My extended family has always been close. To some, five siblings, ten cousins, and added family pets seem overwhelming, there is a common thread that has held us all together. Although we are not all alike (myself being the darkest in the bunch), we enjoy the company of one another and yearn for the times when our schedules align. Even during the darkest of times for each affiliate, the limbs of our tree have held together through one common core; love.
Early Friday morning, I woke up at 5:20. Although this time was earlier than my current morning routine, I could not sleep. I was ecstatic about the upcoming weekend. We were going to my Uncle Larry’s ranch in Mayhill, New Mexico. It is nestled on the edge of the Lincoln National Forrest. We would be taking four-wheelers, horses, and a batch of the best chocolate chip cookies my Aunt Lori could assemble.
Larry told me that he was planning on leaving at 7 that morning. Jeremy (you finally have your ‘blog mention’), Ethan & I planned on leaving at 9, but I had a hold up at the townhome project that delayed our departure. At 9:30, I received a phone call from Larry asking where we were and when we would be leaving. It was our responsibility to stop on the way out of town and pick up the four-wheeler trailer. Larry had not left and told me that when we got there, we would all leave together.
When we arrived it was clear Larry was nowhere near ready to leave. The kids were not ready, the truck wasn’t loaded and the horses he intended on taking were not ready ether. We helped him load up the saddles, groceries, and luggage. At this point, it was 11 o’clock.
As the Sun moved, the hunger pains set in. I suggested we should eat. Larry recommended calling Texas Burger in Andrews and stop on the way to Mayhill; I knew it would be another hour before we would leave — my cousin, Ross, still needed to finish physical therapy.
I called Texas Burger to go for everyone, including the en route cousins. But I did not fall into the “Andrews Trap”. I called the location on Andrews Highway & 52nd street.
After eating; configuring, reconfiguring, and reconfiguring one more time the riding situation for all ten caravaners and 2 golden retrievers; and Larry committing several false starts getting in and out of the drivers seat of his truck, we were on our way to Mayhill.
Dodge rode with Jeremy and Me. The drive included good times with Dodge and Jeremy. As we discussed the adventures of young men, Dodge and I had time to catch up on each other’s play list. Even though the two of us do not mirror each other on life setting or goal congruency, we can each appreciate the tunes we jam and write during our individual sets. I remember when I strayed from the high-hat and wanted more cowbell. Right now, Dodge is banging the hell out of that cowbell.
Ethan, Taylor, and Jordan were enamored as they were freed from a 4 hour drive to run jump and play in the 75 acre home-away-from-home Larry calls ‘The Ranch’. They immediately ran towards one of the two ponds to look for fish and exchanged thrilling envisions of who would paddle and how they would maneuver the new boat Larry bought to add to their ranch experience. As a boy, Ethan loves to play and as dirty as possible.
We unloaded the two horses we brought from Odessa. As soon as they were released from the horse trailer, the other four horses (already there) galloped and bucked down the side of the mountain to come greet their long lost friends. No longer were these horses confined to a two thousand square foot stall in Odessa. They now had acres to explore and enjoy; their old friends were eager to run and show them around.
After the horses settled down, Ethan and I got on a four-wheeler. We rode up the side of the mountain. It was thrilling to have my buddy’s arms wrapped around my waist as we rode up the trails to the elevated flat where the camper trailer was located. He went to do what all boys love to do & I helped Larry prepare the camper to hook it to his truck to take to the cabins located between Mayhill and Cloudcroft. He wanted to stay close to the rest of the limbs.
Maneuvering the trailer was not easy. The space he had to turn the truck around to take the camper down the side of the hill to the road was very narrow. After several attempts, Larry’s frustration began to intensify. He finally slammed on the gas and came within less than an inch of jack-knifing the trailer into the rear quarter panel. There was nothing I could muster to scream at him other than, “OH, (expletive).” Luckily, that warning was not warranted and there was no damage to either the camper or his truck.
