ELMER KELTON-Best Western Writer of all Time.

Well bloggers, I've been having some trouble loading my photos...so a few more should be added later...when I can get it to workee.

The banquet last night was nice.
The food was good: steak, shrimp, mashed potatoes, broccoli, carrots, salad, cheesecake.
The singer (Terra) wasn't quite as strong as last time that I saw her....but still quite the talent.
Elmer Kelton, the speaker was funny and interesting and talked about how important it is to keep our history alive.
The presentations were boring...but Debbie Thomas, the director of the museum won an award. She should...she does absolutely EVERYTHING for this town.
I was glad I went.
There was about 300 people there.

Today from 10 to noon was the Elmer Kelton book signing at the museum. I took four of my boss Peggy's books over there for him to sign. (she couldn't be there). I took one and bought three more. I got:
The Good Old Boys
The time It Never Rained
Sandhills Boy
I had a durn library for him to sign.
I sat at the front door with Debbie's mom Bessie...we were the greeters.
There were alot of folks...so glad it was well attended...ya never know in Pecos.
We ALMOST ran out of books. The museum workers had gathered some extry books from Alpine and other places at the last minute. And while some folks brought their books...most people bought books at the museum bookstore....so it's a GOOD thing they got more...it would've been pretty bad if we had a signing and there wasn't anything to sign!
There were alot of oldsters and it was fun to watch them and listen to them yakking with their friends.
It was a who's who of pecos.
The clothes are always a hoot...even the walking sticks are worth a gander. This one lady had on a green suede jacket with long fringe all over it...she was shimmyin' all over the place and carried off her outfit pretty well.

UPDATE: Got the pictures on finally:
1. Neal Thomas directing some museum lookers.
2. saloon bar carving.
3. museum backdoor.
4. wierd dress form thingies.
5. venetta seals, elmer kelton, anni kelton, debbie thomas.
6. it's little penny! in the museum bookstore. check out her belt buckle.
7. elmer and anni kelton.

I heard yesterday that no locals are growing cantaloupes this year. The market isn't paying well and the water is just too expensive. We'll have to get them from Coyanosa...about 35 miles away.

Huh...I started reading SANDHILLS BOY last night...it's elmer kelton's autobiography. He says that NOBODY carried a canteen on their saddle..it wasn't "cowboy". That's dumb. His daddy would say: "Now you boys 'water up' good this morning. You won't get any water until noon."
His Daddy lived thru the depression so was really tight with money. "He could squeeze a nickel until the indian rode the buffalo."

RADIO HOTLINE:
Lost-a big sorrel mule.

SHE LIKES IT!!

Missy in her new bed.
And yes...she has had instruction with the new fire extinguisher.
That's why she sleeps right next to it.
MDP

TINY NEWS FOR THE HUNDREDTH TIME.

IT'S COMING!
Weather forecast:
today- 83 high/34 low.
SATURDAY-38 high/34 low with a 60% chance of snow showers!!!

Our family doctor has terminal cancer and seeing very few patients now.
Guess we'll have to find a new one...if there are any.
The couple others that Pecos has...are VERY busy.

Tomorrow night is the Chamber of Commerce Banquet.
The tickets are $20...that includes dinner and music by Terra Peters and of course Elmer Kelton speaking.
Then tomorrow I guess I'll go to the museum for his book signing.

RADIO HOTLINE:
Give: 2 palm trees 4' high. (i want those...bet somebody scooped them up in seconds.)
For Sale: cedar chest $15. (i want that too.)
granite stone w/ names of those who served in desert storm inscribed $500. (gee, that's expensive. then what are we sposed to do with it?)
cloth rabbit, real cow horns $75. (cow horns for $75? they better from a longhorn cow!)
Wanted: belt sander, sturdy ironing board. (no shaky ironing boards accepted folks.)

A BALMORHEA SATURDAY.

We went to Balmorhea for the 2nd saturday flea market...it was closed...BBBOOOOOOOO! Closed for jan. and feb.... will reopen in march.
Sooooo...we cruised Balmorhea Lake since George hadn't seen it. Not to be confused with Balmorhea (spring fed) Pool at Balmorhea State Park. The pool is fer swimmin' and the lake is for fishin'. There were some HUGE WHITE PELICANS there. First of all I've never seen WHITE pelicans and second of all...they were almost the size of a damn swan! I couldn't get close enough for a picture of them.

PICTURES:
#1. AH...the famous jerky store. George is getting jerky and gene is getting their hull-less small kernel popcorn. They also have jams, jellies, pumpkin butter, apple butter, peach butter, all kinds of strange pickles, many kinds of salsa, sausage on a stick, brisket sandwiches, smoked salmon etc. etc. For some reason, I find this picture funny. Click on it and make it big.
#2. This the wooden quilt holder that I bought at the estate sale in Odessa on Thursday. It was a dollar! And I got another one too...and wooden canoe paddles for Toby and a pinecone wreath and alabaster bookends etc.etc.
#3. Our latest bottlecap snake. This one features BEE-BEE's...B.B.'s..or however you say. O.k....o.k. it's out of focus as is #4....but you get the idea.
#5. A church in Balmorhea....built in 1942...notice the nice BELL! This tiny town has the most lovely rock buildings!
#6. Balmorhea Lake...an oasis in West Texas.
#7. T'other side of the dam at the lake....the cows are in beef heaven..they have as much water and feed as they want.
#8. Gene the P.E. guy and George the history prof...what does Geo. have behind his back? IT'S A BEER!
#9. Gene and me...why am I frowning? Maybe cos I didn't get to shop the flea market!
#10. WUL....just go an hang yer hat in Peeeee-cos folks!

