Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

This is a true story about what tumbleweeds did during a Christmas Holiday in West Texas.
My family and I had gone back home to be with our family in North Texas during Christmas but had to face the results when we returned at the end of the holidays.

My wife’s grandmother said there was a tremendous sandstorm that caused tumbleweeds to jump over the elementary school building! She lived just across the street.

When we returned to school after the holidays it was obvious how this happened. The elementary school building footprint was a large “H” with the opening at the bottom facing either south or west. I think it was south but am not sure. Anyway, this space quickly filled up with tumbleweeds and then when they filled this space up to the roof, others then began running up this slope and jumping over the building!

On the first day back at school, the principal asked me to take all the fifth-grade boys that I had for P.E. and remove all the tumbleweeds trapped there and burn them a safe distance from the building. We did this and had a large stack. When I took a match and lit the pile of tumbleweeds, it went up in a ‘whoosh’ and so quickly it singed my eyebrow and eyelashes!

This reminded me of a Western movie, with Sam Elliott. There was a family living somewhere remote and alone out west. The husband of the family decided he would leave and go on a buying trip for cattle or horses. Well, a long period of time elapsed and he never returned.

The lonesome wife finally was reduced to feeling so lonely, she would write short notes and tie them to a passing tumbleweed. These notes were discovered all across the country, and many would search for the location of the lonesome widow. Finally, Sam Elliot rides up and began doing a lot of the necessary chores that had been left undone by the missing husband.

Sam handles all the missing man’s chores and finally, he wins the widow’s heart. I never thought about checking all the tumbleweeds for any lonesome notes that might have been attached. Nor can I remember the name of the movie. One never knows! Ubiquitous! Just Sayin…RJS

Crunchy Loc: Clark Fork, North Idaho

Robert, The movie in question is Conagher 1991. This is one of my favorite movies to watch and I think one of
the best by Sam.

All the best, Crunchy.

Frank romero Loc: Clovis, NM

Based on Louis Lamour book. Great western writer. Have read all of his books

Barnacles Loc: Northern California

Sounds like your pile of tumbleweeds burned about as enthusiastically as the Christmas tree in Lampoon's "Christmas Vacation"!

Kerry Hansen Loc: Bremerton, WA

I loved that movie also played by his real wife. One time When running a Christmas tree lot in CA, I was very good at Flocking Christmas trees. Thought it would be neat to flock some Tumbleweeds in the shape of a Snowman. Was hard because there isn't much of a surface to put the Flock on. I had never handled a tumbleweed before and was surprised how sharp spiney they were.

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Yes, Kerry, they are packed with surprises. As a little kid living on a farm between White Face and Level Land, I had few playmates and tried to play with them as they would bouncing through the yard, but would just get scratched all over. "High plains lonesome" would be a good description. We have flocked them for Christmas trees in the past, Too! Just Sayin...RJS