I am standing beside my truck, parked off the shoulder of the highway in a pullout. It’s hot and dry. The sun is behind me as I look west.
There is a kiosk in front of me and to the left. Not yet. I want to take this in first. I’ve heard stories. I want to sit with my imagination for a while.
What I know:
- Dinosaur bones have been discovered near here.
- Despite the current appearance, there was once water on this spot. A lot of it.
- Coral has also been found not far away.
- Much more recently, people thought there may be gold around these parts.
- A working ranch could once be found hereabouts.
Oh, and where my eye falls now was once a thriving town.
As I look at the unremarkable expanse of land in front of me, I let my imagination run through all of these possibilities. For a moment I mix them together. The questions start pouring in.
What did this place look like when there were dinosaurs here? Was it this dry then or much more humid?
Was this place underwater when the dinosaurs lived here?
What did people notice that made them think there was gold here? There is evidence that they put a lot of effort into finding it.
How much has this place changed in the last hundred years or so? I’m not so sure I would graze cows here today.
What was it like to live in that town? To grow up here?
I reach into the truck and snag my water bottle. As I walk along the pullout, avoiding the kiosk, I pause to take a long drink of cool water. I walk the fence line and back, considering. With a glance at the kiosk, I return the water bottle to the truck and hop in.
I’ll be back for the kiosk later. I have some other stops to make first.
For now, the questions are enough.
Barn Owl Exploration 