Louis L'Amour

Once upon a time...there was an argument about what kind of literature was best. Paul O and I finally agreed to each read a book of the other's choosing. He gave me the fattest L'Amour book he could find- something from the Sackett series- and I chose W Somerset Maugham's 'Of Human Bondage' (still one of my favorites- but proly not the thing to start a Louis L'Amour fan on). After months, we gave the books back happily admitting that we'd maybe tried a page or 2, just couldn't get into it and averring that our opinions were the same as they'd always been. WELL- I have no idea if Paul ever did read Maugham, but about a year ago, bored, I picked up 'The Last of the Breed' by L'Amour and thoroughly enjoyed it. And read more. And, well, he really is ok...in fact, he hits moments of purt' near brilliance sometimes when creating a setting and character depiction. What this is really about, is something that reminds me of L'Amour.

Coming to this village, you get off at the end of the bus line and start walking along the edge of the field. At the corner, follow the track to the left- but then shortly after that, a foot path veers off to the right and you leave the main track on it. This takes you right to the lip of what looks like a sharp drop-off; turns out, it's steep but sloped. There's not much growing except scrubby brushy looking things- short, rough and tough. The path goes over the edge down into a 'bowl' full of this scruffy stuff. At one point, it bends around a bush that you can hang onto if you want as you navigate a particularly steep place. From this part of the path, you look out over the valley and get your bearings- there are numerous tracks down there and it's important to find the 'used-to-be-bridge' and aim for it- take that bend first and then that one to the left. Down on the bottom, you just go forward. In the summer, this was all hard cracked land and you could make a fairly straight shot. Now, however, there's been rain and you suddenly remember that there is actually- I suppose it's a backwater of the sea running back into this valley. Well, it's pure muck right now. Anyway, it's a great walk in the summer and I always feel like some cowboy without a horse heading off into the bottom lands, across the flat and then up the other side again. (Or, if it's been a rough day- I feel like a hobbit heading into the dead lands around Mordor.)

So, umm, oh yes- Louis L'Amour- well, he'll do...although I have yet to get into a gunfight- real or otherwise. I still wonder if you really could 'eat' that much lead, keep on shooting, walk into the desert, collapse and manage to survive, but anyway.