the poop on oop

You may remember the big cigar smoking caveman from the comic pages of yore.  Or like Mike, you may not.  The folks of Iraan, Texas do.  They've got a "fantasy park" that bears his name and image because A.O.'s creator got the idea for the strip while working in the oil fields of West Texas.  This is truly a photo op rich piece o' greenspace in a town with little else to see.  And the bathrooms at the back are sparkly clean to boot!

We didn't start the day here though.  We began by dodging lawyers and lawmen in San Angelo (that compound fracas you know) on our way to see monumental sculptures with biblical themes by Donald Keeney.  Don calls his operation Message in Mesquite, and his bread butter is/are small crosses.  But it all started (and still continues) with massive, detailed  carvings that come from his love of history and archaelogy, and yes, the Bible.  They're graceful and fluid, and in some cases actually tell time too.  Way cool.  He also spoke of the many rattlesnakes that populate the grounds, but we only saw weasels.

On the post-Oop side of the day's mileage we passed the no-longer World's Largest Roadrunner, Paisano Pete in Fort Stockton, circled the contemporary art center that tiny Marfa

has become (we particularly liked the old jail)  and finished a very long day at the fake Prada store in the middle of nowhere.  It's a piece of conceptual art along Highway 90 that tickled our fancy, if not our feet.  Nice sunset over an old windmill, and on to Van Horn for more funny biz tomorrow.

Music In the Van- Various Artists "Timeless--the Music of Hank Williams", Elton John "Honky Chateau", Cat Power "The Greatest", Bob Marley "Legend", Bob Dylan's new Starbucks Artist Picks collection

Oh, and the highest gas prices of the trip so far-- $4.14 for diesel!