Bones

Bones
Between Interstate 20 and north frontage road at the Ft. Stockton exit
Ector county, Texas

I figured it was possible that one day I'd run across something like this, with all the stomping around I do. But still, I didn't want to believe it was a human hand. It's hard, though, to come up with what else it might be, except an ape hand and that's even more unlikely.

On Sunday, Donna and I were out taking photos in a wide median off Interstate 20 just near the Fort Stockton exit, taking photos of the very dramatic soaptree yuccas that were in bloom there. When I came across this, it stopped in my tracks. I stood there for a while, in disbelief, but touched nothing. I called for Donna to come see. She had the same thought as I did, and also touched nothing.

When we got home, Donna called the Ector County Sheriff's office. She told them straight out that we found a human hand. They asked where and then connected her to the Ward County Sheriff's department. That sheriff went right out there. Once there, he called Donna to get directions to where the bones were exactly. On the phone to her, he found them. And he thought they were human, too. But it turns out that while that location is closer to the Ward County Sheriff's office, it is not in Ward County, it is in Ector. He said he was calling the Ector County Sheriff's office. Being the impatient (and nosey) types that we are, Donna called her daughter who is friends with a deputy in this county. He went out there and bagged up the bones. He, too, thought they were human. They have now been sent to a forensic lab.

Below is a closer photo of the bones. They are just a little smaller than my medium-sized female hand. There is a bit of desiccated flesh on it still -- the brown stuff -- although so dry it's hard to tell much more than that about it. I know nothing about how old it will turn out to be -- myself, I'm figuring it's a year old at least, possibly older. If it is a human hand, I'm hoping there is still DNA in that flesh. There were three other long bones (two of which you can see above) in that same area. Donna and I scouted around quite a bit there, but found nothing more. It's possible the hand could have come from anywhere, dragged there by an animal.

It's hard to say how I feel about finding this. It's exciting in a way -- I feel like Miss Marple. But, instantly I also think about the tragedy it might represent and it is much more sobering then.