Orla - A West Texas Ghost Town; or, Skip This Place And Drive On To Carlsbad

Last weekend I set out on a much anticipated afternoon trip to a ghost town located on Hwy 285 between Pecos, Texas and Carlsbad, New Mexico.  Did I mention that I had been anticipating this little getaway for several MONTHS?!  Yes, I was truly looking forward to this adventure.

The ghost town of Orla started out as a way station for a now defunct railroad line, and was located at the crossroads of US Hwy 285 and Farm Road 652.  There are possibly one or two permanent residents of Orla, at least one of them being the owner of a "lodge."  Other than the new lodge (for petroleum workers mostly, as few tourists would want to stop here) and the Orla "General Store" the town has remained the same since it was abandoned in the 1950's.  So for me there was a historical attraction, as I am a confirmed history buff, especially for Texas history.

But Orla held another attraction for me as well, one that may surprise you.  You see, Orla lies on one of the ley lines that runs through Texas, and also is rumored to be a vortex for electromagnetic anomalies.  So, Orla has a certain metaphysical attraction to me as well.  Please feel free to research ley lines and the lore surrounding Orla, Texas.  I will not go into a lot of that in this post.  Suffice to say that Orla is "Google-worthy" as one of the more mysterious sites in Texas.  With this belief I set out on my day trip.

I chose to travel through Odessa then head out Hwy 302 west to Kermit, about a forty-mile drive.  This part of the trip was actually one of the high points, because of the travel through the still-living sand dunes that cover much of western Ector County and much of Winkler County in all directions.  In fact, the sand dunes stretch south from Kermit all the way to the Monahans Sandhills State Park, about twenty-five miles south of Kermit.  The dunes then continue south for miles, nearly to the Mexican border.  From Kermit, the dunes also stretch nearly a hundred miles north.

After passing through this area of sand dunes (which was the setting for my book, Bailey Black, by the way) I drove west until reaching that little outpost of extreme independence, Loving, Texas.  This is not a ghost town, but it is a town one would only live in because he or she wanted to be in a community, yet OFF the radar.  This seeming paradox is possible in Loving.  They have no city taxes and very little city anything else, and that is the way they want it.  Friendly people there, but if you don't like the way they do things there, they are more than happy to point you back down the road to Kermit.  But I digress...

Having passed through Loving, the land became somewhat flat again for several miles, but then I crossed the legendary Pecos River.  Almost immediately the land was covered with actual features such as draws and small canyons, before flattening out again as I neared Orla.  When I arrived at Orla I met by a shocking and not very welcomed sight.

Before I had even reached the intersection of FM 652 and Hwy 285 I began passing by petroleum production facilities on both sides of the road.  By the time I was within a couple of miles of Orla, the company "yards" were crammed up against each other.  There was virtually NO "raw" land within a two mile radius of Orla.  Not only that, but the traffic generated by each of these company facilities was incredible.  Both of these roads are two-lane affairs, but FM 652 has no shoulders.  Both "work trucks" (heavy duty crew-cab pickups) and large semi rigs with varying payloads crammed these two roads, making the volume of traffic in this small area similar to passing through Georgetown or Round Rock on Interstate 35 in Central Texas.  I am NOT exaggerating.  I was completely unprepared for all this traffic, and what the area around Orla had grown into over the past decade or so.  I had not been to Orla since around 2003, so I had NO CLUE what this area had turned into!

I stopped at the intersection of FM 652 and Hwy 285, at an abandoned service station.  Trucks and other vehicles were passing by on both roadways at such a high volume that the din never ceased.  Added to that was the incredibly loud noises made by various pieces of heavy equipment and heavy motors running ceaselessly in the many oil company facilities crammed into this little area.  For me, there was absolutely NOTHING "zen" about this place, nor could even the historical aspects of Orla, the ghost town, be appreciated because of the volume of passing heavy trucks, as well as a fairly large number of trucks constantly pulling off the road beside these abandoned buildings and houses.  There is actually a real danger of being run over by one of these guys pulling off the road.

I got out of my pickup, and was immediately sorry I did.  The noise was nearly unbearable.  But I tried to appreciate the history represented in Orla.  I gazed at the buildings and homes that no longer belonged to anyone, and I thought about what life must have been like here.  I wondered how the people who did live here back in the day were able to make a living, to get food and supplies at reasonable prices, how they might have spent their leisure time, etc.  I also tried one experiment that was related to the metaphysical aspect of Orla.  I had brought my metal detector with me, and I turned it on so that I could see if the machine was effected by an unusual electromagnetic fields.  The detector immediately began a loud "chattering" that I could not control or prevent with any setting of the controls.  I went to several different locations around Orla proper, all with the same result.  The chattering could not be curtailed.  Now the sixty-four thousand dollar question:  Was this phenomenon related to the "vortex" believed to exist in Orla, is was it caused by the dense vehicle traffic and the large number of facilities with the corresponding heavy equipment operating around the clock?  I am not able to answer that question, mainly because the noise eventually drove me back into my pickup, and my pickup drove me away!

