Dead Skunks and Horny Toads

I am attending Blood and Thunder's Derby Boot Camp, which actually starts tomorrow (Wednesday) in Austin before moving to Robstown (near Corpus Christi) Thursday-Sunday. So last night (Monday 2/21) I drove from my house, through Missouri and Oklahoma to the Texas state line ~11 1/2 hours. Bert then took over the driving for the last leg of the trip so I could nap. We rolled into Austin, TX about 1 pm.

Not to disparage Oklahoma, but it is one stinky state. I saw countless dead skunks and smelled them too! At one point the smell was so bad that Bert and I had to cover our noses and mouths so as not to gag. She asked me what that horrible, disgusting smell was and since Mom was snoring away in the backseat, I said. "Your mother must be farting in her sleep!" {Just kidding, Mom}. We got a good chuckle out of it anyway. So Oklahoma is now known as "Dead Skunk Heaven" and we will not be going home that route!!!

When we finally got out of the traffic jam in Dallas and as we wound our way past Waco, the GPS (TomTom), kept calling it "Whack-o". I was so tired that I found this to be hilariously funny and I tried to make it keep saying it. Then as we got to Temple, TX, we saw this Harley Davidson shop called Horny Toad Harley Davidson, so of course we had to stop. As it just so happens, the Texas horned lizard (or Horny Toad) is the state reptile of Texas and the "horned frog" is the mascot of Texas Christian University (TCU). The Texas Horned Lizard is one of 14 North American species of spikey-bodied reptiles called horned lizards. It ranges from Colorado and Kansas to northern Mexico, and from southeastern Arizona to Texas. There are also isolated, introduced populations in the Carolinas, Georgia, and northern Florida. Texas horned lizards may also be native to Louisiana and Arkansas. Who knew? When I think of Texas, I think of Armadillos, not Horny Toads. (And armadillos always make me think of one of my favorite movies Happy, Texas). Sorry to go off on a tangent there.

Tonight we enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Ruth Chris Steakhouse in downtown Austin. For those who have never been, downtown Austin is a pretty rockin' place. I only wish I had more time to explore. But alas, tomorrow is banked track day at Boot Camp and there is no way I'd miss my one and only chance to skate on a banked track! Stay tuned to learn more about Texas and Boot Camp!