I'm back. 

OT, I know, and it looks like I've missed a wonderful discussion (drat!), but I was thinking about Tolkien as I wandered/rode/camped out in the great Canadian River valley in West TX.  I rode nearly every day (the only way I'd agree to spend 2 weeks in the wasteland if I could bring my horse), and some days I saw only flora (and what an incredible, surprising grassland ecosystem is there), while other days the plains were alive with animals.  I saw cattle, of course (we stayed on the ranch, living in the bunkhouse and interacting w/ Mr. Notlost's ranching relatives--though I'm probably the only person ever to have "prowled" these cattle riding english!), including one small calf who survived an attack by a coyote at the expense of his entire tail.  I saw a coyote attack and eat a snake; lots of antelope (include "sentry" whose job was to lead stranger/predators away from the wee ones); mule deer; a skunk, which I almost stepped on; various turtles, frogs, horny toads, lizards; and a rattle snake (luckily, only one).  There were tons of birds, including a pair of nesting killdeers (sp?) who would take turns watching the dark, spotted barely discernible eggs, and if I got too close, one would pretend to have a broken wing to get me to follow.  It was fascinating, though one thing that struck me was how some days were almost devoid of fauna, while others were chock full.

No internet, no cell phone--so I turned my attention to the people and the land (and a few articles I needed to catch up with, and kids from time to time--luckily, cousins kept them busy).  I think the terrain (and the people) remind me of what the folk in Rohan might have been like.  The land isn't especially rich, nor is it an easy place to live:  the wind constantly blows, water is there, but far below the earth's surface, and the weather can turn nasty for long periods of time.  I wonder sometimes why folks chose to settle there.

But those who DO live there are good, proud, hard-working people who feel tied to the land, to the area, and who are determined to make their way in the hostile environment.  And there is life all around.  Not the rich fecundity of the Ohio Valley I'd become used to, but a more rugged, scratching out existence that many shared.

All in all, a pleasant time, one I'll continue to think about.  But it's nice to be back.

Not all those who wander are lost.