Last weekend I went on a ride and made a good loop.  I started by going to Ballinger to catch the Santa Fe depot and then headed East on Hwy 67 toward Coleman.  On the way I passed through Talpa and Valera.  It was in Talpa that I struck it rich.  Not in any tangible way, but just as valuable.  While I was strolling around what is left of the town a gentleman in a pickup truck pulled up toward me and rolled down his window.  He asked if I was just sightseeing or if I was from there.  I explained that I wasn't from there, but enjoyed spending time in these old towns.  He told me that he was born and raised there and liked to come through to check things out from time to time.

His name is Harold Browning and we spent a considerable amount of time cruising down memory lane.  This is where I struck it rich!!  He was able to tell me about all of the buildings that are left and what they were.  The Barber shop, for instance, is completely unmarked and I wouldn't have known what it was without his help.  The same goes for the Saddle and Ranch store which started out as the movie theater and showed Gone With The Wind in color for it's first show.  It was later used as a variety store and was the hangout for the old timers in town.  He told me about the restaurant across the street and how they had beautiful wooden walls that were covered in brands from the local ranches.  He said they had a fire outside so the ranchers could heat their brands and leave their mark.  He talked about the Drug store and told me that the proprietor would wrap the neatest packages, no matter what you bought.  You could buy a box of aspirin and he would wrap it up for you.  Customer service at its finest.

As he pointed out each building and told me their history, to include who owned it by name, he had a constant smile on his face.  It appeared that he was enjoying the reminiscing as much as I was enjoying learning from him.  At one point he looked at me and said "There are a lot of ghosts around here."

He lived in Talpa through his Junior year of High School and then his family moved down the road to Valera.  Upon graduation, he entered the Navy and retired after 28 years.  He moved back to this area and lives near these two towns of his youth.  In fact, the reason he was driving through is that he was headed to Valera to pick up BBQ from Big O's to bring to his in-laws' Christmas gathering.......in SAN ANGELO!!  That must be some mighty good BBQ to drive a total of almost 90 miles to get it.

I've done a lot of driving over the past months to find these towns and enjoy the feel of them when I'm there, but nothing compares to getting that firsthand history from someone who calls it home.  Mr. Browning, Thank you for your faithful service to our country.  Thank you also for taking the time to share your story with me and for taking me down your memory lane.  God Bless