where seldom is heard a disparaging word

The second day of the family reunion was, in some ways, even more lovely than the first. For one, I almost died at the hands (paws, hooves, feet) of a more varied assortment of animals, since the drive back from the ranch was fraught with horrors in the form of deer, jackrabbits, and wild boars (both adult and piglet varieties). For another, I have verified that there is something genetic within my great-great-grandfather's descendants that leads to overactive imaginations, a fast and loose grasp on facts, wildly overambitious dreams, and extreme stubbornness (not that I will admit to any of those shortcomings myself). It also leads to the appearance of a strange new food that I've never seen: the Frito salad. If you can guess what's in it beyond Fritos, you get ten dollars and a heart attack. It's basically bbq fritos, canned corn (I believe it was canned; it may have been fresh), shredded cheddar, red pepper, onion, and I believe mayonnaise. Delish, right? I'll have to open a Fritos salad truck at Fort Mason food truck fair and see if that gives me enough money to retire.

I also heard many interesting stories today (notes for posterity: Wendell's father moving his whole family after getting pissed off at a school board for hiring an underqualified indigent widow; the five Comanche sisters getting someone to swear to never farm over their ancestors' cemetery; lessons in end-of-life planning; the Indian buried with a clamshell full of the teeth of a twenty-two-year-old white man and evidence of several bullets in his own body; the silver cross of Marquette and Joliet). And, even better, I got to hang out with my second cousin Lawrence, who is a few years younger than me and whom I hadn't seen since his grandfather's funeral five years ago. It was super fun to see him, and since he lives in Austin and I would like to visit, perhaps I'll see him again at some point in the future.

I spent some quality time in the swimming hole as well, which was absolutely perfect in terms of temperature even though I might have died if I had lost my water noodle (okay, I wouldn't have died, but I would have had a rough few minutes of it as I stopped panicking long enough to remember that I can swim). And I talked to a bunch more people, and generally enjoyed the evening. The whole shebang ended with a fireworks display that rivaled most of the ones I've seen put on by medium-sized towns - Wendell's sons went up to the top of the bluff overlooking the canyon, so the fireworks were perfectly clear and easy to see. Then, we bid our fond farewells, drove an hour back into town, had a bad experience at a Sonic (the shakes were tasty, but the speed was somewhat lacking in sonic-ness), and then hung out on Aunt B's deck.

And now, finally and sadly, I must sleep if I'm going to get up in time to have breakfast with zee family. Goodnight!