This was an observation of a small caf\u00e9 written in 1984. The caf\u00e9 is still there today.<\/p>\n
The caf\u00e9 is on the main highway that goes through the small town sitting in a valley surrounded by Texas hills.<\/p>\n
There are few parking spaces at the curb along the street.\u00a0 All are filled with local cars.\u00a0 We park around the corner and walk back to the entrance.\u00a0 The tan brick front has symmetrical windows on either side of the glass door.\u00a0 There are tan awnings over the windows to keep out the afternoon sun.<\/p>\n
The south wall is covered by the usual drink station equipment and dessert cases.\u00a0 A long serving counter runs the length of the room.\u00a0 The stools are low and plump, the kind children love to sit on and twirl around.\u00a0 The opposite side is lined with booths.\u00a0 In the center are tables.\u00a0 The floor is dull from repeated mopping.<\/p>\n
It is nearing noon and the place is filling with the lunch crowd. We choose a table and order the blue plate lunch special and iced tea.\u00a0 The food is plain and tasty: There is a generous slice of roast beef with brown gravy, pinto beans, buttered rice and a salad of chopped lettuce and tomatoes.\u00a0 There is apple cobbler for dessert.\u00a0 We get all of this for $3.95.<\/p>\n
The waitress is a portly, black-haired lady with a slight coarse mustache on her upper lip.\u00a0 Her large hands have clean nails trimmed short.\u00a0 Her hands reflect hard work.\u00a0 Her wedding ring looks worn and is too tight.\u00a0 I feel that I am looking at a mother working hard to keep a large family well cared for.<\/p>\n
The man in the front booth has come in from a local ranch.\u00a0 He has broad shoulders and sits tall.\u00a0 He is wearing dusty jeans and a denim shirt.\u00a0 His boots are weathered and dirty.\u00a0\u00a0 Under the layers of pasture dust and cow lot manure, there is no hint of what color they might once have been…\u00a0 His black hat has a wide brim and a broad crown.\u00a0 The brim is turned up on the sides.\u00a0 Dust has settled in the dip of the crown and along the brim.\u00a0 The light reflecting on it gives it a brown cast.\u00a0 The color gets darker and grimier where the brim and crown meet.\u00a0 This is no urban cowboy but a genuine cow puncher or goat roper.\u00a0\u00a0 He sits with a stoic look on his face as he waits.<\/p>\n
I regret leaving when we finish our meal.\u00a0 The people watching here is as good as it gets.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This was an observation of a small café written in 1984. The café is still there today. The café is on the main highway that goes through the small town sitting in a valley surrounded by Texas hills. There are few parking spaces at the curb along the street. All are filled with local cars. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[143,142,141],"class_list":["post-527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-1972-to-1987","tag-blue-plate-lunch-special","tag-small-texas-town","tag-small-town-cafe"],"yoast_head":"\n