I headed north toward Carlsbad, but then decided to take the alternative route.  I drove back into Orla then turned right, heading west on FM 652.  In a few minutes I had left the decidedly UN-ghostly town of Orla behind and I was driving through some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen south of Carlsbad or north of the Davis Mountains.  Craggy, purple peaks could be seen in the distance, as well suddenly appearing and disappearing canyons and huge walls of rock.  As I drove, very haunting silhouettes of majestic cactus and yucca guided me to points unknown further to the west.  After about another hour of this beautiful, haunting scenery I ran into US Hwy 62.  Here I turned North and drove into Carlsbad, via the scenic area around Carlsbad Canyon National Park.  If you have been there, you know how beautiful this area is, and if you have not, I cannot describe it to you.  Please go see it for yourself if you EVER get the chance.

By the time I reached Carlsbad, my evening was drawing to a close.  I reluctantly turned east but took a very scenic route back to Eunice.  From there I drove cross-country to Andrews, Texas.  I topped my day trip off by stopping at Buddy's.  If you have never eaten there, please put this on your bucket list.  Order the steak-finger basket.  I promise you that you will need at least one more mouth eating with you to finish this lovely dish.  And the diner itself is a trip back in the 60's, Route 66-type experience.  By the time I had eaten ONE THIRD of my plate,  my belly was popping.  I could only stagger back to the truck and then had to carefully fold myself into the cab so that I would not explode.  Then it was a short jaunt back to Midland.

All in all it was a good day trip, but if you are going to Orla to view a "ghost town" my advice to you is to skip Orla and drive on to Carlsbad.

Have a great time on this trip, if you take it...

And may God Bless America

Waste Control Specialists - We've Come The Complete Circle, and The Chickens Have Come Home To Roost

Well, the Waste...er...West Texas nuclear waste-dumping situation has come full circle finally, as I predicted away back in 2009, then predicted in my blog in 2010 and 2011.  Waste Control Specialists, the creation of Texas billionaire Harold Simmons, through his Valhi Corporation, burrowed its way into West Texas through various means.  Harold Simmons, via his mouthpiece Charles McDonald, rolled into Andrews, a small West Texas town, and began spreading the message that Andrews, and Andrews County, was wasting away, dying a slow and agonizing death, parallel to the slow and agonizing death of the petroleum industry, the lifeblood and Andrews, and much of West Texas.  But Simmons also preached a message of salvation, a message of job creation, a message of permanent and ever-increasing wealth for Andrews, the County of Andrews, and of course to all the people living in the area.  Let me bury low-level nuclear medical waste in your backyard.  If you don't let me pollute your backyard, your town, your county, and your beloved West Texas will die!

At the same time Simmons and the executives of Waste Control Specialists began a strong and money-loaded campaign that spread through the cash-grabbing Texas Legislature, several state agencies, and right up to Texas Governor "Three-Peat Rick" Perry.  With money and "lobbying" buying up votes and support, pretty soon the way was prepared for Waste Control Specialists to secure a license to procure and bury the afore-mentioned low-level nuclear waste from hospitals across the nation.  With state representatives, senators, agency executives, and the governor behind Harold Simmons, there was no doubt that sooner or later his Waste Control Specialists would receive its license.  So sure was Simmons of the outcome of his lobbying effort that he ordered construction to begin before public hearings were ever convened.  Even with the objection of several state scientists, who raised the alarm of danger to land, water, and yes, to the people around the facility, Simmons continued building.

Who, you might ask, would want nuclear waste dumped in their own backyard?  Well, no one.  BUT...if the waste was just some contaminated gloves, plastic containers, spent isotopes, medical scrubs, etc., what could it possibly hurt? And...the economy, the very LIFE of Andrews and the surrounding area would be saved! Plus...and this was a BIG plus back in 2009...the City of Andrews and the County of Andrews, the State of Texas as well, would all receive a percentage of Waste Control Specialists' profits each year!  There was nothing out west of Andrews but barren, empty wasteland anyway...why not put a little nuclear poison out there, if the people of the area, the local governments, and the various politicians, would be able to line their pockets with the almighty buck. 

