Cadillac Ranch on Halloween

I like to stay upbeat on the blog but I’m a little on the sad side today. My cat of 10 years died last night. While she wasn’t a crew member yet, she was in the making. She had been on the thinner side lately and then last night she went downhill.

Lucy, my head warmer

I got to talk to her on the phone last night (of course I did all the talking). I asked her what was wrong and called her all the funny names I had for her, Lucy Patootsie and snug-a-wagga-woo, you get the picture.

She was all set to go to the vet today. But alas, my husband called me back shortly after I talked to her to tell me she was gone. This is the hard part about life on the road. There’s no hopping in the car and hurrying home. We are many, many miles apart.

I remember the stories of my great-grandparents, when they used to travel with the lumber camp. Great-grandpa was the lumberjack and great-grandma would cook and care for the younger children. They’d be days away from home if they were lucky. One time they received word from home that their older child had died. Can you imagine the agonizing trip home? With these final thoughts I bid goodbye to my Lucy girl.

Now on to what you’re here for. Halloween at Cadillac Ranch! This year, the kids decided they wanted to trick-or-treat at a mall. It ended up working out really well. Trick-or-treating started at five o’clock so I mentioned eating at the food court before or after the event.

We headed out early so we could return something at Wal-Mart. We ended up an hour ahead of schedule so I thought I’d check and see how close Cadillac Ranch was to our location. Low and behold, it was only about five miles away.

What an amazing, magical trip of serendipity. While this was one of the landmarks on my list, visiting it on Halloween was really cool! We spotted it from the highway and quickly found an exit. We drove up and entered the cattle doors.

For those not familiar with Cadillac Ranch, this article sums it up nicely. But for the quick version, it’s basically an art project in the middle of a field. There are various vintages of Cadillac cars buried nose first into the ground. The tail fins, which evolved over time, show off the variations from year to year.

We walked up to the rows of Cadillac’s and found a nearly full bottle of spray paint on the ground. I began spraying the cars with RV Lost Yet graffiti while the kids searched for their own can. Can you spot my claim to fame? I had to snap a picture of the “Will You Marry Me” left behind by some love gazed couple.

A cheetah and a fox began their mischief by having fun spray painting to their heart’s content. It was such a simple thing but the kids had a blast! Where else can you spray graffiti all over a bunch of cars and not get into trouble? And on Halloween to boot!!

After a half-hour of mischief and fun, the kids were ready to take on candy land. The trick-or-treating was great, they got lots of loot to include full cans of soda. The youngest declared it to be “one of the bestHalloween’s ever”. But we did miss our friends back home we’ve been trick-or-treating with for years.

My lil’ cheetah

On our last night here in Palo Duro Canyon, I lay in bed looking up at the stars through my little window. There are so many and they shine so brightly in the still of the night. I wish I could take a picture for you. I saw a falling star just the other night.

It’s so amazing. I do believe Mother Nature has stolen my heart once again. I try to take in as much as I can. I am so grateful for this moment.

Then I hear out my window the same familiar sounds I heard the other night. I do believe they’re coyotes. Quickly I grab my phone to record it for you. This is what I hear. Make sure you turn your volume all the way up and hold your ear to the speaker.

They sound a lot like a pack of dogs but all the campground pets are fast asleep. And we’re many, many miles to the closest rural neighbor. I also hear what sounds like a pig. Do you hear it? I remember the park ranger asking if we’d seen any wild boars. Perhaps the coyotes found a midnight snack! If so, they sound victorious.

After I capture the sounds, I stare out at the stars once more. I kid you not, I see another one fall from the sky. Soon the chill forces me to close my window. Yes, I’ve fallen in love. Goodbye for now Palo Duro Canyon. Thank you for having me.

And thank you for using my Amazon affiliate link when you do your Amazon holiday shopping. Whether big or small, all purchases are greatly appreciated!

{HUGS} from the Crew!