Friends of Pecos

Thursday, December 27, 2007

A DAY TRIP TO MEXICO.







1. we got these planters that are called "tinajas". They are carved from volcanic tuft. They were $40. each. They cost at least double that around these parts.
2. a park in Ojinaga.
3. these are my feet in a pot in the front floorboard on the way home.
4. purple cactus. wonder if they are just this color during the winter?
5. we got these 3 pots for $18. each.

We drove to Ojinaga, Mexico today. Everyone around here just calls it "O.J."
It's a two and a half hour drive. You go to Ft. Davis...then Marfa and then Prsidio where you cross the border. I must say the Rio Grande river there isn't much to look at. There are alot of big, scrubby mountains on the way. Pretty desolate country.

We saw a camel on a ranch on the way there.

Ojinaga wasn't much either...the population is only about 4,000.... but at least we can say we went and saw it and made some good purchases...and ate so good mexican food.
There weren't many tourists around town.
We couldn't find any furniture stores....but if you're ever wanting cowboy hats or cowboy boots there's a store on every block that has them.
I was also amazed at how many hairdressers, salons and unisex manicure, pedicure and facial places there were.
We saw some mountain ladies on the plaza with their kids. They had on their tradional dress and looked so cool. Gene asked if he could take their picture and they said "no".

When we went thru Balmorhea we stopped and bought some beef jerky and i was worried that i had it because you aren't supposed to take meat in or out of mexico. The jerky made the round trip without any detection.

We had a big wind storm today...which means a dust storm. Reports were that it blew 40, 50 and 60 m.p.h.
pick one.
i pick 40 m.p.h.
Gee...Gene and i are still such "yanquis".
we came over a big hill and you could see all this white stuff against the mountains in the distance...and we thought it was FOG! duh.
There were alot of tumbleweeds blowing around. We saw some pick up trucks that had 'em stuck against their front grill..it looked funny. We managed to avoid hitting any.

It was 19 degrees here this morning....i'm glad i got long underwear for christmas.

that's all.

love, mary

SHAFTER, TEXAS.










We took a road trip today to mexico...more about that on the next blog.
On the way there ya go thru a "ghost town" called shafter.
Gene was sorry there wasn't even a gas station...he had to pee.
It wasn't a true ghost town cos there are about 10 folks living there.
It is 18 miles north of Presidio Texas.
Silver was discovered in Shafter in 1880 and in 1884 new machinery was brought in and the mining really began.
It became a company town and everyone was dependent on the company.
In 1943 the population was 1,500.
Picture #1. is the mines.
#2. click on it and make it big. We think these were where the miners lived. See how each room has a chimney?
#3. is elephant rock...see it looks sorta like an elephant?
#4. main street stores falling apart.
#7. it's a spring.
#8. shafter main street 1930's.

It was interesting and a place we'd never seen...didn't take long to see it.
There was a historical marker about fighting off Apache Indians.

Stay tuned for part 2 of the day trip.

love, mary

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

THE AFTER CHRISTMAS LET DOWN.









RANDOM PHOTOS BY JAMEY:
christmas at weatherby house.
my friend patty and chola at a roller derby bout.
rodeo parade in june.
gene at the rodeo.
kevin higgins' guitar.


You know how it is....
the big build up....
parties....
jamey visiting....
presents on christmas morning...
a big christmas dinner....
pfffft....finished now.
now all there is to look forward to is taking down the decorations.
new year's? i have to work all the 31st.
who cares about new year's eve?
i don't know anyone to invite over who isn't at least 70 years old.

it was a nice sunny day and fairly warm on christmas day...almost 70.
gene and jamey played horseshoes.
jamey and i rode bikes.
i hadn't been on my bike since i hurt my knee...SEVEN months!
i was a little nervous...but it was great.

gene made quite a few bottlecap snakes for jamey's friends.
i showed jamey how to make the head and tail out of clay.
kids in new york are about to get "snaked".
and we made toby a new one.

it's been cold.
in the 20's every night.
missy the cat LOVES it when we drip the faucets outside.
it's her favorite place to drink water.
and besides...the fountain and outdoor pet bowl and birdbath are frozen.

tomorrow we are supposed to have a wind storm with 55m.p.h. winds.
gene and i might go to presidio and across the border to ojinaga, mexico.
it's a 3 hour drive each way.
will give a report if we go.

i got the BEST present ever for christmas from gene.
it's a portable photosmart!
you hook it up to your computer or camera and print out great quality photographs.
we've had SO much fun with it so far.
jamey was jealous.

another great gift was that jamey gave us 3 CD's with pictures from her vacation drive on route 66 all the way to San Francisco.
and her pictures of china.
and her pictures from our october trip to cozumel.

thanks to brother brook we are now well equipped with fire extinguishers...yay!

