The winner is!

Click on the large photo for a closer view!
Revised, January 2,2006

My sister, Linda! She was the first to correctly identify this little fella as a javelina. I've seen them several times since I arrived. While they look like pigs, they have anatomical differences and are classified as collared peccaries. To me, they look like they stepped right out of the pages of Where the Wild Things Are.


New photo on the left, taken by the Sierra Blanca rodeo grounds on December 31. There are three HUGE javelina there in the middle of the picture,though the third is a little challenging to spot. This was my fifth personal sighting of javelina since I moved here.

Van Horn's Lighted Christmas Parade

This was fun, a parade of 15 floats decorated with twinkly lights, and Van Horn's premier holiday event. Even though the Lions Club float won the contest, my favorite was the float with the creche (the kids playing Mary, Joseph and the three wisemen were all decked out with twinkly lights!) and the American flag (also in twinklies!).

A year ago, I was in Chicago at a boring higher education development conference. The windchill must have been a gazillion degrees below zero and SO VERY COLD in the way only Chicagoans can understand. I ducked into a Virgin Records on North Michigan Avenue to warm up painfully numb thighs. (Every other part of me had more than one layer of insulation; I'd forgotten to bring my long underwear to the BIG CITY.) I bought a "Christmas with the Brat Pack" CD while I was thawing out. North Michigan Avenue was all lit up for the holidays, and as beautiful as ever. The sidewalks were packed. Even with the windchill as low as it was, the shoppers all trying to get someplace FAST.

This month, I've been playing that CD, marveling that I actually like Dean Martin's singing, and comparing last year's holiday to this one. Wow, what an incredible change. I'm warmer, happier, and enjoying my work far more than last year. I'm busy, but the pace of life is more comfortable. The sidewalks aren't crowded, either. I miss you all terribly, and am so very grateful for your emails, calls, library donations, encouragement and pep talks. I hope to make it back home to see you soon.

Library Gifts so far!

The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin (audio CD)
$70 cash, for purchase of books from the librarian's wish list
2 one year magazine subscriptions, from the librarian's wish list
A Year of Diet Desserts by Jan Bingham
Daybook: The Journal of an Artist by Anne Truitt
What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard N. Bolles
The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor

Thanks for the donations so far! As you're cleaning up after the holidays, please consider sending the Van Horn City County Library your extra books! I know some of you are waiting until the holidays are over to send me your books. Keep 'em coming! (See the December 6 post for more information)

Don't call me pig!

Time for another contest! The first non-Texan friend to identify this fella, will be sent a special Big Bend Texas prize!

Just another Wednesday at the office

Revised Friday, 12/15 One of 50 petroglyph boulders we found in Lobo Valley, and "nearly a world class rock," according to the rock art experts, Jim and Bernie.
Bernie photographs a deer painting underneath the rock ledge. The ancient rock artist's fingerprints and fingertip strokes of the paint are still visible, many centuries later. A detail of the same deer painting, below.

Yesterday I got to explore private ranch land with two petroglyph experts, retired educators who've traveled all over the world researching and writing papers about ancient rock art. It was fun to see them stand in front of a boulder, and quietly say in awe, "THIS is a good rock." They spent the day photographing and sketching the markings, and I got to tag along, learning as much as I could.

I most enjoyed seeing how the artists used the bumps and fissures in the rocks to accentuate their drawings. The horse eye (above) is easy to see because of a protrusion in the rock, and the jawline is partially defined by a ridge on the surface.

The figures we saw were varied in both age (some from the Archaic period up to 2,500 years old; others less than 1,500 years old) and design (human, animal and plant forms; geometrics; calendar or counting systems).

One cluster of rocks was deemed a place of importance to women of ancient times. A vulva-shaped opening had been carved into a boulder which allowed rainfall to pass through it. Today the water nurtures a resurrection fern living below. While carvings are not usually done by women, there were some marble-sized indentations usually attributed to women artists. It is thought the carvers might have been seeking the rock's curative powers for umbilical cord scars and other medicinal needs. The petroglyphs on the rocks indicated fertility and Jim and Bernie felt the rock might have been a birthing place.

