SAD NEWS

I really hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm afraid my computer is dying. A few months ago Hubby commented on the fact that my laptop would no longer shut all the way, and seemed to be getting worse. He went online to see if anyone else was having that problem, and found lots of company. It seemed to have something to do with the battery swelling or expanding. Ominous, no? Then, in the last couple of weeks, I noticed that it was taking longer and longer for my computer to boot up when I turned it on each morning.  So, just to be on the safe side, if the computer should die completely, hubby decided to copy all my photos onto an external drive. Yesterday I thought it was dead for sure, but after one full hour it finally came on. I was so excited that I'd actually be able to finish up my posts about our most recent adventure, before taking her in to the Apple hospital to see if she was curable. Only, when I opened my photos I discovered that, not only were the recent trip pics missing, the last two or three years were missing! And Hubby wonders why I am such a technophobe. I just think that if you do the exact same thing every time, you should get the exact same results, right? But noooooooo. Technology doesn't work that way.

Anyhoo. He found me slumped over my computer, banging my head on the desk, and felt so bad for me that he loaded all the photos he took of the adventure onto a thumbdrive and stuck it into my laptop. Let's see if I can figure out what to do with it!

Here are a few images from the next two days of our West Texas adventure, exploring Marfa and Alpine from our base in Marathon, despite the epic heat wave that hit, causing temperatures to soar up to 103 or higher and afternoon blackouts to occur both afternoons, which lasted into the night. Believe it or not, we still managed to have a great time!

So Many Extraordinary Dwellings, Everywhere We Looked

Loved the historic Hotel Paisano in downtown Marfa,

Stopping by to check out El Cosmico, which is owned by the same lady that owns several of our favorite quirky boutique hotels in Austin and San Antonio.

Are they giant cooking vats, or hot tubs?

At El Cosmico, you can choose from Teepees, Tents, Yurts, or Vintage Campers to stay in. Just make sure the one you choose has AC, if you come in the summer!

The area around the old Holland Hotel in downtown Alpine, just across from the railroad station, is where we found the best shops and galleries of all three towns. Plus, it was just a short walk from the wonderful Reata Restaurant, -- sister the the Reata in Ft. Worth --  where we lunched on their legendary Texas cuisine. I recommend asking for a seat in the bar area, which wraps around this magnificent old tree, and looks out on a beautiful patio and wall mural from the movie Giant, where they got their name.

Well, wish us luck on the computer repairs/replacement, or it may be a while before you see my next post!