The New Old West

 

I got back last night from Roswell, NM, where I went for my 30 year high school reunion.  Wow.  I tell you, I was really on the fence about going this year because frankly, the 20 year reunion was a downer.  Very poor turn-out, low energy.  But I'm so glad I went this year.  It was the best one I've attended by far.  There wasn't a huge number of people and there were some key folks who I would have loved to have caught up with.  But I perceived an overall sense of happiness and gratitude to be among old friends and reliving simpler times for just a few hours.  I had a wonderful time.

I got this photo on the evening before returning to Houston.  It's a statue of Pat Garrett (the sheriff who shot Billy the Kid, and who was himself shot some years later) that stands behind the courthouse in Roswell.  It's a new addition to the town and a nice one.  I like the classic Old West motif of riding a horse into the sunset in front of the backdrop of a modern courthouse.  A nice little statement about justice in the southwest.  I got several good pictures on this trip, mostly of abandoned and derelict buildings.  As usual, they'll trickle onto the blog over time.  Unfortunately, I ran out of room on my main hard drive so I've got some housecleaning to do on my computer.