Seeing these rocks would be an incredible experience for tourists, but I have to be careful about promoting petroglyphs. Even though the sites are on private land and hard to get to--you have to know someone with a key or hire a guide--poaching is a problem. My guide pointed out one rock that had its face chipped away. She said, "there used to be a horse picture here."

Drive at the speed limit and you miss it

One of my favorite drives is down to Marfa, about an hour from Van Horn. Because I'm still new to the long isolated distances and always prepared for any contingency in the desert, I ready myself like an astronaut going into space. My Subaru roof antenna is plugged into the office cell phone, on my lap and in vibrate/ring mode. Check. My personal cell phone, also on the lap in vibrate/ring mode. Emergency water and powerbar on the floor on the passenger side. Check. Two more gallons of emergency water is behind my seat (we're in the desert, for crying out loud!) CDs on the seat beside me. Check. Personal emergency kit (with foil blanket, candle, and fish hook?) in the glove box. Check. Then the usual auto checks--gas, oil, etc. Check. Check. Check.

Once I settle in, I'm ready to enjoy the ride.

By late summer, I started to recognize the landmarks, and I noticed a curious structure being built on the side of the road. Odd. Too small for a house or store. Too large for a bus shelter, and too far from anything to house kids waiting for the schoolbus. Yet, there it was, being patiently built by a small crew of men, just a few miles north of Valentine, population 247. A boxy-looking thing, way out in the middle of the desert nowhere.

In early October, I took that road home to Van Horn. The first clue was the portable lighted sign by the only gas station in Valentine. "Welcome Prada Marfa," it said. Huh.

Then I sped by, way too fast to get anything but a hint of what it was. Stop the car, back up. What?!? A Prada store?

There, perfectly and beautifully positioned in the desert, is a sealed time capsule, a non-functional full-sized reproduction of an urban boutique Prada store stocked with the fall 2005 line of shoes and purses. It makes me happy just to look at it. It will decay in time, and the ruin will become part of the landscape.

Last Saturday, I decided to drive the hour to Marfa to visit a few galleries. Donald Judd, the minimalist, brought the artworld to Marfa when he bought an old military property and installed his own work and the work of a few friends. Now there's an active arts scene in town. It is kind of like a rural desert New York, you never know who or what you'll see. Marfa's presence is one of the reasons I moved here--I knew I'd have access to creative visual ideas. So Saturday, I was able to see bad amateurish pottery (isn't it everywhere?), thought-provoking political work, gorgeous digitally altered landscape photos, and the works of Paul Strand, Dorothea Lange, and Man Ray. Marfa, mind you, has a population of less than 3,000. Saturday night, I hope to take in a performance by Terry Allen.

Sure, sometimes I miss having access to big-city culture. But really, it (and excellent footwear) is just down the road.

Thanks

I heard from so many of you eager to donate books to the library, and I'm very grateful. A more formal post is coming, but I've received word that books and donated magazine subscriptions are on their way to the Van Horn Library. And Anne Remington is donating a book on CD she left here when she helped me move down here. Thanks, Anne!

Thought you might like a look at the hat that's on its way to Libby, the winner of the wind turbine quiz. So many of you thought a Big Bend Texas hat meant a LARGE hat, and I wanted to explain. The Big Bend National Park is in the southern part of my region, and the "Big Bend" in the Rio Grande River determines the southwest border between the US and Mexico. More about the border in another series of posts. Oh, and the hat is not pink, but a manly red. Sorry, I guess my flash was a little overactive!

Just wanted to say "hi" and keep those books coming!

Urban Living

So here's my home, in the apartment above this unused storefront. It is rather fun living an "urban" life in such a rural town. It feels comfortable to me since my grandparents lived above their small-town tavern for many years. It was in that apartment I first remember watching the Wizard of Oz on television, and I have distinct memories of hiding my head in a pile of blankets to escape the flying monkeys!

