check out this funny Subaru Cowboy video by clicking on the link http://youtu.be/wEXFu1NxA68
Sometimes what I love about this country, is the many different cultural twists and turns we take on our way to trying to perfect the human condition and lead good lives for ourselves. After my last iconic western car, the Jeep Grand Cherokee, which has over 150,000.00 miles on it, ran into mechanical problems we decided we needed something more practical that got good gas mileage.. I ended up with a Subaru Outback. As one of our young Idaho friends who grew up in ranch country said to us " what kind of car are you going to get?" He owns quite a few cool vintage cars. We answered " a Subaru Outback" He burst out " Oh no, not another Subaru Cowboy!" The term really struck me as humorous. Ranchers and farmer types are for the most part practical minded, and we needed a four wheel or all wheel drive vehicle in order to handle our harsh winters, and I sure appreciate getting a combined 30-32 miles per gallon, I'm happy to be deemed a Subaru Cowboy. I got the year end closeout model and really wanted the sky blue metallic color, of which there was only one left in my area in the base no frills model, and that was in Reno Nevada. We contacted the very charming, helpful, and knowledgeable Roumanian/American immigrant salesman Calin Varga http://www.lithiasubarureno.com/index.htm who swung us such a deal on the car we couldn't resist , so off we went to Reno Nevada a town where we were married many years ago for $75 dollars and a discount wedding coupon at an all night Wedding chapel, advertised out in front with a flashing neon sign, near the court house where for our money we got a Polaroid snapshot of ourselves,a Paiute Indian Blessing, and plastic flowered corsage, and off we went to many years of happiness and contentment, well for the most part, both of us lasting longer in marriage than any of our parents. While in Reno we ate at a Sushi restaurant, owned and staffed by Mexicans, no "Domo Arigato" spoken here, only mostly Spanish and English, gracias, and do you know, the Sushi was pretty good and a real ganga/ bargain.Surprisingly in a cultural reversal, there is a Japanese Salsa band called Orquesta de la Luz. I suppose people are drawn to things different from themselves, perhaps we are all part of a great evolutionary path which would explain why my English/ French Huguenot father was drawn to my Aremnian/American mother. On our way home we drove through the old Nevada Basque country. The Basque immigrants from Spain were involved in the sheep-herding trades and there were many boarding houses for the shepherds that now remain on as family style Basque restaurants, my current favorite( some of my favorites have changed hands recently) is still The Martin Hotel in Winnemucca Nevada. Many of the Basque people have moved up in the world and are now professional people, the shepherding from what I have seen lately has been taken over by Peruvian shepherds in an ever changing saga of the American immigrant landscape. There are still a few Basque restaurants in Boise Idaho as well. Perhaps with the tough economy in Spain, we will have a welcomed revival of wonderful Basque restaurants in this country, particularly up our way! But one can only hope. So interesting, this patchwork cultural landscape of ours, constantly zigging and zagging, morphing and perhaps evolving into something new. as people try and better themselves and create a life. All part of the human family, sharing a planet and cultural identities in this grand cosmic illusion!
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