While all this was going on, saner and more sober voices were crying out against this disaster-in-waiting.  The State's own scientists did their best to convince both the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the state legislature that the Waste Control Specialists facility was dangerous to the environment, and that that company's own studies were flawed, either accidentally or purposely.  The Ogallala Aquifer was not safe from contamination nor was the facility itself safe from possible earthquakes or erosion.  These scientists were fired for one reason or another after making their protests.  Please don't believe me...all this is now a matter of public record.

Since Waste Control Specialists was licensed, the corporation has slowly, gradually, brought in more and more dangerous waste, so now, in addition to the low-level waste that was originally supposed to be the mainstay of the operation (in the propaganda, not in Simmons' actual plans!), soon spent nuclear reactor rods and other waste were being brought in.  Later, in 2013 and 2014 depleted uranium and other weapons-grade waste was brought in and is still making its way into West Texas.

Harold Simmons died in November, 2013 but his "legacy" lives on.  In a final coup before his death, Simmons and his minions got license amendments and state legislation passed limiting Waste Control Specialists' liability in the case (the INEVITABLE CASE) of an accidental waste spill.  Thus, not only did Simmons and his organization make BILLIONS off of the "deal" but Waste Control Specialists was not even liable for cleanups, either at the facility itself or for material in transit to the facility.  Who IS responsible for the cleanup, that would inevitably run into the millions of dollars?  Yes, that's right...you and I, the good ol' people of Texas, 99% of whom do not benefit in any way from the Waste Control Specialists facility.  Again, don't believe me...check this for yourself.

Only now are cities around the state and across the nation beginning to understand the full ramifications of Mr. Simmons' "best little (nuclear) waste dump in Texas."  This is the full circle I was talking about.  The waste being brought to the West Texas facility has expanded from low-level radioactive medical waste to spent nuclear reactor fuel to weapons-grade nuclear waste, and NOW to radioactive water and contaminated soil.  And the leaders of cities around the nation, both great and small, are now coming to realize that the radioactive sludge, spent nuclear fuel, waste water from reactors, and nuclear weapons waste, or obsolete nuclear weapons (my opinion, but I would be willing to bet a paycheck on it) will be trucked through their cities and towns on the way to West Texas.  Authorities along the Interstates and federal highways are also finally getting the full picture.

The government of this state chose to ignore the "best interest" of the people of the entire state in order to cater to an evil man who knew only the motivation of profit by any means possible, and a portion of the people of Andrews and Andrews County who were taken in by Simmons' hysterical propaganda that the sky was falling.  These people embraced Waste Control Specialists and the "benefits" the nuclear waste dump would bring.  Texas political representatives shielded themselves from the voice of most of Texas, embraced the desires of a very few, and eagerly, like kids getting candy from Santa, gave Harold Simmons everything he wanted for the bucks he was showering on them...and at what cost to Texas!

Sadly, with Waste Control Specialists accepting the full gamut of radioactive waste, Harold Simmons' legacy of waste and destruction will very likely impact the entire nation in one way or another over time.  With this type of nuclear waste being transported around the country by truck and by rail, accidents are inevitable, and may occur at any point in the transportation system, not just in Texas.  Again, Waste Control Specialists, its parent company Valhi, and the parent of them all Contran (Simmons' holding company) will only be liable for cleanups in Texas to the tune of $150,000 per "incident," a sum that would hardly pay for one day of a hazmat team's operation.  And yes, Texas, your "representatives" authorized all this, as well as did the unelected heads of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

I believe that each city government may have the power to require that trucks laden with radioactive waste bound for West Texas find routes around their cities, but to do so, many of these cities will have to build special route highways at a cost of millions of dollars.  Can entire counties ban such freight?  I doubt it.  The hazardous cargo might not pass directly through some cities but it will definitely pass directly by SOMEONE, some small town, someone's home.  And accidents will occur sooner or later.  Even worse, some criminal element may attempt to hijack this cargo, possibly causing an accident, possibly holding innocent people hostage along the way.  Worst of all, the people at Waste Control Specialists will all be casually clasping their hands and telling us none of this is THEIR fault.

Can these shipments of radioactive waste somehow be stopped along the way?  Can over-the-road shipping be made so cumbersome and inconvenient that trucking firms would not engage in this activity?  The city, county, and state governments can have a negative impact on the radioactive waste shipping business.  In the end, though, it appears that we should all expect to see these shipments running through Texas and the rest of the nation.  Yes, the Waste Control Specialists situation has come full circle, and as the saying goes, the chickens have come home to roost.

May God bless and Protect Texas

May God Bless America

The Prodigal Son Had A Brother

One of the best known parables told by Jesus has come to be known as the Parable of the Prodigal Son.  Found in the fifteenth chapter of Luke, this parable is also known as the Parable of the Lost Son.  The parable is about a young man, a Jew, who is the son of a very wealthy man.  There is also an older brother, a man who has worked diligently for his father over the years. 

