From South Texas, my annual snowbirding journey begins once again. As in most past years, I leave the bottom of Texas before the end of January and begin making my way up the river valley towards Del Rio, Texas.

The south of Texas, no, the entire state of Texas, is very cold at the start of this year. I am in Mission, Texas it is thirty-six degrees when I awake on the first day of January which last for four days before warming above forty degrees on the fifth of January. These near freezing temperatures are uncommon for South Texas and I just endure it and try to keep warm.

Most every time I have been here, there are no clouds but tonight, the clouds, most likely smoke from the many wildfires is thick on the horizon and provided a nice suntouch and sunglow last evening.

Rising quickly, I get dress and then drive to where I can get some photos of the sunglow, stopping at Shafer Canyon Overlook for a few photos and then continuing further south on the Islands in the Sky Overlook road.

Last evening, there was a grand sunset with a display like I have not seen for a long time. The display began with crepuscular rays, then a sunglow with radiating beams, next an explosion of a suntouch and finally continuing to join the increasing thunder storm with repeated lightning flashes.