Deep in the Heart of Texas...

…well maybe more so just the very Northwest corner of Texas. I made my move to Dalhart, Texas, home of many cattle feedlots and irrigation pivots. Dalhart is on the line of the two Northwestern most counties in Texas, Dallam and Hartley; I actually live in Hartley County.

After my initial frustration with finding a U-haul trailer in Stillwater (which I still do not recommend you trying at the end of May in a college town), I made it safe and sound with all of my junk in tow. Then I am pretty sure that trailer decided just to vomit all of my stuff into my bedroom floor, at least that is how things looked Friday afternoon. Things are looking on the upside; at least my bed is made.

 Yes that is a picture of a stop light at a bridge, in the middle of nowhere in the Texas Panhandle. Half the bridge was crumbling, so I guess TxDOT just decided using only one side of the bridge was safe enough. Haha, actually the other half was being worked on.

I have been treated well in my short first three days in Dalhart. I was invited over to a big Memorial Day weekend cookout/calf fry. Plenty of good food and even a few chords strummed on the guitar to the tune of some great sing along Texas country songs that I already know and love. Little did I know that the invite required two and a half hours of preparing all of the calf-fries that were gathered that morning at a branding. Oh joy, two and a half hours of fun, slime, and testicle dressing. At least there were four of us there to make the time spent fun.

I cannot complain about the “real” Texas BBQ that I have already been treated too. The church congregation I went to Sunday morning welcomed this Arkansan with open arms. I was even commended on being able to speak legible English. Guess these folks have met my cousins from the Ozarks. Come to find out they have a weekly Sunday dinner after services, and I was told that a young single like myself was not to miss out on a well-prepared meal. How could I refuse? So I found myself with a big plate of brisket, hot links, pot roast, and a whole heaping of other good BBQ for Sunday dinner, and a packed plate of even more scrumptious BBQ to take home for later. I love the fact that no matter where I go, I can find a family in the church.

Well, I lucked out and do not start work until tomorrow morning. No, it is not because feedyards get the Memorial Day holiday. I lucked out only because the pre-employment drug-testing center does not open until 8 in the morning. So it is one more day of treading through this mess I find in my bedroom floor and finding what all I left in Stillwater. So far, I am only missing my crock-pot and a pillowcase. I think my pillowcase disappeared in the dryer, along with a few of my socks.