This weekend we headed to Turkey, TX for a Carson family reunion. We have heard lots of stories about Turkey, population approximately 500, but I was not prepared to actually fall IN LOVE with the place!
We stayed in this bed and breakfast that was established in the 1920s and each room was decorated a little bit differently. Our room had many, many flowers on the wallpaper on the wall, flowers that Mia kept trying to count while taking a bath in the claw-footed tub.
The tub was a hit... although my favorite quote from Isaiah for the weekend was: "Claw-foot tubs are cool and all, but bathing in your own dirt is a little odd!"
Some might think that he was just being a tad snarky about the dirt. But then you would be able to look at the photos of us after 4-wheeling and realize that we were not only dirty, we created MUD in that tub!
Yes, I almost changed ethnicities. Spray tans and dental whitening have nothin' on this dirt... I had SO much fun!
The Turkey Carsons called in every ATV & quad in the county and got us all set up for a ride around cousin Billy's 8,666-acre ranch. It took about three hours to get from start to finish. About halfway through we got lost. It was our fault. The ATV in front of us, after startling a bunch of cows into motion, began to follow the cows instead of the leader. We became a bit concerned - though there was a lot of dust being kicked up we were going up and down canyons and couldn't see the rest of the crew! We chuckled about the i ntelligence factor involved in our predicament... and then decided it was worth getting lost to have participated in our very own cattle drive. Thank goodness that Doyle Dean came along and turned it into a fun adventure rather than a disaster!
Several potty breaks, coatings of dust and pauses for stretching and photo opportunities we arrived back at the "Tank" to swim, eat a chuck wagon dinner, and tell tall tales. Good times.
Everything about the weekend was wonderful - from the claw tubs in the hotel (there was a communal shower down the hallway, by the way) to the rugged landscape - but best of all were the people themselves. Our family is simply awesome!
The girls have entered a golden era. Now that I've put it in writing it will probably end tomorrow, but they were excellent this weekend. Except for the time that Mia told me that she was old enough to go wandering through the hotel herself:
"Mommy! I'm just going to go downstairs by myself! I'm a big girl now! I can do it!"
"I know, Mia, but I want you to stay with me because it's never a good idea to wander around by yourself in a hotel."
Mia took my hand and looked thoughtfully into my eyes.
"Mommy. I know this is difficult for you, but I can do this!"
She didn't do it. But I appreciated the counseling session.
It was on the way back from our dinner and viewing of the musical Texas that we almost hit a deer. It was almost 1 a.m. and Isaiah (the Saint!) was driving. I was dozing a little bit as my parents told stories of what had been keeping them busy in Sedona. All of the sudden I felt the brakes, hard, and my eyes popped open in time to see Isaiah veer to the left and miss a decent-sized doe who was simply standing in the middle of the road! Yowzers! I didn't sleep for the rest of the ride!
Seeing Texas gave me another aspect of appreciation for the residents of the Lone Star state. Texans get a lot of ribbing from people about their arrogance, the belief that everything is bigger there, their can-do attitude and pride in the country. But, I have to admit, Texans are pretty awesome. If America is known as a country that can "pull itself up by its bootstraps," then Texas is the epitome of that maxim.
The area of Turkey is rugged, beautiful and slightly hostile. They're experiencing a drought, which makes the red dirt billow across the roads and the rivers dry up to salty white slashes across the land. Mesquite bushes are plentiful, the cattle had cactus spines sticking out of their cheeks from their grazing, and the town of Turkey is more historic
than modern.
All of these things might make the faint-of-heart shy away from a return visit. Perhaps I'm crazy, but it had the exact opposite affect on me. I fell in Love with it. I love the challenge that is inherent in the landscape - "Come... prove yourself and I will make it worthwhile for you. I will challenge your character and - if you win - you will find yourself a stronger, more able, more desirable individual. Come!" - it was a whisper I heard in the wind.
It's a challenge that I would love to answer. Who knows where we'll end up before long? Maybe following a tumbleweed to place with Yellow Roses and stars shining bright...
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