Friday, November 13, 2009

I Go Out Walking

I go out walking, not a midnight, but during the day. Walking around the tiny hamlet of Ozona is a little like going back in time. Most of the buildings here are very old, some more than 100 years old. There are large mansion size old homes that must be over 50 years old as well as neighborhoods where the homes seem to be stuck in the 50's and 60's eras. Some homes are of brick or stone while others are made of stucco. There are others that make me think a siding salesman hit the jackpot. Once in a while there may be turkeys wandering around the yards.

I think my mother, who was an artist, would have enjoyed painting here. Just looking at the rustic buildings and the colors of the trees would have made her look for a place to sit and create. Walking around all the trees can be a bit of a trick sometimes. The oak trees are shedding the acorns. Walk by the local Church of Christ and my feet crunch constantly the acorns that have fallen on the sidewalk. I guess the squirrels have picked up all they want. If I really wanted to, I could probably bag a lot of pecans. Everyday I hear them fall onto the carport. Slap, bang, clunk is an ongoing sound. They fall on the lawns, driveways, and streets. Daisy can't figure out what to do with them. Sometimes I would like to shell a bunch of them and eat them for snacks.

Probably the most appealing sights to me are all these trees. Of course there are all the old oak and pecan trees. But there are others, too, like maple, hackberry and cypress. As I go out walking I can see the gradual color change of the leaves. I didn't see very much of this in Houston. As I look around at the trees swaying in the breeze I notice how vibrant the colors are. As the trees get ready to shed their leaves, Mother Nature takes control. Like my mother, she is an artist. There are trees still wearing green while others have been colored with the brilliant gold or yellow leaves. Others have been painted orange or dark red. My mind's eye must savor this because in a matter of weeks the leaves will give up and fall to the ground. The streets and lawns will be littered with dying leaves that will turn brown.

There are not many places here that cannot be reached by walking. But not every area has sidewalks. And of course being a small town I think those sidewalks are rolled up after sundown. Much of Ozona "shuts down" early. There is no WalMart or even a McDonalds. There is a Sonic. But there is no movie theater, certainly no "chain" stores. For those, it's 1 1/2 hour drive to San Angelo. Plan ahead is the key. Ozona is a relaxed sort of place. Nobody rushes, unless they are late for church. Most of the residents don't even lock the doors at night. They don't even worry about locking their car doors or leaving things in them. I can't get over that.

Walking around here makes me think of lots of different things. There is a certain peace here. "The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas" to quote an old song. But then I also think:

...The woods are lovey, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

From the poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

2 comments:

cube said...

I loved this post. You are a gifted writer... perhaps that is where your future lies?

Hmmmm....

As far as remaining in the topic of your post...

I live in Florida so I can't identify with you when you talk about the changing of the leaves 'cause basically, we're green all year 'round.

But I can identify with your major premise, and, there, I agree.

I go out walking... I just see different stuff than you do.

Unknown said...

Thanks! I remember walking on the beach in Destin. I saw how white the sand was and how it sparkled. As the waves beat against my feet and revealed the treasure of tiny shelled creatures which were not happy to be disturbed so they re-buried themselves into the sand only to be unearthed by the next wave.