EDITED! WACKY WEST TEXAS WEATHER...and a museum story.

It's 82 degrees here today ...and will be 26 tonight.
How's THAT for a big temperature difference?
And this week has been REALLY windy still.

The museum lost one of their wonderful volunteers today. Mary Robinson passed away this morning. She was a volunteer for twenty something years.
Whenever I was working there she would always sit down and talk alot about everything...a very friendly lady who will be missed by everyone.

When I was at the museum today doing some look ups, one of the directors there...Dorinda... told me about the most interesting phone call that she'd gotten. It was from a woman who is writing a book about an african american lady named Lucy Lawson who was a cook for some years at the Orient Hotel...which is now the museum of course. Lucy was a VERY charismatic person who was loved by everyone in Pecos. She left town suddenly one day and I'll tell you why later in this story. Lucy moved to Oxnard, California and set up a very successful brothel. She was also quite popular there too. Evidently she just had the most colorful and endearing personality.
There 5 missing years in this story...no one knows where she was or what she did...the author of the book is trying to find out what happened then.
Anyway here's the shocker:
When Lucy died it was discovered that she was really a MAN! Can you imagine being a man living as a woman in the early 1900's? And being black as well?
Come to find out...the reason that she moved away from here suddenly was that some guys in Pecos got suspicious of Lucy and took her out in the boonies and lifted up her skirts and discovered the truth.
The person who is writing this book is coming to Pecos to visit.
The museum is looking in their boxes and files for pictures etc.

7/26/1941 From the Toyah city council notes: Notice is given to anyone operating a nickelodeon within city limits that they must tune machine down after 12 midnight.

One of my boss' bridge buddies died about 2 weeks ago. Her name was Eith hFletcher and was 93 and had lived here all her life. I bet she had some stories! Anyways at her funeral the first song they played was "IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE". Pretty funny huh?

Radio Hotline:
Found: donkey at 519 E. 6th st. (that's just a couple of blocks from us.)

that's all bloggers.
love,mary

A VERY BLAH WEDNESDAY.

No pictures.
No news.

I might go to an estate sale tomorrow in Odessa.
Gene and I are going to the Balmorhea flea market this Saturday....we havn't been for a few months. It sure doesn't take long to see it.
We went to Odessa last Saturday to a really lame antique show. I wanted to ask for my $6. entry fee back. It was mostly glassware and jewelry.
then we went to a VFW flea market...also lame, but i found a bowling ball for the yard for $4. so it was o.k.
There sure is alot of traffic in Odessa. Their H.E.B. was packed but we had to get coffee beans and fresh fish. I'M GLAD WE DON'T LIVE T H E R E!!!!!!

It's been REALLY windy yesterday and today. Gusts of about 45 mph.
It was in the 20's last night.
Today the humidity is only 6%
I'm wearing a coat of dust and tumbleweeds in my hair.

We are DEFINITELY N O T moving to Crockett.
Guess we'll just hang our hats in Pecos.

There's an airline called Vivaaerobus that just started flights from austin to cancun...i found a round trip for $116.74!!!! Too bad austin is so far away....we waste a day getting there and another getting back.
We could explore the mexican riviera south of cancun...or go south to playa del carmen and catch the ferry over to cozumel...folks on the chatboard call that "the bag-drag".

Radio Hotline:
Wanted:
someone to make a hand tooled leather wallet.
For Sale:
2 adult walkers. (but are they MATCHING walkers?)

that's all.
love, mary

IT'S ART & PET DAY IN PECOS!

What we have here folks is a bunch of sideways art...cos i'm feelin' sorta sideways...and STUPID!
Then since Gene is my #1 pet....see, he LOVES bottlecaps!
Click on the picture of Harold the cat to see how beautiful his eyeballs are...AND he matches the couch.
Willie and Bennie keep a sharp lookout for neer do wells...and other pecos evil.
They do this for hours...so as the sun sinks slowly into the west.....

Not only is Elmer Kelton going to be the speaker at the chamber of commerce banquet next month...i found out today that we are to be entertained by Terra Peters. She's a singer who goes to Sul Ross University in Alpine and is from Marathon. I first heard her at the Ft. Stockton museum banquet when we first moved here. She has recently put out her first Cd of original music...she's only about 19...and sings very high and sweet country music.

I think I might go to Kyle/Austin for a few days....i feel the need to get out of dodge.

Work was really hard today...i have pain.

Hey Brook....the "girl leg" spurs sold for $850. at the auction.
I would've bought the 2 pair of kids spurs for $40. if i'd been there when they were on the block.
i could've hung 'em with my stirrups....in the computer room.
the 1928 peter hurd painting that was estimated for $15,000.-$20,000 sold for $10,000.
Also...a 1861 confederate five dollar bill sold for $100.

RADIO HOTLINE:
For Sale:
trick bike $35. (what kind of tricks can it do?)
4 acres of pecans...wants one group to pick these up "on the halves." (my back hurts just thinking about it.)
ice cream maker $2. (you must be kidding me...this person must need $2. bad!)
Wanted:
someone to work on a barber chair.
provider in saragosa area. (to provide what?)
palm trees any size. (don't they know this is desert country?)

we had a big wind storm last night and today...it's gone now and so is everything that wasn't tied down.

on that big bit of news...i guess i'll go to bed and dream of the beach...any beach.

love, mare