Dalhart, Texas, and Flintstone banking...

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Dalhart, Texas, our home away from home for six months. Elevation 4000ft above sea level, in a lil ol trailer park on the wrong side of town.
Once a fortnight I venture into the main streets of town, although you'd never know it as it is deserted most all the time, and you can't tell which shops are open or which have been shut down, and find the bank. Drop off pay checks for the week at the drive through. I kid you not! My first experience of this instantly bought to mind the Flintstones, as the way it is done is as follows... Drive up to available drive thru lane, wind window down, you will be greeted by the teller who watches from the bank window apx 20meters away. Any transactions undertaken are placed in a canister which we then replace into a plastic chute. Press a button and the canister is shot up and over to the main building and teller who'd completes the transaction, places cash needed or whatever you require, back into the canister and shoots it back to the car and driver! Hence the naming of this procedure now as 'Flintstone Banking' and seems ever so slightly 'prehistoric'
But I guess this is just one of the things that adds to the 'elements of cuteness' that is Dalhart, Texas. I'm not so sure that the dust and manure is included in this catagory however.

I did manage to extend my driving repertoire once again this week, when I dared to venture out and cross what we call spaghetti junction. Firstly I need to clarify that the traffic lights here are ever so slightly confusing, as the ones you take note of are across the opposite side of the road to where you approach, and overhead ( the overhead is the bit that adds some confusion as to which traffic they relate to) . So one must stop some 20 or so meters away, and the lines to stop at are often way back from the cross road, hence slightly confusing as to how far out to stop or not. Not had any majors so far though so I must be doing ok. Also to add to their confusing road rules, one can turn right on a stop light if there is no other traffic going the same way!

Ah but it is just one more thing to add to my daily learning and growing that is life in Texas, certainly an experience I am most glad to have undertaken and not to be missed. I must add though that my lessons this week in identifying and knowing what to do when coming across a rattlesnake, is something that I could most definitely avoid the entire time we are here, not so sure if this is something I can achieve though however I will be doing all in my power to do so! My little jaunts outside anywhere now, even to the letterbox, are undertaken with extreme caution and my eyes and ears fully open and alert to anything that may possibly resemble a snake!

Until next time... Bye y'all

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