#73 - Nita, Cowgirl with Heart

​She Caught my Eye
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Don and I were staying at the old CCC cabins in Big Bend National Park, last January.  At breakfast, the lodge dining room was serving  a few hikers and tourists like us, but there was one couple who seemed different.  

Both had cowboy hats and large belt buckles.  When the woman removed her hat, a curl of white hair bounced into place on her forehead.  There was something about the easy way they sipped their coffee that made me know this was not their first time here.

​​I Need to Chat
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Once the couple was seated behind me, I couldn't really study them anymore. 

But I still felt like I just wanted to chat with these folks. I'm not sure why. Then I saw the woman get up and head for the buffet.

Meet Up at the Fruit Bar
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​I approached the fruit bar and opened the conversation with a stupid comment. "Now why would they have grated cheese at a fruit bar?"  That's all it took. Nita was a talker and by the time I returned to the table I was able to tell Don the scoop. Nita was 84 years old and had lived in Terlingua, since she left work at a livestock research facility, in the '90's.  

Nita brought Ray over to meet us before they left. His hair was neatly slicked back in his leahter hat and his gentle Canadian accent oddly reminded me of Lawrence Welk.  When they found out we would be in the Terlingua area in a few days, they playfully demanded we come for "2-for-1 burger night" at Starlight.  "We'll be there at 5, when they open. They always have our seats and Bud Lites waiting for us!" When Nita and Ray headed off, I couldn't help but smile at their immaculate bluejeans, which I'm pretty sure had creases.  I am more sure about the fact Nita fit her little jeans better than most young cowgirls today!  ​

At Starlight
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By the time Don and I reached Starlight on Monday night, the place was packed and we spotted Nita and Ray at the bar, sipping coffee. We grabbed beers, first. Before attempting to greet them, Nita had made her way over and playfully reprimanded us for not saying hello.  

She laughed and told us to bring our beers on over. For the next hour, Nita and Ray introduced us to every local in sight and by the time they hugged us good-bye (Nita reminded me that she doesn't do handshakes) they left us chatting with a crowd. 

​One Last Encounter
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Nita happened to mention where she and Ray usually have breakfast. The Big Bend Cafe & Gas Station, up the road! It was our last morning in the area and we figured, why not?  Almost every table was full when we arrived. It was a chilly morning and clusters of folks gathered around numerous tables, bundled in sweaters and jackets and warming hands on coffee mugs. 

There were cowboy hats and trucker hats and knit, hiker hats. Nita spotted us and she and Ray grabbed their mugs and moved over to some nearby chairs for a while. Once again, they made sure we met every person in the place, making us feel like we were part of the big breakfast gang. There were group discussions about the community and how new people sometimes move in with all their gripes and baggage and try to change things. We talked about Big Bend National Park and the possibility of cell service. "You miss the scenery when you're staring at your cell phone!" Nita laughed. Then she described a bear that climbed an electric pole, right at the lodge. "That thing hit the wires and just fried! Those young people with their cell phones just missed the whole thing!"

Thanks Nita!
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​I don't know about that bear story? But I loved the way you told it with your big charm and enthusiasm. After you left the Starlight on Monday, I wish you could have heard the good things the folks at the bar had to say about you.

You are one of the most welcoming people I have ever met.  I'm also not the only one who thinks you have a mighty cute figure.  Just ask a couple of the younger gentlemen at the bar!
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