The back building (see my second floor window up there?) was a fraternal hall a hundred years ago, and in the thirties, the front building was added. Originally there were several storefronts in the building, but most locals remember "THE" department store that occupied the entire thing. It has been vacant for several years. A local woman and professionally trained chef, just bought the building and hopes to put the Sunflower Cafe in downstairs. A good restaurant downstairs would be very welcome.

Across the side street, there's the hardware store. On Saturday mornings, the street is lined with pickup trucks driven by ranchers shopping for supplies. Most of them have dogs in the back. From her perch in the window, Daisy enjoys watching them sun themselves. Across Broadway, is the Clark Hotel Museum and the Dollar Store. There is a comforting rhythm to life in a business district. My watch can be set by the opening of the hardware store each morning, and the pre-8 pm rush at the Dollar Store before it closes each night. I know I'll be late getting to the office after lunch if Robert at the Museum has already flipped the OPEN sign towards the window--signalling the start of his day at 1 pm. The hardware store offers me a personal weather forecast--I know it will be a cold day if their side door remains closed after 7 am. From my window I can see the mountains to the west, and in the morning they're often pink as the sun rises. And there are glorious sunsets. I mean GLORIOUS sunsets.

Even though no one else lives in the "neighborhood," I'm in the center of town. This summer's street dance took place right in front of the building, and tomorrow night's "Holiday Light Parade" will pass right by me. I'm looking forward to that.

The apartment has the idiosyncrasies of an older building, but the economic development corporation in Van Horn equipped it with a modern kitchen and bathroom, for which I'm very grateful. It also has a high tongue and groove ceiling, and hardwood floors worn (very) thin from years of foot traffic from shoppers and I suspect, a bit of unrestrained floor sanding. It is quiet in there, thanks to the adobe construction, and that helps with the rumbling of the trains near by. And safe. I feel very safe in my castle.

Live!

This morning we went "live" with the official Texas Mountain Trail website! Take a look for yourself! I'll be adding and refining content, and hopefully soon I'll be able to get an intern to help me with this task.

www.texasmountaintrail.com

Help for the Library!

I would like to do something important for my new community, and want to ask your help. The City/County Library in Van Horn gets heavy use, which is encouraging given the high rates of (English) illiteracy in the region. The census figures I shared with you earlier tell the story. Many families are poor, and access to reading material is very limited. The library is across the street from the school complex, and kids are in there all the time. There many picture books for younger children, but beyond that the selection is astonishingly thin. I know being a librarian’s daughter has had some effect on my perspective, and I’ve been truly spoiled by the literary life in Iowa City, but there is a genuine need here for good fiction and non-fiction titles for all ages.

Van Horn is rich in many respects. The mountains are beautiful. You can always find great peppers and mangos in the grocery store. But reading material? There are few choices. There is a filthy, dark, unpleasant store with odd garage sale leftover books. The checkouts at the truck stops, the Dollar Store and the grocery store have a few magazines, but I’m not sure it is even possible to buy Time or Newsweek in Van Horn. While there are three terrific independent bookstores in the area, the closest one is in Marfa, an hour’s drive away. The library is pretty much it for good reading material.

You and I know this simple fact: before books can have any power, they have to be available to read.

Here’s where I ask my favor…..would you send me your good used books for our library? Or in true Iowa City fashion, I can purchase books on your behalf from our regional independent bookstores. I’ll purchase titles you’d like to share with others, or from the local librarian’s “wish list,” or perhaps I can help fill gaps I see in the collection. Your choice.

For my part, it would be a joy to facilitate this and to see local folks enjoying your books. I will personally handle your donation and will mail your receipt from the librarian. I’ll even tuck in a little West Texas surprise.

You can send books or donations to my address—P.O. Box 277, Van Horn, TX 79855. USPS is the best carrier for delivery to Van Horn, and there’s a bonus--they offer a discounted book rate!

