The Marfa Lights

Alpine, Texas

Weather: low 28 degrees, high 45 degrees, cloudy with some sleet until about noon, then clear skies

Today is a special day. Our youngest daughter Lori was born several years ago (can't say too much so I don't give her age). Happy Birthday, Dear!

Did you see what I wrote about the weather? Sleet? I didn't know there was enough moisture in the the air for sleet. The forecast is calling for a mix of rain and snow tomorrow. That should be interesting.

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, we were going to Marfa last night to see the famous Marfa Lights. The sunset was so beautiful, I had to get a picture to share. Before we went to the Marfa Lights viewing area, we drove into Marfa to check out the little town. It has a population of about 2,100 people, and is the county seat of Presidio County. The town was established back in the 1880s as a watering stop for the railroad.

It amazes us that some of the places that we go to have some of the smallest populations, yet have some of the most beautiful and well-maintained public buildings, such as the county courthouse in Marfa.

We didn't know it, but it seems that Marfa has been the location for several movies being filmed over the years. Examples include "No Country For Old Men", and "There Will Be Blood". The most famous movie filmed there starred Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, Sal Mineo, Carroll Baker, and Dennis Hopper. Care to guess the title of the movie? I wouldn't have known, either, but the title of the movie these big stars were in was "Giant". The stars for "Giant" stayed in The Paisano Hotel, located just off the courthouse square.

By the time we finished in Marfa, it was close to dark. Presidio County has erected a viewing area for the lights just east of Marfa on US 67, near an old Army air base that dates back to World War II. We had been advised earlier to dress warmly, since the desert tends to cool off rapidly at night. Well, we were dressed in a way that we though was going to be warm (three layers including a heavy jacket, gloves, and hats). It wasn't enough, as the wind was blowing about 25 mph. It was cold!!!

Eventually, it was dark enough that the stars began appearing. And, I have to tell you that star gazing here could be world class. There are so many to see, and I hadn't seen stars like this since I was much younger.

Since this was our first time to see the lights, we didn't know what to look for. Suddenly, we saw lights start appearing that didn't seem to have any origin that we could see. Most of them were well above the ground, and lasted for a second or two, with some lasting longer. Some of them were just flashes that we caught out of the corners of our eyes.

What was our impression? An interesting phenomenon that we're glad we saw. Many people have tried to explain what causes the lights, but so far, no one seems to have found a satisfactory explanation. They have been appearing since about 1883, and show no sign of going away. We're glad we went to see them, but would have liked to stay longer to view them. It was just too cold to spend a lot of time there. Maybe we'll be back someday when the weather is warmer, and can spend more time watching the famous lights of Marfa.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Alpine, Texas: In The Alps Of Texas

Not all who wander are lost.