Greetings from Muleshoe, the garden spot of West Texas… that’s a joke, for those of you not familiar with West Texas terrain. But since I have a stroll-through cactus garden in my front yard, I feel like I can lay claim to the garden spot of West Texas part.

Since my husband pulled me kicking and screaming into the 21st century with the gift of a wonderful digital camera in 2007 for my trip to Mount Kilimanjaro, I thought I should press on, undaunted, with my walk into the world of technology by starting a blog. So here goes.

Why “The Bright Lights of Muleshoe,” you may ask? Does a town with a name like Muleshoe even have electricity? Well, let me tell you…

We moved from Edna, Texas, to Muleshoe, Texas, in 1980 when Bill, my generous aforementioned husband, took over the CEO position of the Federal Land Bank Association, having been the assistant CEO in the Edna Federal Land Bank office. I had been teaching and coaching at Edna Junior High and had just finished earning my Master of Education degree from University of Houston, Victoria. My carpool to that campus consisted of the athletic director/head coach, two other high school coaches and an assistant principal, and when one of the coaches drove, the music of choice on the radio was country. Willie Nelson and Wayland Jennings were the order of the day, having made a name for themselves as outlaws of the genre at the time, so I came to enjoy their music as well. And so it was that I was exposed to Willie’s “Red-Headed Stranger” album on those trips.

So on moving day, by the time my family made it to Muleshoe it was no longer day. Night had fallen and as we drove we were encircled with lights in the distance, Portales, NM, to the southwest, Friona and Lazbuddie to the north, and Muleshoe right in front of us. And then it hit me. The bright lights of Denver were shining like diamonds, like ten thousand jewels in the sky.* I know. It wasn’t Denver and the lights weren’t in the sky, but it fit.

We’ve been here now 29 years and the lights still sparkle all around us every time we come in on Highway 84, just like that first night. Much of Bailey County and Muleshoe are located in Blackwater Valley, which of course, is what allows that line of lights to be so prominently displayed on the horizon. And people think it is just flat up here!

Now there are even more lights in a line, mostly from the many dairies that have moved into the area, but the lyrics still fit and the sight is still intriguing.

So if you are interested, dear readers that might stumble onto this blog, I would like to share with you what those bright lights of Muleshoe are all about. Stay with me-football is next. The Mules are the defending state 2A champs, ya’ know.

*”Denver,” from The Red-Headed Stranger; by Willie Nelson. Columbia Records/ CBS, Inc.; 51 W. 52 Street, New York. 1975.