There is a God! I know because He put a Starbucks in Jacksboro, TX. with wifi. Jacksboro is the county seat of Jack County and it is in the middle of nowhere West Texas. But I love these kinds of places. My wife grew up in Graham (yes I drove 30 miles for coffee this morning) and we love coming out to the ranch.
On the way over, Jason Aldean's song "Fly Over States" was on the radio (AM). How fitting. This isn't the place most people want to live. You have to be tough and gritty to eek out a living in this part of Texas. Oil and gas are still big, but the money is not. The drought has dried up most stock tanks and there is constant dust in the air that reminds me of the famous documentary "Dust Bowl."
But it's beautiful and wide open. This painting (www.etsy.com at my shop PaintingsByRPM) reminds me of ranches and farms struggling to make it every day. I call it Gateway Ranch since it sits at the gateway to West Texas. It's not real. I made it up using images of hundreds of ranches in Graham, Jacksboro, Bryson, Onley Newcastle and Breckenridge.
I hope you enjoy the feelings of freedom in the open country. And I pray that you remember that the backbone of our nation resides in these off the highway places.
No comments:
Post a Comment