Searching for Amarillo Pt. 01

There was no pecan pie, but I had seen lefse earlier, which Texas said he was using as tortillas. I sliced the lefse and served it for dessert with butter, sugar, cinnamon, and lingonberry jam. We both enjoyed it very much.

After we cleaned up the dishes, I told Texas, "I have never heard the entire "Amarillo by Morning" song. Can you sing it for me?"

"My pleasure", he replied, picking up his old guitar. "A roaring fire, a belly full of chili, my old guitar, and singing to the woman I love. Can life get any better?"

When he finished, I asked a question about the song.

"What does it mean when you sing, I ain't got a dime, but what I've got is mine."

He replied, "The first part is pretty clear. It means that the cowboy doesn't have much money or possessions. The second part is more subtle. The cowboy feels rich inside and is proud of what is truly his. He has his body, his mind, and his riding skills. He also has freedom, and no one can take that away from him."

"Why do you sing the last lines twice?"

"It's called on outtro. It's like an intro but is sung at the end instead."

"I think I know the words well enough and would like to sing this song with you, but we must change the ending. You are in Norway, so you shouldn't sing about being in Amarillo. Let's try this instead. At the end, you sing 'In my arms is where she'll be'. And then I will sing the outtro, 'In my arms is where he'll be'. Now, let's start."

We sang the entire song together with the new ending and it sounded great. Texas played some of his country music songs, happy songs of love and family. In between, I sang several songs in Norwegian about love and nature.

I said to Texas, "You have a wonderful singing voice. If you remember, it was your singing that drew me to your cabin. If not for you singing your country music here in the cabin, we never would have met."

"I loved your singing as well. I didn't know any of the words to the songs you sang, but your voice is incredible. The pitch accents and cadence give it a lilting quality as if your voice itself is an instrument. It was so lovely to hear."

"Thank you, Texas. Now, I want to teach you Norwegian. Let's start with this. Tid til å sove."

"What does that mean?"

"Time to sleep." I pulled the blankets off the bed and spread them on the floor near the fireplace. "Beds are too soft for me. I am used to sleeping on the forest floor."

"I have a special surprise planned for tomorrow."

Eager, I pleaded, "Tell me. Tell me, now!"

"It will wait," said Texas.

I released a heavy sigh to show my displeasure. I smiled at him and wondered how I could sleep tonight without knowing his surprise. I snuggled beneath the blankets and Texas moved in behind me, putting his left arm over me. We were warm and comfortable and very tired. I was glad when he fell asleep instantly. Nature has a way of healing itself, and right now, sleep is what Texas needed.