Today we left Midland (West of Dallas) and headed north then east. We chose to avoid fwy's and continued to see plenty of oil country. Yesterday there were lots of oil jack pumps in undeveloped land. today the jack pumps were in farming land where the farmers were preparing to plant cotton. The oil industry has had a boost recently as they found more oil and judging by the size of the drilling derricks the new oil is much deeper. The existing oil pumps, pump to a central point on each farm where the oil is collected in large silo like tanks. These are emptied by one or more of the numerous tanker trucks we see on the roads and trucked to the refinery. Gerald spoke to a farmer who he stopped even though he was in a big John Deere tractor. The farmer said they were planting dry grown cotton and hoping for more rain. The rain fall is about 12 inches here but they have had drought in the last year. We saw a new header harvesting wheat near the road. One thing stood out was all the new farm tractors and implements even though they have had a tough year. Also lots of old implements parked around the farm sheds. Makes us wonder if the older implements don't have a trade in value?
It has been about 95 degrees f today. Really is a bit hot to be comfortable riding. We stopped a little short of our goal, about and hour or less west of Dallas. We ventured out to a homely BBQ restaurant for a $9.95 (plus tip) buffet. Very tasty smokey bbq meat and three courses if you wanted it. I don't think we will get that sort of value in Dallas.
Ken checking out the stock in Texas. Ray, Ken asks if you can get the Angus to grow like this?
Yours truly (Paul) on the rented Harley Davidson Road King. Five weeks of fun on the wrong side!
What happens when you land at Sydney and they wont let you back into the country? Could go to NZ I guess.
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