12:04 am.  Trying to sleep but keep hearing weird noises outside.   The truck to the left of us was hauling rocks earlier when I went to the bathroom so I wondered if he was having to do some readjusting or something but the noise kept up so Greg got up to see what it was and its a cattle truck.  All the thumping around is the cows trying to get out it sounds like.  At times it is really loud and it sounds like they are about to break out.  Hope when we get up in the am our trailer isn’t nasty.   These guys let it fly literally and the trailers beside them tend to catch it.   Too late to move now though.   

Woke up at 6 am but decided to go back to sleep since we only have the one stop today and it’s 4 hours away.    Fortunately the cattle truck left some time during the night and didn’t leave a mess on the truck.  
8 am got back up.  Nature calls so we decide to go in and have some breakfast.  I forgot to mention last night that the truck stop we are at has a taco restaurant in it.  The ladies behind the counter are hand making the food and even the tortillas.  I had a chicken burrito with tomatillo salsa and Greg had Mexican pork called Barbacoa.   Really yummy and spicy.   This morning Greg had a burrito with eggs and chorizo sausage and I had a spicy chicken taco.  Just enough heat that you could enjoy it but not too spicy.   Probably Americanized some.  The place is really busy.  

So we are on the road to Laredo.   Hope they got a trip out.  I don’t think anyone speaks English in Laredo.  Even the billboards are in Spanish.  

We went through some really pretty scenery today.   The pictures don’t do it justice.  Lots of rolling hills, taller hills and open areas.   Lots of cactus.   A couple of llamas or alpacas, not sure.  

A winery   
   
   

Air Force base dad and Greg went to.  

 
We stopped at the same type of truck stop again with the Taco place for lunch. I had chicken enchilads only because I know pollo is chicken.   Greg had some he’s still not sure what it was.   The guy didn’t speak English well and Greg thought the interpretation was goat but then heard him tell somebody it was sweetbreads and then gizzards so we’re still not sure.   Anyway, he said it was delicious, tender and just a bit spicy.   Of course we spiced it up more with sauces from the condiment bar.    

Made it to the drop yard in Laredo early since it wasn’t due until the morning but good news is they had another trip waiting on us so we didn’t have to spend the night in Laredo.   We are now heading to Springfield, Ohio with load due Wednesday morning.  We have 39,000 pounds of vegetables from Mexico.  

We get stopped by guards every time we leave Laredo.   All cars and trucks must stop.   For us all they do is ask us if we are US citizens and when we say yes they wave us on through.   What’s so funny is the guy asking the question is obviously Mexican with a Spanish accent.  Makes you want to go, yeah we are – what about you?   Haha 

We have stopped for the night at a Shell station in Jarrel, Texas.  We were trying for a Flying J but it was 5 miles up the road and we only had a minute left when we pulled in to the Shell.   We had wrecks and construction all through Austin and that held us up for over an hour at least.   Not good when your clock is ticking down.

Anyway, settled in for the night and ready for bed.   Headed to Oklahoma in the morning on our way to Ohio.  

A couple more pictures of my angels tonight. 

DG:  Well I don’t know what else to add to that. This has been one of our more interesting trips through Texas.  Good food and really beautiful countryside. And the weather has been very mild. 

And there is a lot of history. Annie found an ap for the historic markers.  It puts a pin on the map where each are located. Going through San Antonio there were so many markers the map just looked red. Didn’t have time to read all of those. 

Well once again the sandman has caught up with me so I better sign off. Good night and God bless.