Once we unloaded at the cabins, Ethan played catch with the dogs while Dodge, Ross, Jeremy & I played horseshoes. You would not refer to us as horseshoe experts but our soon found interest was quickly interrupted by a frustrated Uncle Larry attempting to back his camper into the space allowed on the camp site. He was trying to align his camper’s sewer line with the sewer line access provided on location.
He wanted to use the length of his sewer line as a gauge to provide optimum accuracy when making a permanent stop. As he unhooked the sewer tap to his trailer, an unwanted surprise was waiting for my Uncle Larry and me. Sludge and bodily waste began to run out of the tap on his hand and as he quickly placed the line over the tap; it ran out of the tube close to my foot. (At some point, from the ranch to attempting to officially set the trailer, someone must have used the restroom not knowing it was not permanently parked.) The sight and smell of this occurrence caused me to leap heights of an Olympic high jumper and gag as one who just witness another lose their lunch. All of this was concluded with Larry referring to me as a name I can only describe could be associated with the feline species. Laughter immediately irrupted from previous horseshoe athletes who had transformed to camper parking spectators.
Once we got the line set, I hauled and gagged down the hill behind the truck to catch my breath. I thought I was going to lose a lunch that had been digested hours earlier.
That night, we played Yahtzee and waited until the rest of those limbs who were attending would arrive. My mom, Uncle Billy, Aunt Lori, Adrianne and her boyfriend Andy, were on there way as soon as they picked up my cousin Tanisha and her daughters Kambri & Karlee from the airport. They had flown in to Odessa from their home in Dallas.
Ethan soon lost interest in Yahtzee, or hanging with me as his cousins arrived. Jeremy, Dodge, Ross, and I decided we needed to drive to Cloudcroft to obtain necessary items from the convenience store. The cabins & the ranch did not warrant cell phone service. So on the drive we all speculated on how many messages we would have from our significant others. Jeremy and Dodge tied guessing only 1 person’s each. The game is overrated and over hyped, but it entertained the 10-minute truck ride to cellular service.
As we left Cloudcroft, I was looking at the moon on the drive home and I knew there were parts of Odessa that I missed; this weekend was about family time. The night lingered and my mind wandered as my body became more and more exhausted. After getting Ethan ready for bed, my body violently crashed onto the mattress. I craved sleep, but even more than that, I craved the following days adventures.
That morning I woke up before six New Mexico time. I decided to drive to Cloudcroft and buy breakfast supplies. I enjoyed some phat praise & worship music as I prayed for my church family who soon be having Men’s Prayer Breakfast and then praise & worship rehearsal for Sunday morning.
Cooking in this narrow cabin was a feat. With limited airflow, smoke began to billow and brood. In walks Larry, concerned the kitchen might be on fire. As he opens the windows, smoke slowly starts to fall out of the cabin into the cool Lincoln National Forrest air. Only Dodge and Jeremy join us for breakfast. I couldn’t get Ethan up for breakfast. He would be the last person to get up and get ready. This was after hours of vain attempts to awake him from his coma. This is typical of Ethan sleeping when he is with me; I think it would be easier to hit a game winner over Lebron James than wake my little boy from his slumber. During the morning, others would migrate through and snack on the remnants of the breakfast gone by.
Later in the day, Ross complained of the method used when applying frosting to the cinnamon rolls. I informed him he could improve the distribution of frosting when he was up early enough to apply it. (Spoiler alert: the next morning, he was.)
As we played Yahtzee, I had to destroy Ethan and others playing before we left to each lunch in Cloudcroft. I could not get Ethan to stay in Cloudcroft. He was too eager to go on with Larry and play at the ranch and embark on what boys do best.
As we arrived, all of the kids were preparing to get in the rowboat. Ethan was more than successful at doing what he intended to do best. At first glance, it appeared he had on black socks and shoes. No, it was mud caked on his bare feet and ankles. Ethan couldn’t decide if he wanted to row or hold the net to catch fish. He conceded to this conundrum by grabbing the oar to navigate his female cousins across the pond.
