“Gone to Texas” is the title of a book by Forrest Carter, that was turned into a feature film titled, “The Outlaw Josie Wales” (Clint Eastwood). Both the book and the film are worth your time. Forrest Carter also wrote a book, The Education of Little Tree, which is worth reading.
Part of The Outlaw Josie Wales was shot in Paria, near Kanab, in Kane County, Utah. I’ve been to the movie set, which burned down over a decade ago. The building foundations are still there. Whenever I go somewhere I like to study up on the history of what made this or that place significant in history. Whose lives were built there? Why did they come and why did they stay or leave? Or were they forced to leave? (It comes with the Gone to Texas theme – hang in there)
Paria was a Mormon settlement that the Indians attacked again and again because the pilgrims built their homes on ground that the Piutes held sacred. I guess that they didn’t like the pale faces moving in there and setting up shop. The Mormons got tired of fighting for a piece of land that while interesting, was not profitable and moved on. The Army moved the Piutes onto a reservation, the Piutes lost a sense of what was and what was not sacred and life on the Paria River remained the same.
You can’t run cattle (successfully) on the Paria River because it’s almost all quicksand. Five miles to the east, over some steep mountains and sheer cliffs, the Cottonwood River has no quicksand and made for better ranching. You don’t see tourists on the Paria River. There is a graded dirt road that runs through Cottonwood Canyon (sort of the Gateway to the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument/park).
It may be a metaphor. Or maybe not?
But, I digress.
As some of you know, I’m working on a project in Texas and will be traveling to and from more regularly now. If the blogging is slow from time to time, you’ll know that I’m in Texas, riding horses, shooting machine guns, fishing and working…in that order.
A friend of mine from DEA who is not working on the project but who is aware of it, asked how he could get a job like that. I told him that he’d need to bag the day job and country club lifestyle of a Department of Justice worker.
I have known him for a while and worked with him in Mexico. I think that he’d punch out of his DOJ sinecure if I offered him a better gig — but he is an adrenalin junkie and is a first rate operator, and what I’m doing is a universe apart from ‘Blackwater’ type stuff.
I have known him for a while and worked with him in Mexico. I think that he’d punch out of his DOJ sinecure if I offered him a better gig — but he is an adrenalin junkie and is a first rate operator, and what I’m doing is a universe apart from ‘Blackwater’ type stuff.
The job came as the result of an odd set of circumstances and I’m back working with friends from Norway on it as well. So I must anticipate more viking outings in the far north, hopefully this year before the frost settles in. As you who follow this blog know by now, I really like Norway, but only in the summer. Once it gets cold and dark there, it’s cold and dark for six months.
Since I’m not quite sure how often I’ll be in Texas and how often I’ll be back on the West Coast or on the road in Norway, I’m not certain whether this will be one of those situations where I relocate the Ducati Diavel to the Lonestar State or whether I just rent a Harley from the local dealership when I need to go for a ride.
I know that a Texan would ride a horse rather than a motorcycle, but I’m not a Texan so I’m not caught up in that dilemma.
Have a good trip and be safe.
The Outlaw Josie Wales: did you know that this movie holds the record for most Clint Eastwood-caused deaths? Nobody really knows how many people Clint offed in this great flick, since the Gatling gun scene counts for perhaps 20 or 30 dead bad guys, maybe more, probably not less.
Just remember Chief Dan George's admonition: 'endeavor to persevere.' Always works for me.
Don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining
This would be a good time to invest in that trailer you were investigating a while back. Travel would be slower, but you would see more of the country and have your super-scooter handy when you wanted it.
Texas can be kind of interesting, from time to time.
Introduce those horse riding Texans to your Ducati. You might make believers of them.
Do what you gotta… And they DO have bedwarmers in Norway for those cold winter nights… 🙂
Sound advice
It's a 3 day drive for me to get to Tx. A 3 hour plane ride for a direct flight. But no super scooter, as you wisely counsel.
It's fun. Nice people. They don't like Hillary Clinton and she doesn't like them.
They may not be ready for the Diavel. Most of those little churches preach against the Diavel/Devil. If a guy rode into town on the back of a Devil, what would they think?
Walk softly and carry a big stick.
Glad you made it, and I'll try not to pass on my awesome fishing luck…
Fish karma is one of those fickle things. At least your boys had fun. You should try Lewiston Lake, north of Dallas. There are gators in it. Sometimes you catch the gators. Then again, sometimes the gator catches you. It's more challenging than simply reeling in perch.
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