Road Kill, Movie Reviews

Recently I had a strange question, at least I thought it was strange and irrelevant,  but after preparing the answers maybe it will sound differently.  As I was making the turn off of Loop 289 to E 5th St. and heading to Ransom Canyon I was ask, “after all these years of driving this road you must have seen a lot of interesting things!”  At first I did not give it any thought and did not attempt to answer the question, then after giving it some thought the next day I decided to “tell all” about my “interesting” drives heading to Ransom on East 50th St.   The first thing I had better clarify is that my figures tell me that over the past 15 years I have driven this 24 mile round trip 12,045 times for a total of 289,080 miles.  So, I have traveled the territory and know the drill.  The first thing I see as I turn East is the draw that I will go through before seeing the many prairie dogs.  The draw is unique in that during the winter it is at least 4 degrees colder than the ground temperature, so when I go down through it on my motorcycle I feel this colder temperature.  Then as I approach the top of it I start to see prairie dogs standing beside the road sitting back on their butts anchored by their rear legs.  These little animals, while hated by the farmers and ranchers, are about as cute as an animal can get.  They dig their hole in the ground homes very close to the road system and then use it for their front yards come spring time.  But, they are dumb as the dirt since they think they can outrun a 6,000 lb. vehicle going 70 MPH and get across the road without being flattened.  During their real busy season I have counted over a dozen squashed prairie dogs joining the community of road kill.  Very sad to see but obviously a major part of what I see as I make this drive.  Then there are the crops that are raised along the stretch of road to include cotton, grain, alfalfa, and hay.  Since there are farms on both sides of the road there are always some form of farming equipment traveling down the road.  As I approach the half way point of the drive I run into the four way stop sign intersection.  If I go left I end up in scenic Idalou(population 3,000), if I go right I end up in the Buffalo Springs Lake and Yellowhouse Canyon.  But, since I am heading to Ransom Canyon I go straight ahead for another 6 miles.  This also gives me a chance to observe more farmland and during the years of travel I have seen the road covered with snow, sleet, rain, wind, and of course dust.  There have been a few vehicle wrecks during the years but nothing very serious.  As I turn into Ransom Canyon I have to always be on the look out for the RC version of Barney Fife.  One night he welcomed me with a speeding ticket even though no one was ever on this particular road and at this time of night, it was completely free of any form of traffic.  Today as I made the turn into RC I noticed 4 deer on the side of the road.  These guys have made RC their home and roam around together doing what deers do.  Now as I reflect back over the years of traveling this scenic road I can say it has not gotten any shorter nor has it changed much.  I have seen the state road crews completely renew most of it and the buzzards feed on the road kill for breakfast, while everyone breaks the speed limit.  In conclusion of this travelogue story please feel free to take this 12 mile stretch of splendor the next time you are in the Lubbock area.  Now you know what I see while driving to and from!

Movie Reviews:

“Noah”, ****, Well when Hollywood decides to go religious it does it big.  This is a very good movie about Noah of the Old Testament.  He is the guy chosen by God to understake the momentous mission of rescue before an apocalyptic flood destroys the world.  The acting by Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins and Emma Watson is excellent.  Whether is it accurate or not remains to be seen since there are many versions of the bible out there.  But, even if the movie is a bit long it is a very good one for 2014.  Rated PG-13 for violence, disturbing images and brief suggestive content.

“Divergent”, ****, If you liked Hunger Games you will like this movie.  This is the story of the world being divided by factions based on virtues.  You will stay in these factions all your life but at the age of 16 you can make the change at your own free will. This is about a young girl who makes the decision to change factions and what she goes through to accomplish this change.  Rated PG-13 for intense violence and action, thematic, elements and some sensuality.

“Veronica Mars”, *, While Kristen Bell is great to look at, the movie is one bad movie.  Bell plays a teenage private eye followng in her dads footsteps.  She does decide to attend law school and become a lawyer instead of an adult private eys.  When she comes home to visit her dad after graduation she finds her ex boyfriend in big trouble.  So, she decides to help him out.  Save your money!!  Rated PG-13 for sexuality indluding references, drug content, violence and some strong language. 

EA, SH.....:)!

greerman