Wild, Wild West
Whoa, I have finally recovered my latest fun-filled adventure -- an excursion to West Texas. Now, most folks understand Texas to be Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas. The I-35 corridor is pop-Texas, progressive-Texas, urbanista-Texas. It's mainstream Texas. Venture further and further west, and the traveler encounters what I like to consider "true, honest to goodness" Texas. It's rugged, prickly, vast, and desolate. It's the part of Texas where nature can stretch its arms without running into suburbia and asphalt. It's the part of Texas where nature can take a deep breath without choking on Starbucks coffee grounds or ethanol. It's the part of Texas where Mom's cousin Sarita lives with her husband and two children.
Sarita and her husband live and work on a ranch near Marathon, Texas. The ranch is vast -- 250,000 acres. We arrived at their quaint house on Friday evening. I met my second cousin Gabe -- a two year-old "Indian." He has the perfect life. He runs around naked and barefooted all over! He's rough and tumble. When I got there, he got out his zillions of diecast pick-up trucks and tractors. Boy, I couldn't believe his collection! I have a new friend -- someone who likes wheels as much as I do.
That evening, I played on their deck with all of the tractors. We even ate outside. Ahhh, we had homemade Mexican food for dinner -- carne asada, beans, tortillas, rice, and chocolate cake. My Mom's cousin is one of the best hostesses ever. She's sweeter than sweet. I really like her husband Lalo too. He wears a cowboy hat.
After spending the evening with them, Mom, Grandpa, and I drove back to Marathon. Marathon is a tiny, quintessential West Texas town. We arrived at the little adobe house in which we were to stay. It had the typical historical, musty smell. I was exhausted and was struggling to keep from falling into a rotten mood.
Mom set me on the cowhide rug in the entry room. I was so tired and rather unhappy. I decided to sit there and scream. While I screamed, I watched Mom in the nearby bedroom. She made an interesting face while unpacking my bed. Instead of putting my pack n play on the floor as usual, she placed it on the bed. Then, she quickly picked me up. As she carried me to the other room, she saw something on the floor and stomped on it. Hmmm .... Yuck, a scorpion.
I got a bath, and after my bath, Mom put me in the bed on the bed. Grandpa came back inside and told Mom that he needed to take the truck to a filling station. He had a flat. As soon, as he left, Mom went over to the other side of the bed, the same place that I had seen her make the interesting face before. Now, her face transformed into one of horror. Whatever it was on the floor on the other side of the bed was not a "good thing." I started crying. Mom told me to "hush." That was the first time in my life she had told me to "hush." Well, she ran into the kitchen and returned with a broom. Then, with a determined, scared look, she started beating the ever-lovin' out of whatever was on the floor. Of course, by this time, I was terrified because I'd never seen Mom act so ridiculous. I was screaming my head off. She looked at me again, and said, "Jack, hush."
Granddad returned shortly, and Mom said, "I think there is one of those horribly deadly black scorpions in that room. He was nearly the size of my hand!!!"
It turns out that the "scorpion" was a giant vinegaroon. Look it up on the internet! It looks liks a freaky huge jurassic insect. This dude was actually on the large end of the scale for vinegaroons. Whew....Wild West! Needless to say, I slept in my pack n play on the bottom half of the bed while Mom had the top half. I don't think Mom got any sleep that night.
The next day was eventful. We had breakfast on the ranch. Then, we piled into the Ford and headed out on a dirt road up a mountain. On the top of this mountain, we could see for miles!
Afterwards, we went back to the house and had lunch. I got to have beans and tortillas again. I LOVE beans and tortillas. My cousin and her husband say that I'm definitely becoming a "beaner." I think it's a compliment.
Cousin Gabe is such a dude. I can't wait until I can run around like him. Like I said, he runs barefooted everywhere. I need to toughen up my feet. Plus, Gabe never cries when he gets hurt. I watched him bonk his head and fall down multiple times. He didn't shed a tear. I don't know how he does that.
After my nap, we drove up a canyon to look at some Indian wall paintings. Who painted them? What did they eat? Where did they live? A mystery.
