August 7

We continue to come up to the building site despite the hiatus. After all, the hiking is here, too! Today proves a wash-out though, as you will see.

This is the official rainy season in Far West Texas–July and August. After two years of droughts and wildfires in this part of the country, it is considered gauche to complain about the rain, so I don’t. And I am not unhappy when it rains. There are often spectacular displays of lightning and thunder which scare the heck out of all three of us. Bella and Niles and I watch the “fireworks” from a large living room window in the rental house. Niles barks. Bella trembles. I read my book between flashes and crashes and pretend not to be perturbed. Up at the building site, it is much scarier and I think this is because we are MUCH closer to the action up on that mountain!

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August 8

The day after the big rain, we hike “The Rocks” road and find it even greener than before. It is hard to believe we are walking in the Chihuahuan Desert on a day like this…