The younger son does a very unusual and inappropriate thing, at least from a traditional Jewish perspective.  The young son says to his father "Give me my share of your estate."  I had read this parable for years but only recently learned and understood that this son, by asking for his share of the estate, was actually showing a good deal of disrespect for his father.  The son was essentially really saying "Father, you are taking too long to die...I want my money NOW."  This attitude was very near the threshold of what would have been an offense against the father that warranted stoning of the son, according to Hebrew law.  But the father loved his son so much that he divided the estate between the younger son and the older son.  He chose not to punish the younger son, or even to disgrace him publicly by running him off the family property and out of town.

So we know what happened next.  The younger son leaves his home, goes to a "foreign" land, and lives wildly until he runs out of money.  And we know that when the son "came to his senses," he resolved to come home, beg forgiveness from his father, then live on the family property as a slave, a servant, and spend the rest of his life, though a servant, with enough food and shelter so that he could survive.  But on the last leg of the son's journey home, the father is not only waiting for him, but actually watching for him.  When he spots the younger son, the father races to him, hugs him, and brings him back to the house without even letting the son finish his prepared "speech."  Luke says it this way:

²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. (emphasis added)
²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

At the house, the wayward son was given the finest robe to wear, a gold ring to wear, and a lavish feast which involved the cooking of the "fatted calf."  The father was so happy, so glad to have his youngest son back that he instantly forgave him for squandering his wealth and for disrespecting him in such a disgraceful way. 

I don't know about you, but I have always wished that the Parable of the Prodigal Son had ended right here.  The father was happy to have his son back, the son was happy to be home, no longer having to be ashamed.  The father accepted him back as his own son, not as a servant.  Even the household servants were rejoicing.  What a great ending to a sad story...except that this was not the end.  You see, there were TWO sons in this parable.

Jesus said, in Luke 15:25-30 

²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷ ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
²⁸ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. (emphasis mine again) ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. (yep, emphasis mine again!) Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

There are two things to notice about the older, more "responsible," more "obedient" son.  First, he is very angry.  He is so angry that he will not enter his father's house, where the feast has been prepared for his brother.  He is so angry, in fact, that he will not even call that man his "brother."  Instead he very irately calls his younger brother "this son of yours" (v.30).  Second, the older brother no longer serves his father with joy, and hasn't for quite some time.  In verse :29 we read "Look! All these years I've been SLAVING (my emphasis) for you and never disobeyed your ORDERS (my emphasis)..." 

Yes, the older son worked for his father, in fact SLAVED for his father and never disobeyed his orders.  Does this sound like someone who loves what he is doing and WANTS to do his father's will?  No, this sounds like someone who finds no joy in service, no happiness in doing the will of his father.  This sounds like someone who gets up every morning dreading going to work.  Maybe this older son (mature Christian) had helped someone along the way, maybe helped another person bear a heavy burden.  Maybe the older brother gave to the poor, gave his time in service, darkened the steps of a church building every Sunday...but he found little or no joy in any of this.  Maybe this brother had been given all the tasks that the younger son had abandoned when he abandoned his father and his family, and the older brother was all the angrier for this.

There is a sometimes over-looked bit of information we are given about the younger son, and I would like to point this out.  Verse :30 tells us that the family, especially the older brother, had received news from time to time about the lost son.  The older brother tells his father that the younger brother had "squandered YOUR (emphasis mine, again) wealth with prostitutes."  So it appears that people relayed news about the younger brother to his family.  In any case, the family knew that the son was wasting his inheritance.  The older brother knew this too, and was angry with the younger brother.  Unlike his father, the older brother could not bring himself to rejoice that the younger brother had returned home; he couldn't even begin to forgive the younger brother, like the father had.  He would not even stand in the same house with the younger brother.

So for years I thought the Parable of the Lost Son, the Prodigal, was about God's love for us, about how when we are lost, He runs to us while we are yet at a great distance.  The parable IS about that, but it is about something else, as well.  This parable also show us that we should not look at working for the Lord and doing His will as "slaving."  That is, we should find joy in working for the Lord.  Not only that, but we can ask for blessings (the fatted calf) any time and the Lord will bless us.  God does not only love a cheerful giver of money, but He loves the one who gives himself or herself cheerfully to the Lord and His work.  We are with the Lord every day and He knows what we are doing.  He appreciates our work and blesses us for it.  We should always find joy in what we are doing for the Lord, and we should never withhold our forgiveness for the one who is lost but then returns.  Instead we should welcome this person back, knowing that the Lord has given this person a new robe, a new gold ring, and a place in the Father's house.

May God bless you today and this week,

And may God Bless America