There is a creek that runs through the canyon, and the water actually comes to the surface at the mouth of the canyon. It was like an oasis in the middle of a desert. We played in the creek for a while. I liked all of the rocks.
That evening, I played with Gabe on the deck. We drove back to our adobe hacienda late that evening. No vinegaroons that night -- thankfully.
On Sunday, we made the drive home.
Sarita and her husband live and work on a ranch near Marathon, Texas. The ranch is vast -- 250,000 acres. We arrived at their quaint house on Friday evening. I met my second cousin Gabe -- a two year-old "Indian." He has the perfect life. He runs around naked and barefooted all over! He's rough and tumble. When I got there, he got out his zillions of diecast pick-up trucks and tractors. Boy, I couldn't believe his collection! I have a new friend -- someone who likes wheels as much as I do.
That evening, I played on their deck with all of the tractors. We even ate outside. Ahhh, we had homemade Mexican food for dinner -- carne asada, beans, tortillas, rice, and chocolate cake. My Mom's cousin is one of the best hostesses ever. She's sweeter than sweet. I really like her husband Lalo too. He wears a cowboy hat.
After spending the evening with them, Mom, Grandpa, and I drove back to Marathon. Marathon is a tiny, quintessential West Texas town. We arrived at the little adobe house in which we were to stay. It had the typical historical, musty smell. I was exhausted and was struggling to keep from falling into a rotten mood.
Mom set me on the cowhide rug in the entry room. I was so tired and rather unhappy. I decided to sit there and scream. While I screamed, I watched Mom in the nearby bedroom. She made an interesting face while unpacking my bed. Instead of putting my pack n play on the floor as usual, she placed it on the bed. Then, she quickly picked me up. As she carried me to the other room, she saw something on the floor and stomped on it. Hmmm .... Yuck, a scorpion.
I got a bath, and after my bath, Mom put me in the bed on the bed. Grandpa came back inside and told Mom that he needed to take the truck to a filling station. He had a flat. As soon, as he left, Mom went over to the other side of the bed, the same place that I had seen her make the interesting face before. Now, her face transformed into one of horror. Whatever it was on the floor on the other side of the bed was not a "good thing." I started crying. Mom told me to "hush." That was the first time in my life she had told me to "hush." Well, she ran into the kitchen and returned with a broom. Then, with a determined, scared look, she started beating the ever-lovin' out of whatever was on the floor. Of course, by this time, I was terrified because I'd never seen Mom act so ridiculous. I was screaming my head off. She looked at me again, and said, "Jack, hush."
Granddad returned shortly, and Mom said, "I think there is one of those horribly deadly black scorpions in that room. He was nearly the size of my hand!!!"
It turns out that the "scorpion" was a giant vinegaroon. Look it up on the internet! It looks liks a freaky huge jurassic insect. This dude was actually on the large end of the scale for vinegaroons. Whew....Wild West! Needless to say, I slept in my pack n play on the bottom half of the bed while Mom had the top half. I don't think Mom got any sleep that night.
The next day was eventful. We had breakfast on the ranch. Then, we piled into the Ford and headed out on a dirt road up a mountain. On the top of this mountain, we could see for miles!
Afterwards, we went back to the house and had lunch. I got to have beans and tortillas again. I LOVE beans and tortillas. My cousin and her husband say that I'm definitely becoming a "beaner." I think it's a compliment.
Cousin Gabe is such a dude. I can't wait until I can run around like him. Like I said, he runs barefooted everywhere. I need to toughen up my feet. Plus, Gabe never cries when he gets hurt. I watched him bonk his head and fall down multiple times. He didn't shed a tear. I don't know how he does that.
After my nap, we drove up a canyon to look at some Indian wall paintings. Who painted them? What did they eat? Where did they live? A mystery.
There is a creek that runs through the canyon, and the water actually comes to the surface at the mouth of the canyon. It was like an oasis in the middle of a desert. We played in the creek for a while. I liked all of the rocks.
On Sunday, we made the drive home.
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