The Porch

Written Tuesday September 23, 2008
We were gonna go to “the Park” [as the Dearly Beloved calls it] today to see what the River has done, and to get some pics to share with y'all. Then we were gonna go back to Lajitas to get some pics of what we saw yesterday. Instead, we got way-layed.
Yesterday, while I was shoppin' at the Store in Ghost Town, Dearly Beloved was passing the time in their “Book Room.” He wound up with The Texas Rangers and the Mexican Revolution: The Bloodiest Decade, 1910 – 1920, by Charles H. Harris III and Louis R. Sadler. He also bought a collection of stories by a local writer, Blair Pittman, titled: Tales from the Terlingua Porch, Volume 1.
Well, since we had both met Blair on prior visits to Terlingua, we recognized him when we pulled up to the Terlingua Store. We weren't lookin' for Blair, we were lookin' for our friend Art. We wanted to invite him to go to the park with us. Partly because it was the friendly thing to do and partly because nobody knows the area better than him.
Anyhoo, Blair was gettin' into his vehicle as we pulled up next to him in the parking lot. “Just the man we wanted to see!” I said as I rolled down my window. I am nothin' if not a low-level flatterer. We sat there talkin' from our cars for a few minutes and then he sez, “Well, are y'all gonna come sit on the porch, or not?”
The three of us and Tip passed the afternoon, the ENTIRE afternoon on the porch of the Terlingua Ghost Town General Store. Blair, true to his nature, told the most stories, but ever now and again, D.B. Or I would get one in. Or someone else who had joined us on the porch.
We laughed about the tourists who pulled up in front of the store and automatically locked their vehicles. We laughed as he told us stories about being a newspaper photographer for the Houston Chronicle and National Geographic. But what we enjoyed MOST were his stories about characters in and around Terlingua. He's been there, either part-time or full-time, so long he knows all the BEST characters and the kewlest stories. You can peruse this and other of Blair's books at www.txstarbooks.com.
We met Sheriff's Deputy Paul today, too. He's from Copperas Cove. Some of y'all know I'm from Killeen. We spent a few minutes tradin' names back and forth to see who knew whom from our respective towns. Funny thing though about his law enforcement career... he's been a Deputy since March. Of this year.
He was at Church and the Sheriff said, “We sure need some good men to come to work for the Department.” His wife's ears perked up, and at her urging he applied and was accepted. At 40, he was the oldest Cadet in his class. But, he consistently placed 3rd or 4th in the physical trials out of a class of 20. “Kids these days are soft,” he said. Yeppers, he's gonna do FINE out here with an attitude like that.
Tip was a BIG hit on the porch, too. He got petted and complimented all day. But then, he was on his BESTEST behavior. And when you're as well behaved, good-lookin' and sweet a Puppy Baby as Tip is, why shouldn't you get positive attention?
He didn't bark at anybody all day who came up on the porch, until about 7:30 tonight. Some woman came out of her SUV in a billowing, black caftan. I don't know if it was the billows or the black that upset him, but he didn't like her at all. Maybe she was wearing Kitty Perfume?
Tomorrow, unless something more shiny catches our eye, we'll get those pics taken and I'll post them on Thursday, 'K?