Driving along Highway 100 in deep South Texas between South Padre Island and Harlingen there is not a tremendous amount of pretty scenery except in the spring when the yuccas are showing off their beautiful white, frothy blooms.
Most days the dust is blowing through the Mesquite trees and an occasional half-starved cow is trying to work his head through the wire fence long enough to snag a green blade of grass, which is not an easy find. I travel this road often because it is the primary route to the shopping mall and the airport so I am always on the lookout for something new.
Until a couple of years ago there was a rendering plant about half-way on the stretch of road, and that was always interesting to smell. I never got the full story of what this place did, but what I did hear, I didn’t really want to think about much. We called it “stink corner,” which was a great landmark when you wanted to tell someone your approximate location. Did it ever smell bad? At least it was just for the couple of minutes driving around the bend. Now, it’s gone and that’s nice, but that doesn’t leave much excitement along the way, except for the sign “9 TOE MOWING AND SHREDDING.” That guy has my kind of sense of humor!
I wonder what visitors think when they are driving down this highway on their way to the island for their first vacation. They probably think they have made a mistake until they reach the bridge and see the waters of the Laguna Madre. On a clear day looking straight ahead you can see the Gulf of Mexico and on either side of the bridge the bay that separates the island from the mainland, and then you have to know that however long the trip was, it was worth it. And I am lucky enough to call this place home.