The Great Outdoors
Just
before Elvis appeared in "Love Me Tender"; the mid 1950's, we all
loaded up in the 1951 Dodge, (Fluid drive) and headed out for Northern New
Mexico. We lived in a brick duplex , Government subsidized housing community on
the east side of Borger, Texas. The Carbon Black plant was west of Borger and
sometimes the wind would bring the fine soot to fall on everything to make a
fine mess. Thank goodness the car had four doors for there were eight of us.
Enos, Adell, Jovena, Claude, Darrel, Gary, Twilla, and Valerie. At last, we
would have a "Real Vacation". With Daddy driving, we traveled North
accross the Canadian River and then west toward Dalhart and the state line.
Somewhere in Ranch country, along a stretch of road with nothing but mesquite trees and sky; the fan belt broke on the old Dodge, leaving the engine without
water- pump circulation. Out of nowhere appeared a tall lanky Cowboy character in a pickup truck. The man spoke his greetings and asked if he could be of any
help. When he saw all of us kids, waiting anxiously; he just grabbed his
wrenches and began to remove the fan belt from his pick-up truck. Daddy asked
him "How will you manage to get down the road without a fan belt?. The
Cowboy just said "As long as I can get me a piece of that barbed wire off
en that fence over there, I can get by OK". Merle Haggard said "An Angel
gave me a ride to town when I got out of prison". You have to wonder if
that Cowboy was our Angel that day. We went on to New Mexico and drove over Red
River Pass and down alongside a stream of icy cold water. It was cold as Darrel
and I dipped in it for a minute or two, as we stopped for a break. The air was
fresh and the scenery of the mountains was very nice. The rest stop- camp site
where we stayed the night had a steep incline rising to the South and as Darrel
and I climbed to the top, there was just another stretch of mountain rising
above. Exhausted, we gave up and came down to rest and eat. As darkness came, we
all picked a spot to bed down for the night. The picnic table was a good spot
for a pallet, or just close by on the ground. Daddy was probably piddlin' around
with a flashlight and Mother could have been tending to bedding for the girls.
Anyway, we started hearing rustling sounds in the leaves and pine straw.
Thoughts of Bears and mountain lions came to mind simultaneously for us kids
and we made a mad dash for the car. After Daylight, it was plain to see who the
culprits were; "Chipmunks". We were sure "Brave
Outdoorsmen". It was a short trip, but "What Memories".
by Claude Morgan