Day 19: Charlie Parker, Cowboy.

One more thing about last evening. As we came into Parker, we stood on a hill overlooking the town. It gives you the feeling that you are leaving the desert, that it is all behind you. But like an oasis (Student's what is an Oasis?), Parker is a strip of green along the Colorado river. We saw grass and plants that we hadn't seen since we entered the desert 5 days ago. But as we were soon to find out, it was just a brief respite from the desert, not the end of the desert.

This morning, we ate breakfast at a local diner and hung around the motel waiting for WTB to call for a phone interview. We never received the call, so there must have been some issue. We did some shopping, I needed some new socks and a few things.

As we left Parker behind, we soon found ourselves right back in the middle of the desert. Our goal for today was to get in 12 or 13 miles, not to reach anywhere particular, we just wanted to get half way to Bouse. The traffic was heavy and the shoulder was narrow, but we finally reached a good campsite and settled down for the night. The roads in Arizona are fenced on both sides, so sometimes you have to crawl over them or under to get to a campsite. Not sure the reason for the fence, anyone know? We settled in for the night and had one of the best nights of sleep under the stars that we'd had in awhile.

Oh, yeah about Charlie Parker. While we were walking out of Parker a white pick up truck pulled off the road and a young guy got out and started walking towards us. He asked if we wanted a ride. I introduced myself and he said his name was Charlie Parker. Charlie didn't tell me he was a Cowboy, but he didn't have to. Just like if I saw a policeman on the street,he wouldn't have to tell me he was a policeman, I would just know it. Charlie was a tall, slim, young man wearing a well worn pair of faded Wranglers, a flannel shirt, a wide belt with a big silver buckle, a pair of worn boots that looked as soft as a pair of fine leather gloves, and a Texas Longhorn baseball cap. Not all Cowboys ride horses and wear a Cowboy hat. I didn't try to take his picture because I didn't know if a real Cowboy would want his picture taken. Charlie had a friend in the truck with him and I inquired where they were going. Charlie said they were headed to Old Mexico to look for work, but that didn't surprise me because that is what real Cowboys do. You be safe in Old Mexico Charlie Parker, because there are too few of you and we can't afford to lose any.