Long Gone Gun & The Salt Flats

Thirteen hours into our 16-hour trip from Louisiana to Kansas we'd all had enough.

Around Oklahoma City, probably about 2 hours into our second day of driving, "Pop, pop, pop, pop!"

"Justis, STOP!" Madalynn, Dawson and I said in unison, without having to look for the source of our noise. He's the family percussionist, so if it makes noise, Justis "plays" it.

I looked back to see Justis wearing his Daddy's ornery grin and holding Dawson's broken cap gun. My "rule" for our trips is NO TOYS. The radio, DVD player, books and the pure delight of being in a car with each other is quite enough entertainment for any trip. The kids all testified that the gun was already in the van before we packed for the trip and they found it under the back seat. I insisted the gun be put back under the back seat and it stay there out of my sight.

Two hours later, "Pop, pop, pop, pop, POP!" I had listened to movie after movie on the DVD player and all sounds were grating on my nerves a little by this time.

Then, "Mo-om, Justis is popping the gun at me again," Madalynn said in disgust.

"Justis, knock it off. I'd better not hear it again. I warned you once."

Ten minutes later. "Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, POP! Heheheheheh!" The noise was closer this time, so I looked back and, behold, Madalynn was taunting her brother with the same gun she was tattling about her brother teasing her with ten minutes earlier.

"Let me see the gun," I said. Madalynn surrendered the gun to my outstretched hand.

I rolled down the window, held that little broken and plastic gun up and released it into the wind. Getting rid of something annoying never felt so good!

Silence followed. I looked in the rear-view mirror. I expected tears immediately, but the kids full-well knew something was coming and they sat in shock, surprised I would take such a dramatic measure.

Madalynn immediately turned to Justis, "I'm sorry Justis," she said with complete sincerity.

"It's okay, Madalynn." Justis said with a sad face.

Then Dawson sadly spoke up, "That was my gun." He had purchased it with money my grandma had given him for his birthday. His "cowboy toys" are his favorites.

"Sorry, Dawson," Madalynn and Justis said in unison.

Tears welled up in Dawson's eyes. "I will buy you another one Daws, I promise," I said smiling. He was okay with that.

I did not feel one bit of guilt for throwing that gun out the window until I realized it wasn't biodegradable. Then I felt bad for littering.

Ten miles down the road I saw a historical marker sign and decided it was high time for us to all get out of the car and have more than two feet of personal space between us.

We ended up at the salt marshes, where endangered birds nest. I saw the pretty white salt bottoms and decided, aside from being a fun place to let the kids run, the scenery would make for a great photo shoot. So I got out my camera and told the kids to do what they do best, play and smile. And so they did. And so we had a wonderful last (3-hour) leg of our trip. And we all got out at "grandma and grandpa's house smiling and still willing to speak to one another!

(I forgot to mention. I was a two-time environmental offender that day. As we were walking out of the salt flats a different way that we came in, we all noticed a sign that said "NO ONE BEYOND THIS POINT." I hope we didn't ruin any endangered bird nests (yikes). Please don't turn me in!)