I’d like to make an impact with this blog, and between stories about the burro lady and the dust storms, I’ll keep a running list of all the books donated to the library. I’m donating some volumes from my own library, so here’s a start:

A Year of Diet Desserts by Jan Bingham
Daybook: The Journal of an Artist by Anne Truitt
What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard N. Bolles
The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor (a favorite, and a duplicate in my collection)

Short of traveling to see you all during the holidays, this is my wish. You’ll make a difference to people in this beautiful isolated place.

Can I ask one more favor? If you know someone who would get a kick out of participating in this old-fashioned bookdrive, would you forward the address for this blog? The more the merrier! Thank you, my friends.

The answer is.....

Part of a blade of a wind turbine destined for a windfarm! And the winner is......Libby Slappey! Thanks to all of you who wrote me with your guesses and your warm greetings. I heard from many friends in Iowa, Australia, Hawaii, Arizona, Illinois, and Indiana. A red Big Bend (as in the National Park) Texas hat will be on its way to Libby soon.

Take part in our next quiz--the prize might be your very own tumbleweed!

Here's a link to read about wind power in Texas: http://www.infinitepower.org/projects.htm

What's on this truck?

If you're the first non-Texan to email me with the correct answer, I'll send you a Texas Big Bend hat! Click on the photo for a closer look. The answer and winner will be announced in a future posting! Hint: they're used around here.

Congratulations!

My hat's off to my friends and co-workers at the UI Foundation in Iowa City for raising one BILLION dollars for the University of Iowa. It was a long and difficult road, but friends, you made it!

Odds and ends

Things you might have been wondering about:

1. This morning's temperature was 32 degrees, but we'll warm up to the low 50s. Later this week the daytime high will be 71. Saturday, I was shopping without a coat in El Paso.
2. Van Horn is pronounced "VAN horn." I still don't get it right most of the time.
3. Our elevation is just about 4,000 feet.
4. Yes, we do get snow. The average is 3.3 inches a year.
5. It will get cold. Locals tell me it can get down into the 20s. They shiver when they say that.
6. I experienced my first sandstorm yesterday. The wind howled so much, I couldn't tell if the trains were running, and that's quite a feat, as the tracks are a block away. I could barely see Turtleback Mountain most of the day.
7. The mayor comes into my office nearly every day to say "hello," and to chat for a few minutes. He calls me "sis." I like that.
8. The desert is drying up. We're losing the green of summer, but in its place, the grasses are turning to a beautiful bleached golden color.
9. Tumbleweeds are starting to roll into town.

More Red Rock Ranch Pictures

Red Rock Ranch

I was lucky enough to get out on this ranch twice last weekend, once with a group of artists and once with a group of geologists from Houston and China. We saw stunning views, Indian grinding holes, javelina and mountain lion prints, wild burros, road runners, jackrabbits, and two old movie sets. (I know you want to know--the movies are 'Blue Sky' starring Jessica Lange and Tommy Lee Jones, and the prequel to Lonesome Dove starring Edward James Olmos).

After the geologists left on Sunday night, I stayed a bit and had a glass of wine with the ranch owner. She told amazing stories about Van Horn, and her many years as a manager of rock and country bands. "I did a twelve night tour with Jerry Lee Louis and he was a perfect gentlemen when I was around." She also told me more about the Burro Lady. (Psst: her name is Judy.)

The "Red" is Pre-Cambrian rock. See it on the left in the middle of the picture? (Yeah, I didn't know "Pre-Cambrian" either. It means older than the hills, older than life, too old to have fossils in it because nothing was living on the earth when it was formed.) Pretty cool, huh? And Red Rock Ranch is one of the only sites in North America where you can see naturally exposed Pre-Cambrian sandstone. That's why the geologists came all the way from China; we've got a geology textbook out here in our rocks.

Envision the Pageantry

I promise, next year I'll get pictures.

"The 14th Annual 4-H Open Freestyle Reining was held October 22, at the S.A.L.E. Arena at Sul Ross State University.

The event consists of a set of required horseback maneuvers set to the music of the contestants choice, and done in both horse and rider costumes."

