No Wonder I’m Confused!

Austin, Texas



I try to understand why we keep running into the Colorado River wherever we go in the West. It flows though Texas to the sea and also though the Grand Canyon and out to the Sea of Cortez by California. The deal is that there are two Colorado Rivers in the U.S. One is confined to Texas and the other famous one has formed geologic wonders and huge man-made lake recreation areas. Here they call the Texas Colorado River, "Lake Austin".



As we enter East Texas, we see by the mile markers that it’s 1,000 miles to the western border and El Paso. We’ve covered about 300 of that.



We stop just outside Austin at the Griffin Falls State Park. We’re out of bayou country and into gentle rolling farmland, lakes and lots of oak trees mixed with just a few prickly pear cactus and roadrunner birds.



My first act in Austin is to go for a swim in the pool formed by the upper falls. As I float, I see swallows swooping low over my head to catch insects. They’re a lot like bats with no sonar.



The swimming area is empty except for some turtles. An unfamiliar species of cypress trees line the banks. The falls are formed by a limestone outcropping.



We decide to go to the Alamo Ritz Drafthouse in the evening to see the new Star Trek. It’s a good movie and I see by the previews that a new Terminator movie is coming out this summer, presumably with no Arnold. We order white wine and potato skins to go with the movie.


As we walk, we pass a lot of live music venues. Austin claims to be the live music capital of the world. I have my eye on Antone’s for tonight. They’re doing a Blues group at seven. I'm approached by a person who mumbles something that sounds like it ends with "apple juice". "Apple Juice?", I repeat, somewhat mystified. Yes, she says, she's from Chicago, she's dehydrated and needs money for apple juice. "That's better for you than Crystal Meth", I think to myself and give her a dollar.