West Texas Wellspring

While driving through the great LoneStar state and on into New Mexico, I encountered a wellspring of creative, albeit a bit kookily named, businesses. I like naming things--my virtual reality dogs (Pinkslip, Firedaddy, Triskele and Torta), my vehicles (Luna), harps (Grail), children I'll never have (Paloma and Malcolm), characters in books I have yet to write(Sawyer Penn and Bridie Hannan), businesses/shops I'd like to own (Elderberry Home Healthcare), farms I'd like to live on ("Bottletree Boutique Ranch"). I must have some mental issue, this urge to name everything.

We could call it Adam's Complex (get it? get it? Because he supposedly named everything-even Eve).

So I chuckled, nay, I was enthralled when we drove by:

• the "Nuttin' Fancy Cafe"


• the "It'll Do Motel"


• the Top o'Texas Catholic Superstore


• Stuff It Taxidermy

and the best for last:

• "Tome on the Range" Bookstore (get it? get it?)