Kay Ellington's Blog - Posts Tagged "west-texas"

Is The Paragraph Ranch a real place?
Happy Friday from The Paragraph Ranch:

I've had several folks say they'd like to visit The Paragraph Ranch and have asked me if it's a real place. That's a good question.

The Paragraph Ranch is based on the farm where my family lived until I was six-years-old. It was a ramshackle of a place that my parents received as a part of their cotton farming lease.

But for a kid it was pretty amazing. I am the youngest of four children and each morning the older three would walk down the dirt road to the bottom of the hill and open the gate and wait for the bus.
If it was arctic outside--and I mean it had to be arctic--all six of us would pile into the single cab of the pickup truck and ride down to the gate and wait for the big kids' ride to school.

The half a mile to the bottom of the hill wove through mesquite trees and cactus and split wood fence post rails that were piled up in the shape of teepees. Fertile ground for a toddler's imagination.

Now, all that's left on that hill about 10 miles south of Snyder is part of the windmill, but the white house, barn, peach orchard, dirt storm cellar, and cow pen made from rusted box springs will now live forever in the pages of The Paragraph Ranch.

In the days and weeks ahead I'd love to hear from writers and readers about the places that you have known and loved that now only live in your memories.

Have a good weekend.