I have been here less than a week and I have already learned something that I never would have learned — never — had I stayed in Houston.

Javelinas make good pets.

So.  I was talking about dogs with the father of a couple kids in Rocket’s school.  He is the ranch manager of a huge hunting ranch south of Marathon.  He told me that they have two Australian Shepherds that are worthless.

“I live out so far that if someone shows up on your doorstep, you greet them with a gun,” he said.

But, recently, a man managed to drive up to the ranch, get out of his truck, and knock on the front door without the dogs even waking up.

“So, what I really want is a javelina,” the rancher told me.

Apparently, if you catch a javelina when it is very young, bottle feed it and care for it, it will become a loyal pet.  The javelina will be very protective of your family and very territorial.

“And they spray like skunks,” he said.

“There ain’t a man alive that’s gonna get out of his truck if he sees a javelina charging,” he said.