My wife's home town and others

Years ago we were passing through my wife's home town in west Texas. We stopped at the house she had grown up in. It was a cool sunny day in March. Winter was over but spring weather hadn't arrived yet. Walking around the house, my wife found an old rusted metal wheel. It had been her favorite toy. She wasn't sure what it had originally been used for, but for her and her brothers and sisters, it had been an ideal toy. You could push it, roll it, and ride in it. How simple the times had been during that era in her life. Happiness was spinning around in a metal wheel.

Bargaining for some New Mexico Chile. Going down the main drag in the big city of Pecos, Texas, she spotted this sales person. This was a great bargain, but what to do with a sack full of red chile's. My wife remembers looking forward to the big city of Pecos as a child. It was always a treat, a very special occasion when going to town. As a teenager, Pecos was where the big dances were held, it was the place to go cruising, where the theater and drive-in were at and there was also a city park to go and hang out at.

While still in West Texas, we came upon one of the many ghost towns in the area. Towns that at some point had been booming because of oil or agriculture. Schools, churches and post offices had been built. The towns now almost abandoned except for some die hard residents set on living their last days in the same town they were been born in. Playground long void of children remained well preserved in the dry climate. They slowly spin in the strong west Texas wind. The winds carry the mornful squeaky voice out into the dry dusty plains.

Isabelle in a field of blue bonnets. Okay, this isn't near Pecos. I just found the photo while going over some of my old files. One of my first great pictures taken with a digital camera.

Back in west Texas, a few miles north of Pecos, one deep man made hole. Elfida's brother-in-law kept telling me that there was a big canyon north of Pecos. We drove there one day. Sure enough there was a huge hole in the ground. It was a place to go with someone who knew the area. The hole was invisible until you were within a few yards of it. It wouldn't be to difficult to fall into it while driving in the area. It must have been a gravel pit for many years. The roads leading into it are still visible even though they haven't been used in years. My wife said she never knew that it existed.

What a strange creature. I saw many of these in the area, but got near only this one. Elfida's brother went to supervise the workers on this project.

The Dairy Mart. We have to stop by this place every time we go to Pecos. My wife has to order a Milk Shake and Burger. This was the main burger joint in town when she was growing up. I learned that I had to buy my diet soda at the store before going to eat here. They don't believe in diet anything here, so don't ask for a diet drink. They don't sell any here.

Rocket Park in Pecos. The zoo is across the road. It doesn't have many animals but it is still a zoo.

A restored theater. She remembers it opening only once in a while. Now it is open on special occasion only. There aren't enough people in town to open on a weekly basis.

These little towns far from the large cities fight a losing battle every years. The young people leave in search of better jobs, more excitement, greater opportunities and different experience. My wife was one of the many young people to leave the very small town of Barstow, Texas. She wasn't the first and wasn't the last. Her family Web Page still gets posting from ex-Barstow residents that have moved away but still retain the fond memories of the simple days growing up in a small town.