Back in November I bought a new Nissan Rogue & decided I needed a road trip. I didn't have anywhere in particular so I decided I'd go to Rotan where my granddad was buried in the Grady cemetery. His name was Lon & he died in a fire in 1924. My dad was 10, 2nd oldest. Uncle Raymond was 12 & there were 4 kids under them. For some reason, my granny always said she never wanted to go to Rotan again so after being a widow for 61 years, when she passed she was buried in Spur in our family plot. It always bothered me that my granddad was buried alone.
The cemetery is just is quite away out in the country. Grady had been a community but like too many it has dried up. No one has maintained the cemetery since 1993. It is covered with weeds. I did find his grave & he had family buried around him including his dad & both of his wives, both named Martha. My granny went by Annie but her 1st name was Martha too. I left a flower on his grave.
When I was leaving & closing the large gate, a guest of wind caught it & it flew back & knocked me on my bohine. I wasn't hurt at all but it did knock the wind out of me. I was sitting up against a tire & a man stopped to make sure I was ok. Just a little red faced.😊
After leaving the cemetery, I went through Rotan, a town that's not much. I finally stopped at a convenience store called the "Hop In" with a bunny on their sign. Poor store had seen better days. I went inside to get tea & got my ice & tried machine & got nada. I asked the clerk if I was doing something wrong because it wouldn't work. She said, "We have tea?". Not a good sign. I bought water.
Next stop was Aspermont, a nice & clean little town. I had seen on Facebook that the Headquarters General Store. That was the reason I chose the date & the route. It was pretty impressive for a town that size & lots of stuff. Kinda hard to believe they can make a go of it. Aspermont is pretty much in the middle of nowhere.
Next stop, Jayton.
I graduated from Jayton High School 50 years ago this year. Fifty.Years.Ago I've been through the town just a few times in all of those years. My dad passed away in the nursing home there. He'd been in there just a few days so I was there 2 times around that time. This is also a clean little town with nothing going on there too. I took the pictures & it's obvious that the town revolves around the school & sports. This sign oddly only shows 2 state championships but they also won some while I was in school. I can't remember how many. And this year they won a state in boys basketball too. Basically, the school & teams are all they have. It's a rich school but a sad little town.
Last stop: Spur
I was born in Spur. When Mom & Daddy left the ranch, they moved into town, well technically across the street from town. They are now buried there, in our family area, along with my 2 sisters, 2 aunts, 3 uncles & 2 cousins. I try to get down a couple of times a year to take flowers for Mother's Day & Mom's birthday, both in May & to put out Christmas flowers. Only the girls get flowers. There is space for me & for my nephew Steve but no way would I be buried. I've already paid for cremation when it's time.
Nothing left in Spur for me now except graves & memories. 💔
Then coming home, I come back on the Crosbyton highway. There was a car broken down on the side of the highway & At first I thought it was an older woman & no one was stopping so I cut back around to check. I'm useless when it comes to car stuff but I wanted to make sure they could call for help. It was instead a young couple from Post with a baby. They had just bought their car & were going to parents house for a visit. They had called the dealership but they could not take all 3 of them so they were worried about what to do. But a man was coming from Dickens to help. So I came home. And I kicked myself for not offering to take mom & baby home to Post so dad could take care of things.
It was an emotional day for me & I was not thinking clearly. I was exhausted & covered with all kinds of thoughts. It took me the next day to recover.
I'm glad I went but am not sure I ever need to do this particular trip again.
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