Hi readers.
A man who reads this blog sent me an email a while back offering to allow me to hook up and park mi casa where he lives in far-west Texas a night, or more if we found ourselves simpatico. So after the WalMart parking lot in Midland, we trucked up there and said hello.
Eddie and Val, their names are. Fine, fine, fine people. The Coincidence Coordinators blessed me once again with an unexpected shot of reminder I’m the luckiest man alive.
I’ll digress a moment and suggest you notice the birdnests on the vigas and the droppings on the orno below. This is the entryway into the section of their home Eddie built where they evidently spend most of their time and entertain guests.
I spent a few days parked in their yard, hours of every day submerged in conversation with Eddie, Val, various relatives and neighbors, digesting my life, the flood of new learning I was doing, and a lot else, thanks mainly to Val, who was forever worrying whether I could drink some more coffee, eat some more of the fare she constantly provided, putting more wood on the fire.
Val’s an ex-school teacher, biologist, and interesting lady. Eddie’s an electrical engineer who spent much of his lifetime travelling all over the planet, first as a private contractor, then in a corporate capacity, then decided screw-it. I ain’t doing this no more.
I met a lot of interesting people, heard a lot of intriguing world-views in that cantina while the wind howled outdoors. I’ll be telling you more of that later.
But one question I was asked over and over during my stay. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Soaking it up,” is the only answer comes immediately to mind.
Maybe I’m working up to continuing wossname, John Ernesto Hemingway Steinbeck, Travels With Charlie – The Brave New World For Whom The Bell Tolls.
The New Old Jules