Here's a partial listing of the winners and the titles of their performances:

"Best Representation of Screen Media: (Ghost Busters)"
"Craziest Performance: (Copa Cabanna-Carmen Miranda)"
"Most Original: (Hugo the Human Canon Ball)"
"Crowd Voted Best Costume: (Scoobie Doo) and (If I was Jesus)"

I'm not kidding you about the last one.

Obit of the Day (in honor of my Iowa friends, Anne and Scott)

"He was a good cowboy, but earned respect as a good cowman."

Census Data

The figures make the differences clear-- here's data on Culberson County, Texas, compared with my other two homes (Johnson County, Iowa and McLean County, Illinois):

Population Estimate
Culberson County, Texas 2,727
Johnson County, Iowa 116,097
McLean County, Illinois 158,006

Persons per square mile
Culberson County, Texas 0.8 (yes, that's right, there's a lot of room out here)
Johnson County, Iowa 180.7
McLean County, Illinois 127.1

Persons of Latino or Hispanic origin
Culberson County, Texas 72.2%
Johnson County, Iowa 2.5%
McLean County, Illinois 2.5%

Language other than English spoken at home
Culberson County, Texas 73.4%
Johnson County, Iowa 10.5%
McLean County, Illinois 6.0%

Median household income (1999)
Culberson County, Texas $25,882
Johnson County, Iowa $40,060
McLean County, Illinois $47,021

Persons below poverty rate (1999)
Culberson County, Texas 25.1%
Johnson County, Iowa 15.1%
McLean County, Illinois 9.7%

Blue Sky No Lie

More McKittrick Canyon shots--Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Fall Color in Texas?

McKittrick Canyon in Guadalupe Mountains National Park is an hour's drive from my home. National Park Service materials call this canyon "the most beautiful spot in Texas," which my friends in the Big Bend National Park would certainly dispute. But no matter, the colors this time of year are spectacular and the sky very, VERY blue.

The hike is relatively flat but rocky (no bouldering, though) and in a few miles you see a full transition from desert to canyon woodland, to a highland forest of maples and oaks. Elevation at the trail head is 5,000, considerably lower than the park's (and the state's) highest point, Guadalupe Peak, 8,749 elevation. I most enjoyed seeing the tiny brilliant leaves of the maples. They're small in the desert to reduce evaporation of precious rainwater.

The park is isolated--the nearest food, lodging and gasoline is 35 miles away--but that makes hiking at even peak times a real treat. We were there on the first really colorful weekend of the season and there were others on the trail, but we had a great deal of privacy along the route, too.

Home again

Folks, I've been on the road. For the first time since I arrived this summer, I was eager to get back "home" last night. In addition to driving all over the Texas Mountain Trail region, I've been in Dallas at the Texas State Fair (meet BIG TEX on the left!) promoting Far West Texas, the Texas Mountain Trail, Big Bend National Park and Guadelupe Mountains National Park. I tell you what--it was a big rush to stand in that booth and have folks RUN up and say, "Ohhh, the Big Bend is my FAVORITE place on the planet!"

After a week of corny dogs and chocolate covered frozen key lime pie on a stick, I was home for a brief time, then off to Corpus for a travel conference. This proved to be infinitely more fun than CASE or BTDOC (for all you Foundation friends) -- folks seemed relaxed and happy! We heard about ways to encourage motels to adopt "green" practices, ways to calculate return on investment (yes, I'm still a numbers geek!), and finding funds for community festivals involving the running of turkeys down Main Street--now that's far more fun than managing "do not call lists" for telefund programs!

Will be posting more entries this weekend!

View from the road

Click on the photo to enlarge it!

Yesterday, on the drive home

Yeah, but are you making any art?

No. Not at the moment. Honestly this move has been such a radical change for me visually, it will take some time to absorb and make any sense of it. Embroidery requires such an intense commitment to the original image, if I were to start a new piece, I know I'd abandon it mid-way. For now I'm content to just look (and hopefully see) and let things percolate in my brain a little while longer. I'm antsy to get my fingers moving, though, so I don't think this little hiatus will last too long.

