We bumped into Tom the Cattleman again this morning, at breakfast. He is a 'good old boy' and has many funny and interesting stories about his resistence to technology. He was applying at the bank for $100,000.00 line of credit so he could feed the 300 calves he had just bought. The banker wanted to see a computer printout for the record keeping on the calves. Tom hauled out a stack of paper plates, some stained with ketchup, each one representing a calf, and each one containing all the pertinent information. He held up his hand to hide the fact that he has no front teeth, and grins, "I got the loan." He may not own a cell phone but he is wealthy and has a very talented and intelligent Mexican wife who runs his life for him. He did not even have a door key to his hotel room and could not even find his way to the right room after dawdling at the pool after his wife left him there alone.
Needles to say, we lingered over breakfast a long time but finally got to go on our trip of the day. We drove to the "Painted Desert", about 45 miles NE of here. We drove past 'The Yuma Army Proving Grounds' where there were many signs to keep out. I did venture a ways off the road to get a photo of a Saguero Cactus, and kept an eye out for surface to surface missiles. We managed to survive the gauntlet, due to our subtle camoflage, a grey car on a grey day, and wound up on a picturesque gravel road that led to the volcanic slag heap called the 'Painted Desert'. We spent several hours there and only saw two other people on the trail the whole time. We fought the temptation to scrounge for rocks to take home and found so many that were nothing like we had ever seen. The signs (again, those signs) forbade anyone to disturb or take any rocks so we had to content ourselves with photos.
Another first for both of us was seeing our first Jack Rabbit! It was very quiet and peaceful when we disturbed him and as he thumped off, we could hear the 'galloping' sound of his huge feet. I never would have believed they were that large and those ears! Like a small mule!
I just re-read this post and believe I have officially entered old age and really do qualify for Yuma residency. I got a thrill seeing a rabbit!
4 comments:
Yet if you were a good old boy you would have shot that rabbit and cooked him up for supper.
yeehaw...rarebit stew!
You can't tell me that a Saskatchewan boy like you has never bagged a rabbit!
Well, Terry, it's good to see that you are obeying the law as a "sixtygenarian" partaking of the government purse. Of course, I am now allowed to tease you forever about age and your indigent status. I hope you're remembering to forget the razor in the mornings, too. I really want to see some pictures with a nice scruffy look!!!
On that note...where are the pictures?
Ian & Mona
I have bagged many a rabbit, however, those little prairie bunnies are nothing at all like a Jack Rabbit. And sorry guys, no pictures until they have been processed and enhanced and made much nicer than they really are through the magic of Photoshop. Not to mention cropped, sized, and embelished. I have a reputation to protect, you know.
Medford - first place we ever went to a 'McGrath's fishouse'. Amazing fish taco's and clam chowder... and they may have an early bird menu for senior's ;)
Enjoy your trip!!
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