On 5th March, Jonathan and Corinna Downes, the Director and Administrator of the Centre for Fortean Zoology [CFZ] the world's largest mystery animal research organisation, fly to Texas. Together with their friends and colleagues Richie and Naomi West who very generously financed the expedition, they will spend two weeks continuing the research into the Texas blue dogs, first carried out by Jonathan Downes in November 2004..

Saturday 20 March 2010

WHAT A LONG STRANGE TRIP IT'S BEEN

I have always hated transitions. As I type these words I realised that I said exactly the same thing in the first posting to this blog all those weeks ago. But it is true. I like being in America. I like being in England. I just don't like the transition. But you read all about that in my first post weeks ago, and although I feel that I am rapidly approaching my dotage, I try not to repeat myself too much.

It has been a wonderful trip. I am writing this late on Friday night as Corinna packs the cases. Just in case anyone accuses me of arrant sexism here, Corinna apparently believes that case-packing is one of the Eleusinian Mysteries that are only to be carried out by those not in posssession of a Y chromosome, and I have been banished from the bedroom.

As always, we have far more stuff with us now than we had when we arrived, and there were even more things that I would have bought if I hadn't been skint. I am feeling particularly melancholy at the prospect of leaving Texas. We have seen so many old friends and met so many new ones that it really seems as if (with only a very few exceptions) that the state of Texas and everyone in it has taken us to its heart.

I would like to thank Naomi and Richie for financing the trip and being so kind and generous to us over the past few weeks; Doug and Ronnie and family; Denise and family; Harvey and Deric and all at the Hyatt Ranch; Devin Macanally; Chad and Jonathan; Dr Phyllis Canion; Morgan and Jo from Minnow Films. There are dozens of other people who deserve our thanks, like Karina and Jamie for their kind presents; Nick and Dana Redfern; Ken Gerhard; Smiles Lewis; all at Dallas and Houston MUFONs; and many more (including, of course, Salem and Tiberius who I will miss tremendously) but I am feeling all emotional and can't really type any more....

slainte

Jon

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