What they tell me

It is the same story with "family farms" in Iowa--to keep the land, families have to look for other sources of income. Ranching is a difficult profession. Folks here have lasted through devastating droughts, and they've seen hard times before. Today ranchers will build a guest house or two on their land or they'll allow hunting. They'll build trails for hiking, birding, or mountain biking. I bear some responsibility here--to publicize the region so tourists will come here on vacation, and to build the economic development side of our program to assist landowners who want to diversify their business. This helps me feel needed here, although I recognize I'm not much help yet. I've got so much to learn, I don't always recognize the "dots" right in front of my face, even though my role is to "help connect" them. That's where a good board comes to play. And I've got a great board to help me learn as I stumble through.

The Chive-Eater

This is a fun thing to do: summon up as much derision in your voice as you can, and spew it out with venom:

"DAISY, you're A CHIVE-EATER! " (Go on. I dare you. It is fun to say!)

She'll look at you with slitty, guilty, "I dare you to punish me" cat eyes. Such is the daily drama of my life.

I have one window, which faces west and offers great views of Turtleback Mountain and Six Mile Mountain and sunsets. There's plenty of turf on this windowsill for garden and cat. (That's adobe for you!) But this little goofball is munching on only the chives, garlic chives at that. If I could just get her to eat some Altoids afterwards.

I promise: I'll try not to do this too often. (blog author + cat owner = obligatory-cat-picture-in-a-blog) This is supposed to be about far west Texas, not an online tribute to a cat, for pete's sake.

Friday Night Lights

Van Horn's Football Stadium!

Being a Good Neighbor

I want to tell you all about the Burro Lady, Caveman, and the Tormenter Guy. And I will, because there are great stories here, and you need to know them. But these are my new neighbors, and I'll be neighborly and respectful as I do so. If I make a mistake in portraying life here, I'll try to correct it. Oh, yes, and that's the burro lady's burro. More on her some other day.

One of my favorite writers, Martha Gelhorn, wrote a book about traveling by train through China with her husband, Ernest Hemingway, whom she referred to only as UC or Unwilling Companion. To prevent angering the Boo Radleys of the world, and to protect the privacy of friends and neighbors, I'll probably not use real names, either.

Look for the blue sign

The area I'm covering is VAST. Think of a space holding the District of Columbia, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey and three Delawares, and you've got some idea of the mileage I'll be piling up with my Forester.

For the record, the Texas Mountain Trail serves all of Brewster, Culberson, El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, and Presidio counties. That's 21,772 square miles, including the city of El Paso, the Big Bend National Park, and the Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

Look at the map. We're that pointy corner of west Texas nestled under New Mexico, and bordered by the Rio Grande to the south. Mexico is below that. Exotic land for this midwesterner, and it couldn't be any more different from the other regions in Texas where I've lived--the Panhandle and Galveston.

Starting anew

Starting over has its challenges. Everything is new. You don't know where to buy cat litter. You don't know how long it will take to get from here to there. Getting a haircut is a truly frightening exercise in trust and communication with a stranger. You don't know much of anything except that you're on a great adventure.

Exploring by myself is fun, but it is so much BETTER to have fellow adventurers. So, in this blog I'll attempt to help you see what I see every day.

Why did I move here? Well, take a look at the view in the second mile of a typical run. Simply jaw-dropping beautiful. That's one reason.

Why call this "Second Mile?" For me the second mile of my daily run is the toughest. I've warmed up by then, and I'm listening to how my body feels. Finally on the edge of town, I'm enjoying the view, loving being outside, but am assessing my stamina for the day, and seeing how my body reacts to the hot sun and the wind and the exertion. By the second mile I know if I'm going to turn around right away, or if I'm going to extend the miles and get some good running in. If I'm up to the long run, I'm rewarded by a sense of accomplishment, endorphins, and a good workout. If I wimp out, I turn back prematurely, before the rewards can be realized. That's kind of where I am with this move, at the second mile, the tough one. The mile that tests my mettle. The days can be challenging, but the rewards are great.