A small mystery

A few months ago, I noticed a small solar light, like the ones people put in their yard, on the south side of the road. It's near the fence, about mid-way between my house and the old J.C. Cave place. I thought maybe it marked a pipe or some such, and let it slip from my mind.

Today, I saw a nice red car drive by here and stop in that place. I was thinking they were checking the cotton when I remembered the marker on that side of the road. I also recollected that I had seen another vehicle or two stop there, but I had justified the activity with simple reasons, like maybe someone was talking on their cell phone or had a bee in the car.

After I saw the car take off, I drove up there to see if I could figure out what they were doing and found that the solar light is now marking a full-blown grave. It is small, about the size of a baby or medium dog. I've been around here my entire life and have never heard of a wreck or incident in that spot where a human life ended. That nearly covers a fifty-year span.

When I say a small mystery, I am referring to the size of the grave, but if it is human, it is not such a small matter, at all.

The big find

My best find of the week was a big book of maps of all the counties in Texas. I also found a book of soil maps for Borden County. Both are from the mid-70's.

I also picked up some very cool books from the 1978 & 1979 OS Ranch Steer Roping & Art Exhibit in Post. These informational catalogs are choc full of photos of ropers, artists and attendees. Ken Curtis, known to all Gunsmoke fans as Festus Haggan, was the Arena Marshal both years. The events benefited the West Texas Boys Ranch.

I gave in to a whim and bought five vintage haute couture hat boxes that had Texas logos such as Sakowitz Houston and Trix Wood Millinery Lubbock printed on the lids. I try to only buy books because they're easy to ship, but I couldn't pass the boxes up for $3.00 a piece.

Angry birds

A few days ago, I noticed a mockingbird on the clothesline, and it wouldn't let one of the cats get across the yard without dive-bombing it's head. I could hear a clonk whenever the bird's beak made contact with cat skull.

I figured it had to do with a wing I found in the yard, clearly that of a mockingbird. I thought the cat had killed the mad bird's mate.

This morning there were two mockingbirds at it, taking on two or three cats. So I'm thinking there's a nest nearby, or these birds have just decided they want this property.

They're getting a little cocky, running around on the ground pecking at bugs like they own the place. They need to remember mockingbirds don't have claws and teeth, or they won't be long for this world.

A hard woman, I quit, etc.

Good Lord! Either I had too much coffee this morning or all my thoughts from the week are culminating, because I woke up with a lot of opinions. I think that's just pesky. I prefer to daydream about non-controversial things, like my discovering Oveda Culp Hobby.

I'm going to throw it all out there in what I hope is an inoffensive manner.

-I'm glad to see the changes in the Rotan ISD administration, and was surprised to find that others felt the same way. It will be interesting to see where the new leaders take the school.

-If anyone else had the same experience I had when my child was "diagnosed" with autism, you'd think all the hype was bogus. I flinch every time I hear the catch-phrase "Autism Speaks". I've got a laundry list of gripes on this topic, but I'll just say that my "autistic" kid, now an adult, drives, works and pays bills. I'm glad we took a pass on that billing. Sometimes people are just different, and that's ok.

-Keep an eye on those oil-field folk working on your land, and hold them to a high standard from the git-go. You didn't sell them your soul when you leased your land and minerals.

-I quit smoking eight weeks ago and it's not the cravings or depression that are eating my lunch, it's that I seem to have forgotten how to breathe. A lot of yawning, sighing and trying to catch my breath is going on. I wonder if there's a re-breathing class I can take.

My big book find this week was Mr. Chairman, an educational volume written by Oveta Culp Hobby. In researching this author, I found that she was a remarkable person and left a great legacy. In her photos, she looks hard and determined, enviable traits, especially for a woman of her time. She was born in 1905, and the book was copyrighted in 1936, this particular edition printed in 1938. She was the first secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, the first commanding officer of the Women's Army Corps, and chairman of the board of the Houston Post.

Mrs. Hobby was from Texas, born in Killeen, died in Houston, 1995.

Not news

I just have to pop in here and express my quizzical confusion about a few items that keep popping up in the news as hot topics.

I.D. Law: I have to show my license at the polls when I forget my registration card, which is always. So, not getting the big deal there, at all. Perhaps because I've known the people asking for my id as life-long neighbors, I'm incapable of understanding the nature of the offense.

Amazon Texas tax: Every purchase I've ever made from Amazon has been taxed. I buy books for my Kindle regularly.

If only I would read beyond the headlines, I might know what the hullabaloo is about, but I just can't get past these.

Looking for books

I've gotten on this kick lately of going to garage sales and thrift shops looking for regional books. My big finds for the past couple of weeks were The Boy Captives by Clinton Smith, and Runnels is My County by Charlsie Poe.

Runner-ups were a book of poetry by Mayzell Fenton of Snyder and a Coke County Little League fundraising cookbook.

I found Smith's book at The Country Store in Rotan.

I get a real thrill when I find one of these books. They are usually reprints published by a vanity press. Smith's book was printed by San Saba Printing.

The Boy Captives brothers capitalized on an incident that covered a short period of time in their youth. It's kind of funny to see these elderly men dressed in Indian garb, holding a bow and arrow. The tales are very interesting and specific, and although they had probably been finally honed over time, gave me the sense of true going-ons in a camp. I would recommend it.