All Too Seldom

Memorial to actor Dan Blocker, aka "Hoss" Cartwright
O'Donnell, Texas

"Thanks to film, Hoss Cartwright will live. But all too seldom does a world get to keep a Dan Blocker. Dedicated on July 4, 1973"

Driving back from Tahoka on Monday, I had enough daylight remaining to take some photos. Fifteen miles from Tahoka, I turned off the highway to check out little O'Donnell, population 1011.

It was about 6pm, and the evening was warming some after cool showers earlier that day. A kid's baseball game was going on in a small field and, while meandering through the small town streets, taking photos, I could hear the cheers.

The town, although not especially affluent, was well-tended. There was a historical museum that was of course closed that time of day but begged my returning some time to visit it. There were four -- count them, four -- little parks with various amenities like benches and fountains. In one of them was this memorial to Dan Blocker, who played beloved Hoss Cartwright in the 60s and 70s television show, Bonanza, whose character was "lovable, but slow-witted" and always wore a 10 gallon hat.

I loved how each residence was unique, unlike so much of America's neighborhoods with matched houses. Each home and yard had its own style, and more than a few souls were outside tending to their well-loved, sometimes funky, refuge. That uniqueness combined with purposeful tending, gave me the feeling the residents were very accepting of one another.

Every person I made eye contact with waved at me, and not with that wary look one usually receives when invading a small town with camera in hand.

These little things I saw in just an hour's time -- the parks, the baseball game, the yards, and the waves -- seemed to be the activities of a town sincerely friendly and uncommonly content. All too seldom, indeed.

May vs. Baker

Lynn County District Courtroom
Lynn County Courthouse, built 1912
Tahoka, Texas

Yesterday the Lynn County court held a hearing in the case of May vs. Baker Et Al, a civil case regarding the mineral rights of Tahoka Lake Pasture. The district judge rescheduled the hearing for June 16th in order that other interested parties might be found and notified so that this matter would not inevitably come before the Court again. Until that date or until the parties can come to an agreement, she ruled that no mining action may take place. The Court thanked the many observers for their attendance and civic interest.

Did that sound like a objective court beat reporter? Let me tell you the story as a subjective blogger.

I went to Tahoka yesterday to show support for Mrs. May and the destiny of Tahoka Lake Pasture in a court hearing. Mrs. May asked people to attend the hearing in order to show the wide interest in the outcome of this case. I would say there was about 50 of us, including at least three Ph D's of science, an elementary school teacher and his class of 8th graders, a Tahoka History Commission member, citizens of Lynn County, and at least two nature photographers (Donna and me).

The issue at hand is an 82 year old cousin to Mrs. May's deceased husband who has mineral rights to Tahoka Lake Pasture. I'm not sure how it is in the rest of the world, but in Texas and other parts of the U.S. ownership is divided between the surface land and the minerals such as oil, gas, etc. that might be within it. Baker is contending that beyond the typical mineral rights, he also has rights to mine for caliche on the property, which means dynamiting, laying roads into the property, heavy trucks coming in and out, not to mention the big piles of earth and deep pits.

You likely -- and luckily -- don't know about caliche. Caliche is used in construction. In Texas it is a common a base material for roads and to make cement. Caliche is as common and is as ubiquitous in the landscape of West Texas as mesquite. Which is to say, for anyone who has tried to dig a hole out here and has hit caliche, a pain-in-the ass kind of common.

Yesterday was just a hearing, and even it was postponed. Thank God the judge did order that between now and the next date, June 16th, nothing can be done there, and specifically no mining. She did take notice of the unusually large number of attendees to this civil case, but reminded us -- as any good judge should -- her ruling will be on the basis of law, not popular opinion.

I'll continue to pray for a ruling the same way that I and others see it: how, in this case, mountains of caliche brought forth from below are at odds with the Rights of the surface of the land.

Links:

• Tahoka, Texas site, where I learned that the town of Tahoka is named after Tahoka Lake, not the other way around.
• Tahoka Lake Pasture blog.
• An article I wrote on that blog about the adventure of trekking around TLP with a scientist.

May Flowers brings...a gift

Digital collage "May Flowers"
Debi Cates, 2009

I had fun Sunday playing with Photoshop and a variety of spring photos I've taken over the years. I'm using the results -- a very imaginary still life -- for my desktop.

You are welcome to a copy of it if you'd like. Enjoy!

Select the size you'd like and save it.

Here's a 1024 x 768 version.
And here's a 1280 x 960 version.

Happy Mother's Day

(click to view larger)
Wild blackberry blossom
Mom's acreage, Pineywoods of Texas

Hope all the lovely and loving mothers are having a Happy Mother's Day.