Guess that's all.
let's check in with the radio hotline:
for sale:
tanning bed. (what...we don't have enough sun out here already?)
a glass beer mug. (huh?)
wanted:
someone to fix a hole. (i'm not touching that one folks!)

thanks for blogging!
love, mary

Monday, December 24, 2007

2 HOURS UNTIL CHRISTMAS.

It was Christmas in prison
and the food was real good
we had turkey and pistols
carved out of wood.
The searchlight in the big yard
swings round with the gun
and spotlights the snowflakes
like dust in the sun.
It's Christmas in prison
there'll be music tonight
I'll probably get homesick
I love you
Goodnight.
(John Prine)

Saturday, December 22, 2007

IT'S CHRISTMAS IN PECOS...almost.







Today Gene and Jamey made fudge...jamey called it "chemistry class"(see 1st photo)...while I shelled pecans and made stew.

It's going to be cold tonight...in the 20's, but will warm up for Christmas day...it's supposed to get into the 70's.

Yesterday Jamey and I drove to Alpine as she had never been. It was a nice sunny day and a pretty drive thru the Davis Mountains. We saw a HUGE buck...he had at least 8 points and maybe 10. Also 2 havalinas trouncing along by the side of the road. We ate a nice lunch at a restaurant called "Reata" named after the house in the movie Giant...it's been there since the 50's. Then we hit the galleries and shops.

These pictures are on the way to Alpine. Musquiz canyon is where P.H. Pruett first settled and bought his land from Senor Musquiz. The ruins across the street from this first sign are the old Musquiz place....very precious little left of them huh? They are covered with a metal roof thing to keep what is left from falling apart even more. Then the next sign is about P.H. Pruett. He was the first white settler in the Ft. Davis area and the older brother of T.B....the man who built our house here in Pecos. P.H.'s wife sold butter and milk to the soldiers at ft. davis. Click on the pictures to make them large enough to read the info. The last picture is of a sign for a rock shop in Alpine...it's outside of a little motel there.

That's all....we are off to Balmorhea for steak.
love, mary

IT'S A BROWNIE CHRISTMAS. TROOP #90.







Last Wed. was the Brownie party.
The girls are SO cute!!They said the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag and the girl scout pledge. Then I read them a story from "A FRONTIER ARMY CHRISTMAS." It was written by Katherine Gibson who entertained some indians for Christmas at Ft. Abraham Lincoln, Dakota Territory, in 1875. I couldn't tell if they liked it or not.
Then they ate pizza and christmas sweets.
After that they exchanged presents.
There was a general running around the house and looking at everything and giggling etc.
I made each girl a necklace out of a crystal from a chandelier hung on a red ribbon. (love those estate sales.) I also gave each one a tiny red bag that had candy and christmas stickers in it.
They were well behaved and everyone had fun. Jamey enjoyed watching the merry-making.

Jamey spent Thursday ALL day in Odessa getting the hyundai car serviced while Gene and I worked. She walked over to a nearby mall to see a movie and shopped some and read a book etc.

I monogrammed for NINE hours at Needleworks that day. People are waiting til the last minute for christmas monogramming and Peggy can't stand to turn away the money. I offered to stay until 7p.m. instead of the usual 6p.m.
She'll be doing more on Sat. and will go in for a special monogramming session sunday. Needleworks is closed on sundays. I will work a full day Monday...christmas eve...and we're GONNA get it all done or else!!!! I just don't know how Peggy can keep up that pace...I can do it for 2 days in a row or every other day...but not EVERY day like her. She's a west texas trooper I tell ya.

