Texas

Lake Amistad

Lake Amistad

Cactus-... duh.

Sunset at Seminole Canyon State Park

I sit now and write this atop a hill that waves up from deep rock canyons at the bottom of a valley some miles below. The brush is thick with cactus. I can see Mexico off in the distance, a line of bluer brown horizon that raises up like a long giant thick snake lying at the reach of my vision. Closer are canyons, huge holes, eaten away ground displaying jagged rock like the teeth of mountain lions that might be there now. It is raw rough calloused country, I expect to see a band of Native Americans, or a member of the James gang, gun drawn, ride over the hill. I sit with air conditioning blaring, (its only 92, but where we will be in a day or two is supposed to be 105), and with the strongest internet I have found the whole trip.
      Texas has not been what I excepted. The sight that is closest to what i look at now is what I thought i would see as I crossed over the border from Louisiana. Flat desert with no civilization for hours and hours. I found mile upon mile of forest, many of the miles flooded with water. Live oak by the thousand and then the same miles of strip malls. So many humans. Houston sprawled on and on and the suburbs kept things alive for many more. Finally when it ended, it was heavily treed. An occasional small cow ranch. After San Antonio, things got a bit more wild, but not much. It was not until Del Rio, a massive monument to Wal-marts and Mcdonalds, finally was a squint in my rear view mirror, did i see the desert that i had expected. We had been listening to Louie Lamore talk of cow rustlers and future ghost towns for all of Texas and now as I sit in my comfortable box do i see  the scenes from our book.
     We sit a few miles from the Mexico border and marvel at the country side. Wondering if the wet backs will cross near by. We were stopped a few miles back by the border patrol and Dusty's citizenship was put into question. We had been moving along (I dare not say rushing) to Big Bend National Park, but finding this Texas State Park, we will probably stay 2 days and soak in the natural essence that this land has. There are pictographs here and I still hold out hope that my band of ancient men will appear riding tired horses over that hill that i keep staring at.