My more candid view entering Borden County.

An unpaved road in Borden County - the final example of Bordendom in this photo shoot.

TX 115/176 entering Andrews, Texas. If my hometown had a sign like this, I'd feel huuuuumiliated! This 100-foot-long eyesore was erected in 1969. Before 1981, the last part said, "SUPPORTS OUR GOVERNMENT." The sign was built to attack the protest culture of the 1960s, but it's strange they dropped the pro-government message in 1981 when the presidency took a hard right turn. A high school teacher later assumed responsibility of maintaining the sign. A similar sign reportedly stands at the other end of town, and city crews have been responsible for its upkeep.

And I thought the Campbell County Schools were bad at politicizing stuff!

Through it all, Andrews County has chosen to cheerfully accept huge amounts of radioactive waste dumped by a Republican billionaire. Right-wing residents spread rumors about fellow townspeople who dared to oppose the project.

Downtown Andrews. It's always the towns that yell out "FREE ENTERPRISE!!!" that have the most spy cams on their traffic light masts, isn't it? However, Bush's Chicken appears to be unconnected to the Bush royal family.

Continuing through Andrews. Is the "God's Not Dead" sign city-funded too?

TX 115 roughly where we enter Winkler County.

Entering the county seat of Kermit. This county is full of 1970s TV references: Winkler County (as in Henry Winkler) includes the towns of Kermit (as in Kermit the Frog) and Wink (as in Wink Martindale).

TX 115 uses Austin Street in Kermit. I'm pretty sure the Lowe's supermarket that sold us the spoiled hamburger patties is at right.

Continuing through Kermit.

Re-Klaim Kermit. Re-Klaim him from the "What Happens Next" Machine.

A side road in Kermit.

TX 302 in Kermit. The mandatory hollowed-out ancient Exxon sign towers over everything else at left.

TX 302 in Loving County - which has the smallest population of any county in the 48 contiguous states. The road atlas listed it with a population of only 42. Despite this, George W. Bush somehow got 124 votes there in 2000. How did Bush apologists explain this obvious case of election fraud? "Their poo also voted," one told me at the time. Seriously, that was their excuse. Also, some self-styled "libertarian" types tried moving into the county to outnumber existing residents and outvote them.

If you look closely, this photo appears to have a natural gas well at center left. It appears to have a flame flaring off gas - a practice that completely wastes a large percentage of the gas they find.

The county school district merged with that of Wink in 1972 because it was down to only 2 students.

Loving County's tiny county seat of Mentone.

Ruined pavement probably on US 285 near Orla, Texas.

This has to be RM 652. The mountain range in the background has to be the Guadalupe Mountains.

RM 652 again.

RM 652 again, and it appears as if there's another flaring gas well at center.

RM 652 takes us through this gap.

RM 652 at FM 3541.

RM 652 and the Guadalupe Mountains.