You have to hoop a garment on a special embroidery hoop to monogram on the machine. I'm here to tell ya that hooping big, thick, heavy coats is the worse thing ever. Sometimes it takes two people...one to hold it in while the other person uses a screwdriver to tighten the screw. There's NOTHING worse than having the hoop pop out while a design is running. My hands hurt from hooping on wednesday...i worked on 15 coats for a well drilling service for their employee presents. Then I knocked out 15 vests for an electric company.

F.Y.I....."My" chuckwagon at the Carlsbad auction sold for $2900.
Drat...I wished it was in our backyard.

We are going to Balmorhea for steak so I'll sign off now.
Love,, Mary

Saturday, December 15, 2007

WEST TEXAS STATE SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PARTY.













Well it was fun time for the 15 or so WTSS guests that showed up.
It was 28 degrees last night so a very fast game of horseshoes was played by gene and 3 others.
The food was good.
Very nice people...i finally got to meet some of them.

There was a mini-riot or a great big fight (however you wanna look at it) at WTSS last week in the education hall cos there's been no security there since they are so short handed. So why the hell do they have security in trucks cruising the facility perimeter and looking at nothing but jackrabbits? They should be where the kids are. A teacher got kicked in the head and another got punched in the face. By the time Gene hurried over from the gym it was all over. It was a planned gang thing. Those kids don't care if they live or die...and they don't care if the teachers and guards live or die.

The Sheffield TYC near here...sorta...only has 39 students....now THAT'S a waste of money! Why aren't THEY in the news?

Brownie troop #90 will be here on wed. for their christmas party.
Jamey arrives on tues.
It sure has been cold at night here...it's going to be 23 tonight.
Damn...that makes our electric bill so big....the november bill was double what it was in Oct.

It's been really busy at Needleworks...i worked an extry day this week. People are bringing in bathrobes, towels, sheets and christmas stockings for monogramming. and we are making dallas cowboy sweatshirts. the hardest thing is these big, bulky jackets that the oil well people and welding companies etc. are bringing in. they are a bitch to "hoop" and pretty cumbersome to get on the machine and work with. i did 3 on wed. and they took an hour each....then just as i was leaving this guy brought in 12 more.
Men call up Peggy and ask what she has picked out for them to give their wives for christmas. The other day this old guy from kermit that is pretty much blind called and asked peggy what she had for his wife and she said "well, i've picked out something but didn't want to wrap it up until you saw it". He said "hold it up and let me see." So she actually walked over and got the garment and held it up near the phone! He said that'd do just fine and to wrap it up. That cracked me up.
The other day i was monogramming the name "Adriana" on a christmas stocking and this song came on the CD player that i like and it's called ADRIANA!

Last weekend we drove to san antonio to see gene's mom and have dinner with brook. Gee, there were campers and R.V.'s of every description parked all over the place out in the hills....HUNTERS! And then you always see pick up trucks with hooves and horns sticking up...ew.

I'm feeling better and better about how the lobby floor turned out. We ate dinner last weekend at Josephine St. Cafe in S.A. and they have 100 year old wood floors...oh...i get it now....they're SUPPOSED to look like that! I guess i've been watching too much HGTV do-it-yourself shows where the homeowners say that "these are the original floors that we had refinished"...and they look brand new and all smooth and shiny. Gene made some jim dandy transitions for the doorways with his little router and i matched the stain to the floors pretty well. He said it felt funny to get up this morning and not have the floor to work on. What will be our next project?

Our christmas tree looks even smaller this year than it did last year....it's shrinking. Our house is just so big. the ceilings are high and the rooms are big and what looked fine in kyle is dwarfed in this house.

I'm sorry that the auction house in Carlsbad didn't publish the realized sale prices from the last show. I REALLY wanted to know how much that chuckwagon sold for.

I guess it's time to check into the radio hotline bloggers.
RADIO HOTLINE:
For Sale:
Zune. $100. (what's that?)
Slot machine.
Quad ATV for a little girl. (a little boy can't ride it.)
junior dragster. (gee, i guess the kids here like to get around on tiny motorized vehicles.)
Wanted:
a white wetsy dog. (haha...i'm sure they meant "westy" as in a west highland terrier.

that's all bloggers...thanks for dropping in.
love, mary

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

WHATEVER.

Just odds-n-ends because I havn't blogged in awhile.

