Tumbling Tumbleweeds

Tumbleweeds are one feature of West Texas living that vastly contrast life in Northwest Arkansas. When I was living out here for grad school, they used to pile up in our fenced-in back yard at our duplex. It always amazed me how those suckers could fly up over the top of a 7-ft. fence and take up residence in our cozy backyard.

But, it's just part of living out here. They really don't cause any great harm to me. I actually find them amusing. It's like they're actual breathing creatures that roam the prairie. Each tumbleweed takes on its own personality and shape. Some are light colored. Some are dark. And when the wind blows, you get a lot more up close and personal with them.

This past week, I took on a freelance photography job that took me to Seminole and across the New Mexico border near Portales. While the jobs were to take photographs of people, I couldn't pass up the chance to take a few "side shots" on my drive.

Last Thursday a front came through. Out here, we call them "blue northers" because on the horizon, the front takes on a deep blue color and you can see them coming for a while.

Ahead of this front were 40 mph winds that blew consistently. Again, this is not a big deal out here, but for commentary purposes I thought I should mention the fact.

Tumbleweeds roamed freely that day - taking on animal-like characteristics as they "ran" across the road in front of me. Some traveled alone, while others traveled in large clumps. I will call this a tumbleweed herd.

I hit one "herd" head on and ended up taking it 50 miles back to Lubbock with me. It wedged itself rather tightly in my grill guard and got a lift into the Hub City.

Monday, I got up at the buttcrack of dawn and drove toward New Mexico. The photography appointment had been set for 8am, but I forgot that once you cross the state line, you gain an hour. So, when I was 15 minutes out from my destination, I gave a courtesy call to announce my arrival only to find out that it was only 6:45am there...


So, I got up at 5am for nothing. But, one perk of working in agriculture is you never meet a stranger. I'd never met these people before in my life, but they invited me in, fed me a homecooked breakfast, and then we proceeded outdoors to take the pictures.

As in most road trips, I found things along my journey that morning to amuse myself with, such as deer on the side of the road.

When the morning light hits the prairie, it's a sight to behold. Everything is golden. It may appear as dry nothingness, but it really holds a charisma all its own, especially in the early morning.


Now, back to the tumbleweeds. Fencelines are highly decorated with tumbleweeds, much like a salvage yard is decorated with cars that will never reach another destination on their own. The tumbleweeds are carelessly bouncing along the prairie when suddenly they're caught in a trap.

Their only hope for escape is for the wind to shift, which will likely reduce the size of the tumbleweed as part of it remains stuck in the fence.


Oh, what a tragic life tumbleweeds lead.