Star overhead

"Star"
Picnic shelter
Odessa Meteor Crater (Designated National Landmark),
Odessa, Texas

In spite of the many signs announcing the Odessa Meteor Crater, unless you are a huge meteor buff, it's a little disappointing: just a 500ft diameter depression in the ground, filled with grass and rocks just like all the other ground around it.

Instead I found my own star, the over-head view of the picnic shelter at the crater park.

Links:
If you really want to see the crater, you can Google it, or try Texas Bob's site.

Wildberries collage

(click to see larger)
"Wildberries" collage
April 2009, Debi Cates

Mom and I did some collages when I was there visiting. She liked my idea of putting collage supplies in a hard-side briefcase that I picked up at a yard sale. Done collaging? Put supplies back in. Close the case. Mess gone.

About the wolf spider hole post of yesterday, the hole is about the size of a U.S. quarter, or about an inch in diameter. Around here wolf spiders build turrets around the top of their holes, apparently to keep rain out. Usually, though, their turrets are just dried grass and sometimes pebbles. Not usually as decorative the one I photographed. In other places, wolf spiders have little round plugs that they "close the door" with.

No news on the bones yet. Will keep you posted, though. We'll give it a couple of weeks before we call and make a nuisance of ourselves. (My friend Donna hopes it is a baby Big Foot hand. Me too!)

Spider style

(Click to view larger)
Wolf spider hole
West Odessa, Texas

The prettiest wolf spider hole I've ever seen. Looks like she hung a wreath on her door!

Getting to know you

(Click to view larger)
Broom weed, sand lily, plains penstemon
Off Interstate 20 near Penwell, Texas

I frequently get pollen on my lens when I do these "getting to know you" photos of flowers. But they are among my favorite. Views I'd never see otherwise.

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.

Stopping for the wildflowers on I20

(click to see larger)
Two leaved senna, white prickly poppy, bloom of the soaptree yucca, and a spent Tahoka daisy
North frontage road on Interstate 20
Between Penwell and Monahans, Texas

It was a day of stunning beauty. Interestingly, though, it was probably much less so for those travelers -- as I have been myself -- driving at 70 mph on the interstate. After living here and scouting wildflowers for thirty years, each time we stopped and looked I had a nice surprise awaiting me. I saw an incredibly some new (to me) West Texas wildflowers this year. I'll be posting those soon.

Tomorrow I want to tell you about another incredible find. It is now in the custody of the Ector County Sheriff's department.

April 2009

Photography:


Arts and crafts:

Happy Earth Day

Estigmene acrea, or Salt Marsh Moth -- or possibly a Estigmene albida

I've seen quite a few of these very pretty moths this year, thanks to one of my dogs.

By jumping up to peer into my office window, my new dog, Ansel, has created a large hole in the bug screen. Because the evenings are so pleasant now, I open the glass pane every night. Moths are attracted to my lamp light and thanks to Ansel, there is no barrier. Various critters have easily found their way in to visit me and occasionally to have their portraits taken. For now, I prefer the communion with nature than doing the home repair.

Oh, and maybe I shouldn't use the word pretty to describe this particular specimen, because as per the bug guide site, this is a male moth. He is distinguished from the female by his handsome orange hindwings.

A very Happy Earth Day to all, great and small.

Tiny World

Tiny flower, tiny bug
Mom's Woods, near Gilmer, TX

Of all the wildflowers I took pictures of in East Texas, I'm not sure why I'm selecting this one, an unknown specimen, about a quarter of an inch in diameter. Maybe because not many will have seen it. Or the bug which is even smaller.

Mom's Birthday Gift

Coiled yucca basket, Debi Cates 2009

It's taken me a little while, but after three previous lumpy attempts, I made a decent basket just in time for Mom's birthday. It's about the size of an Asian rice bowl. The light center is from fronds found in the hidden, center of the yucca where it has yet to get sunlight.

Not only is it 100% West Texas yucca, it is 100% wild yucca growing in Debi's yard. At last, I found a reason to love the unwanted "weed." ;)

P.S. I'd love to hear from any basket makers out there, especially those that make baskets from natural, local materials.

Back from Vacation

Magazine Collage, Debi Cates 2008

I can't believe here it is April 19th and this is the first blog post of the month. What happened to April? To March even. I'm not entirely sure.

The latest and best news is that my brother and I have just returned from spending a week's vacation in East Texas with Mom. All along the 500 mile drive, the famous Texas bluebonnets were blooming.

Mom's place has all kinds of blooms, too, including lots of different kinds of irises and roses, apple tree blossoms, violets, johnny jump ups, and wildflowers galore. She has made her place so very pretty, and visiting in April it was cool and rainy. I'm always amazed at the difference between West and East Texas. We are desert. She is piney woods. Yet we are both Texas.