I have a cold.
My boss Peggy has had a BAD cold. Yesterday she said that if she had a dollar for each time she blows her nose...we could all retire.

Our newspaper is such a joke...really...the news makes me laugh out loud.
"Brother Wesley Hapham receives the GOLDEN TROWEL award from Pecos Valley Lodge. It is one of the most prestigious forms of recognition." And then all these old guys are pictured wearing their lodge aprons.
The paper comes out twice a week and is about 6 or 8 pages and costs a DOLLAR.

Pecos trivia.
In 1886 the population was 200.
Today it's about 9,000.
I found a picture today of T.B. Pruett's lumber yard in 1896...I got pretty excited about it and will go to the museum tomorrow to make a copy. I've always wondered what his store looked like. There's a good story that goes with the picture about a thief who was running away from a banker...and he dodged into the lumber yard long enough to steal a page of blank checks. I'll include the story with the picture.

There was an article in the san marcos newspaper last week about this man named Robert Pruett who lives there and makes the most beautiful spurs. It said he grew up in west texas. Being the nutty person that I am...I wrote him a letter and asked if he was related to T.B or P.H. Pruett. He called me right up and was so nice. Turns out his great grandfather was P.H. Pruett who was T.B.'s brother and the first white settler of Ft. Davis. This man (Robert) grew up in Marfa. He is the sole male descendant of his family and invited me over to his house any time I'm in San Marcos to see his old pictures and family bible etc. He said that none of his clan really knew T.B. or any of his family. Small world.

RADIO HOTLINE:
Give:
2 tree stumps. (huh...a new weird one.)
2 small pumpkins. (i'm always newly amazed.)
"PA! DON'T THROW AWAY PERFECTLY GOOD USED PUMPKINS OR THEM 2 TREE STUMPS....doncha know kids are starving in other countries?"

Want:
2 people to build a U-Haul. (uh....o.k.)
Someone to make clothes for dogs. (OMG...i see this person listing dogs for sale...dogs of all kinds...she probably runs a damn puppy mill...but at least they must be well dressed.)
Someone who can do a singing telegram.

So, last weekend was another big auction in Carlsbad. That means somebody else now owns MY chuckwagon! I've been waiting to see the realized prices posted on their website but so far they have not put them up.
Some of the hundreds of items for sale were:
12 erector sets.
7 boxes of cookbooks.
A small backyard roller coaster. (kiddiepark in San Antonio!)
8 police cars.

This blog is dumb.
I'm going to bed....to read.
I'm SO addicted to ordering used books online.

love, mary

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Thanksgiving pictures.








WEATHER UPDATE:
Toby and Troy left at noon so they could be home by dark.
The snow is melting and that's good cos it's going to be 26 degrees tonight.

These pictures were taken on Friday.
MDP

SNOW!!







Yesterday we took a drive to Ft. Davis and snow was predicted but we didn't think much of it...ya know...forecasts...."we'll believe when we see it."
Well, we sure saw it.
We drove over to McDonald's observatory and then headed home and it started snowing really hard.
Gene spun the car around going 35mph.
So then we drove home at 25 mph...it took a LONG time to get there but we arrived just after dark.
We had to keep stopping to knock the ice off the windshield wiper blades so Gene could see.
All these big ass diesel, four wheel drive trucks were passing us...but that was o.k. cos they created new "ruts" in the snow for gene to drive on.
It wasn't a blizzard or a "white out"...but almost.
I've never seen snow covered horses and cattle before.

I got up this morning around 4 a.m. and there was some snow in the yard etc...not in the streets or sidewalks.
Got up at 8 a.m. and it was really coming down...we got at least 3 inches and it's melting now.
And guess what? It was "BLUE THE PARAKEET" on the bird feeder asking for seed!!!! HE'S ALIVE!

OLDER NEWS:
Gene was painting the backyard fence last week and heard someone call his name. No one was there.
His ghost is a lady...mine is a man.
Mine hasn't called me in a long time.

RADIO HOTLINE:
For Sale:
6' tree w/ ornaments and "decortations". (i love those typos!)
13 registered paint mares...green broke.
bunch of goats. (how many is that?)
6' bean bag love seat.
Found:
part poodle. (what part of the poodle was it?)
Wanted:
someone to fix hole in roof.

That's all.
love, mary