Golden

The climate of the Southwest preserves remnants of our past long enough for them to become alien to our modern selves. Less than a hundred years ago there was a thriving community of farmers and ranchers who depended on this general store and post office. They knew one another in ways that are uncommon in the modern urban world we live in. They were connected through generations of family ties.

Today the land is mostly empty. Sold and resold into larger parcels for factory farming or simply left fallow. A new generation of weekend gentleman ranchers has also returned to use the land for recreation. Unfortunately not in time to meet their neighbors at the general store.

It is tempting to romanticize the old Southwest. We should remember that people were not forced off the land. Instead they chose a better life for themselves with more opportunities for their children. These are simply the bleached bones left behind by progress.