Mom decided she wanted to ride on the four-wheeler. Jeremy was the first to take her. Then I took her. My mother and I have a unique relationship. Although we lack intimacy, we make up for that in jovial schemes. I concede I am the larger jovial variable of the two in our equation. It was fun riding and listening to her gleefully giggle to herself and we went over rocks and hills and up the side of the mountain.
After the ride, I decided we needed to go for a hike. Ethan was the least bit interested. He was engrossed in mud and going for a hike would include cleaning himself off. I went with Jeremy and Ross. As we ascended the steep mountain on the North side of the ranch, I realized I had not attempted such a task in a long time. Trying to remember safe climbing techniques was difficult as I was short of breath due to a culmination of thinner air and lack of cardio in my weekly workout routine. Midway up the mountain I grabbed on to a tree to test its durability. It appeared to be stable, but as I grabbed it to pull myself up, I pulled the tree up by the roots and lost my balance. I fell forward into the mountain and slammed my hands into rocks; I suffered mild scratches-lucky.
Once we reached the summit the view was astonishing. All 75 acres were in full view. I took various pictures of Jeremy and Ross as we chilled, pondered life and the pursuit of self-sufficiency. (Who really knows what they were talking about). It’s really easy to see how awesome God is from the mountaintop. I want to sustain that focus permanently, but that will be a discussion for another time.
Ethan and I hit balls to the dogs and then decided to get him back to the cabins to clean up so we could go to a stocked fishing tank. One thing my mom loves to do is fishing.
After getting him cleaned up and arriving to the fishing spot, all of the cousins watched mom fish. To pass time and suppress boredom, I decided to play the line game with my family. Initially, all questioned the validity of the line game. Out of frustration, others left and didn’t want to be near when I was discussing the underlying riddles in the line game. After much frustration, no one could figure out how to properly play the logic-less based game.
A break in the game was provided when Dodge and Ross (who had left the vicinity of those playing the line game out of disgust) found a bull snake climbing a tree. Larry went over and caught the snake and held it for all to hold and touch and then to harass mom while she was fishing.
Ethan, Dodge, Ross, Jeremy and I rode together back to the cabins. During the drive back, Ross discovered himself how to properly draw lines shortly ensued by his brother Dodge. This game would continue as a backdrop to the evening and following morning until Ethan discovered how to draw lines and couldn’t contain the secret from others desiring to know the truth of line drawing.
That night’s dinner was amazing. Lori had brought brisket that was so good it made you want to slap your momma. Mine had had a long day, so I saved her the violence.
After a full day, Ethan and I were exhausted. He was falling asleep as I was getting him ready for bed. All the while, explaining how he wasn’t tired. That argument ended as soon as his head rested on the pillow.
My last thought before I fell asleep: “The moon is shining in through my window.” In a tribute to An American Tale, others can see the moon the same time you do, even if they do no see you. I made sure to take the moon back to Odessa with me.
The last morning, I got up and followed the same breakfast trip/making routine. A few things I changed to improve quality. I opened the windows before I started cooking and I made sure Ross could save himself the needless verbal disgust by applying the icing on the cinnamon rolls himself.
After feeding Ethan, and everyone else I got us packed and ready to go. Ethan was enjoying himself and begged to stay one more day and come home on Monday. He didn’t want to go on one last hike up the mountain above the cabins because he was afraid he wouldn’t get to see the other kids after we left. Dodge, Ross, Jeremy, Tanisha, Kambri & I decided to make one last weekend accent. The stay was not as long as the previous – there were deadlines to meet.
I really enjoyed Dodge & Ross this trip. It was good getting to hang with them. As always, Jeremy and I had fun together. But most of all it was great getting to see Ethan have fun with my family and do the things we do when he is not around. He knows my family loves him when he is not with us, but it is good for him to get to have the opportunity to be close to all of us when we are all together doing what we do best; we love each other.
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