TAO-Real County (Leakey) and Edwards County (Rock Springs)

Sunday afternoon and evening we went west to Real County and Edwards County airports. Both were really out in the middle of nowhere but it was some very scenic countryside.

Medina Lake.

Coming in to land at Real County.
It was weird because the hills were on both sides of the runway and we were actually lower than most of them.
When we landed we met Jim and Kathy from Corpus Christi who were waiting for their daughter and her boyfriend to fly in with Jim's Cherokee 140. They were camping at Garner State Park this week for spring break, which we gathered was somewhere in the immediate vicinity. They said there are a lot of places to stay around there, little cabins and cottages and they usually meet there for Thanksgiving also. There was actually one cottage for rent right by the airport.
Very scenic.
As we were getting ready to leave, and after we had been sitting there for about 5 minutes, there was a minor disturbance in the cockpit that went something like this:

Renee (inner monologue): I wonder if maybe giving Bridget leftover black jellybeans is maybe bad for both her stomach AND her teeth. It seems like the perfect solution, no one has to eat the black jelly beans and they don't go to waste but still...still....

Scott (breaking Renee's reverie): Okay, now I'm going to need you to scoot your chair all the way up and lean forward so I can kill the wasp that's in here.

Renee: What wasp?

Scott: The one that's behind you...

~much swatting and commotion in the backseat~

Scott (visibly lacking a paper towel full of wasp): Okay, I got it.

Renee: Where is it?

Scott: I got it, it's dead, I'll get rid of it when we get to Rock Springs.

~5 minutes later, wasp lands on Renee's window 5 inches from her shoulder~

Renee: It's not dead! It's not dead!

Scott: Okay, everybody STAY CALM. Get your chair forward again...

~an even greater period of swatting and commotion in the backseat~

Renee: How'd it get in here?

Scott: I don't know, how'd YOU get in here? It probably came in a window or door or something...(Scott has a smart mouth)

Renee: I just think I would have noticed a wasp the size of my fist walking in the door with me is all...

Scott (winded): Okay, NOW it's dead. I'm almost positive.

Renee: What do you mean almost positive?

Scott: It's dead, let's move on! Unless we stop, shut everything down and physically remove it from the aircraft,

Renee: If that's what it takes to make sure it's dead then that is what I would prefer!

Scott: It's dead, it HAS to be, I'm 100% sure...can you make it a half hour?

Renee: Fine, if you're sure...

Scott: I'm sure.

~10 minutes later, after takeoff~

Scott looks over to his left, sees the wasp on his window, grabs a map and smashes it against the window, leaving a smudge, without saying a word.
Renee: I knew it. I knew it.

Scott (laughing): Okay NOW it's dead! Cross-check confirmed!

~15 minutes later~

Renee (noticing the dead wasp perched on top of her book in her purse): That wasp is in my purse.
Scott: NO WAY. IT. CAN'T. BE.

Renee: I mean it's dead, but it's in my purse.

Scott: Oh. I'll get it out when we land. Jeesh.

~THE END~

This is a picture of the runway at Real County, we're going to submit a couple pictures of airports to AirNav.com to see if they use them. The one currently on there for this airport was last updated in 2003, but it's prettier because itwas taken in the summer. We'll see what happens, it would be kind of cool to have our picture posted.
Coming in to land at Rock Springs. It gets flatter the further west you go.
There isn't much at this airport, just a few hangars, but they do have a weather station...
...and a phone booth!

Clearly we learned our lesson with the wasp...

Edwards County runway from the air.

Coming back in to Boerne.

We should have taken a picture of the wasp, but Renee didn't want to get too close, lest it come back to life. It was about an inch and a half long and an angry orangish red. But we survived!