PHOTO PROMPT © Jean L. Hays
FADED GLORY
Two hunnerd years ago, there’d be 20,000 buffalo out there. It’d take ‘em all day to amble past.
150 years ago, it’d be 10,000 head of cattle bunchin’ up, to be driven to Chicago.
Almost a hunnerd years ago, they built this here ROOT 66, ta get from Chi-town, out to Californie. Any given day, there’d be 5,000 cars passin’, lots faster than buffalo or cattle. Enough of them stopped here, to make this place a gold mine. “Last chance for gas for 100 miles.”
Them glory days is done. Nowadays, it’s tough to get a tumbleweed to stop here.
***
Got to Rochelle’s Addicted to Purple site and use her Wednesday photo as a prompt to write a complete 100 word story.
Archon's Den 
Ain’t that the sad troof. Things don’t always change for the better…
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No, indeed they don’t. And more things continue to change, faster and faster. I have to hang on to reality, to keep from getting thrown off. I read today about The Internet of Everything, where smart lightbulbs(?) can be hacked. 😯 😕
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Seriously?? Good grief!
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Seriously! I don’t know what you can do with a (or 10,000) hacked, smart lightbulbs except, “You light up my….uh, neighbourhood.” 😆
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Ha ha!!
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I really enjoyed the style/voice of this one!
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Thank you sir. This grumpy oldtimer just adopted the persona of a western grumpy oldtimer. 🙂
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I liked the recurring use of passing numbers. That was clever
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Thanx. I hoped it was a bit of an allegory of how things have become denser and faster over the years. From the dispersed, free bison, to the contained, driven cattle, to the frenetic tourists and businessmen, limited to two, high-speed lanes, going nowhere fast. 😛
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Yup, it worked exactly that way for me
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Great short amble through 200 years of history in 100 words, well done.
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Thanx Iain. Stop by again, for more
rambles. 😉LikeLiked by 1 person
Despite the inherent truth under this story, parts of Route 66 are fun to tour.
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You are so very right. Not that I’m ever likely to be able to do so, but I’d much prefer 66 to, say I40. Do you have any Eastern sections that you’d recommend? 🙂 😕
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Dear Archon,
The voice makes this a pleasant read from start to finish.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanx Blog-mom. I find so often, that these FFs compose well/easily using actual or internal monologs or dialogs, as opposed to descriptive prose. 🙂
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I’m so dang old that I remember it. Or at least the last part. Hot summer driving trip down 66. No air conditioning, windows down. Evaporator cloth water bag tied to the bumper. Sweat. Passing trucks on the straight-aways, living on the edge. Going from bright to dim on the lights at night, bugs on the windshield. Flat tires and bumper jacks. Get a cabin for the night – inspect before you pay! Ah, those were the days.
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Did you use Route 66 for your dash to San Diego, to watch the submarine races? 😉 😕
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Loved the last line 🙂
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Thanx. It just seemed to showcase the resignation. This story reminds me of my home town, which once had four small furniture factories. It now has none, and can’t even attract a McDonalds. 😦 😯
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Tumbleweed and tourists, don’t forget the tourists.
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Can’t forget the tourists. Keep New Mexico green. Bring money. Portions of Route 66 are being rebuilt. Tourism may partially rescue places like the above. 🙂
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At least there is the potential for some action… imagine the tumbleweeds would take root.
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I think they’ll need something more than tumbleweeds. Possibly a busload of Chinese tourist??! C’mon, let’s you and I go over for a cold beer. 😛
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Fun voice, Archon. Got started on something good, here.
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Thanx for reading. I think I’ll just leave it here, and head back to civilization. 😛
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I have been to Tucumcari, Archon. Interesting town. I felt like I was sitting on the front porch of a general store having a pop with an old timer. You have an ear for dialogue.
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Thanx. That’s nice to know. I wondered if the accent was more Alabama or Mississippi than New Mexico. I guess all old coots sound alike….except for me, of course. I have perfect diction. 😉
Did you see this old shack when you were there? Do you know where in/outside town it is? I tried to find it using the overhead view on a map program, but it’s just too small to see unless you know where to look for it. I could bother Jean, I guess.
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I don’t recollect it, Archon. I do know we stayed in some motel called The Palomino or something like it. On the subject of accents, when I was living in Phoenix, I was surprised to hear some Tucson folks speaking with Southern twangs. Someone said it could be a holdover from some of the Civil War families who were Confederate sympathizers. Apparently they happened to populate the area in the 1800’s.
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I learn something new and interesting every day. It’s not really a surprise. I knew that a lot of Southerners moved west after the war, to get away from the Yankees. 😳
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I didn’t know they moved to Tucson so I learned something new that day as well.
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Great voice in this. When you mentioned the buffalo, I wanted to sing, where seldom is herd a discouraging word.
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Look at that bunch of cows.
Not, bunch, herd.
Heard what?
Herd of cows.
Sure I’ve heard of cows.
No, I mean a cow herd.
What do I care what a cow heard. I’ve got no secrets from a cow.
….And Who’s on first! Thanx for the read, and the punny reminder. 😆
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You illustrate the passage of time very well.
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Thanx. I’ve watched a lot of it drift past my old, abandoned gas-pump. I’ve had too much practice. 😉 😳
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I too love the voice in this story. The last line was the cherry on top.
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The professional pessimist strikes again. 😉 Thanx for the comment. 🙂
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Do you really need a Mac Donald’s, the independent shops are often great. But I do understand, there are so so many empty factory’s and mills here. I loved the last line, it felt so right.
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