The Ben and Jim Show

Last week, I was paid a quite unexpected drop-in visit from a photographer friend of mine from Dallas and his cohort in crime -- Ben and Jim, respectively. (This is Ben.) They chose Croton Springs for their campsite, so naturally we had to hike over to take in the Red Buffalo you might remember from my Turkey Day Buffalo Hunt in my last blog. So, here we go . . .


Along the way, I got spooked about our direction -- following the wash, as should be, but it started to go the wrong way -- so we took off in what I knew was the general direction. Along the way and shortly before arriving at the site, I came across this unusual mini-hoodoo formation. Cool, huh?


At the site now, I took another stab at the "bowling balls" I fell in love with last time. This time around, the sun was lower on the horizon, so the shadows were much nicer. I just love these things!


Once again, we find the Red Buffalo right where we left it. However, Jim pointed something extra -- a human form next to it. Now, whether this image was produced at the time of the buffalo or not (unlikely, to my way of thinking, since they're so very different), I found it curious that I'd never seen it in any of my visits. Some detective I'd make!


Something else not seen on previous visits is this circle-in-a-circle petroglyph. I guess I was so bowled over by the buffalo, I just didn't look closely enough to the surrounding area and all the other artwork.


Now, here's something I found particularly interesting -- two sets of "lips" in stone. They have this kind of smirk about them, like something you'd find on a clever artisan's hand-thrown coffee mug. Nature is such a funny place sometimes.


This erosional work just fascinates the hell out of me, as does the whiteness of the rock. I'm not sure what causes it -- calcium leaching or a saline deposit -- but I'll sure as heck find out. The texture and flow of the lines is just lovely.


Ben and I both got down on our bellies to get shots of these balls and their surroundings. I could spend all day out here looking around and never see the same things. (Obviously, as I haven't seen some of this stuff before.)


The next day, Ben and Jim and I did the Lost Mine Trail, as this was Ben's first visit to the park and I wanted him to see it for sure. Unfortunately, it was kind of cloudy, but it was still a great hike, as always. Some of my favorite views are up here.


Ben decided he needed a shot of him and me to prove to his wife, Judy, that he had in fact made it to the park. Here, he gives a somewhat reluctant Jim tips on operating his digital SLR camera -- no small feat. Jim doesn't look all too sure about it, does he?


On the way down, I decided to take advantage of the cloudy day and do some detail work, as it wasn't the best lighting situation for vistas. We came upon this wrung-towel looking branch and I just couldn't pass it up.


Ever on the lookout for contrasts, I happened upon this agave -- also known as a century plant -- nestled in all this greenery. It was such a striking juxtaposition, I couldn't pass it up. Later that day, I got an email from a friend of ours, Danny, informing us of the passing of his dog, Nakai. The picture of her he sent had her sweet face surrounded by greenery, just like this shot. The Universe is a truly amazing place.


And we're down. Having a little rest before I go back home to get on with winding down my weekend and they head for the showers and dinner in Terlingua. I was hoping to see them as they left for Dallas on Friday morning, but they must've left earlier than I open up, since this was the last I saw of them. Thanks for dropping by, guys. We must do this again next year.


This blog entry is dedicated to the memory of Nakai, a true and loyal friend who meant the world to me. She will be missed.
Photo by Dan Hyde