west Texas I remember. I drove through the cool rain to Odessa, on the Black Sea. No, Odessa, on the Permian Basin. It always reminds me of an early record album by the Bee Gees titled "Odessa." I have a copy at home, completed with a red velet cover. Really.
Back on topic. I checked into, where else, a Marriott in Odessa, across the street from the Music City Mall. Huh? Is Odessa the "music city?" I'll look into that later.
Friday morning, I'll begin a 3 day, 15 county road trip through the Permian Basin of Texas. East on I-20 past Midland to Stanton and Big Spring, then south to Garden City and Big Lake. Turning west at Big Lake to Rankin and then northwest to Crane before returning to Odessa. About 235 miles total. I'll visit 6 county seats, plus 2 ghost towns that were former county seats and the ruins of their courthouses.
Goodnight.
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