Maybe
ostrich eggs and ostrich meat are common foods in some places,
but this was our first time to sample big bird. Ken and
Donna Fackrell, who gave us a memorable tour of the Gila
Bend Ostrich Ranch yesterday, invited us back for breakfast.
Ostrich eggshells
are valuable, so to empty one without cracking it, you chip a small hole
in one end, scramble the contents with a skewer, and shake the egg out.
One is enough to feed a baseball team. Donna had also cooked some ground
ostrich meat, and she assembled delicious breakfast burritos for us. "The
meat is low-fat and cholesterol- free," she said. "Can you ask
for anthing more?" Well, we could ask for another burrito!
Joining us
for breakfast at the Fackrells' ranch was Tim Viens, who moved
to Gila Bend with his wife Karen Murray about a year ago. "When
we got here, we liked what we saw, so we stayed," he says. "It's
a special place. It's got a lot of history." Ken and Karen moved
to Arizona from Lake Houghton, Michigan, where they had an automobile
recycling business. "We sold metal to recycling companies and hard-to-get
parts to owners of classic cars and trucks. We also designed and built
custom car carriers for hot rod owners. Then, in 1982, we sold the business
and began traveling."
Recently,
Tim reconstructed this pickup truck assisted by Brooks and Beanie, who
are both octegenarians. Starting with a bare chassis, they searched junkyards
and trash heaps until they had enough parts and body pieces. The truck
now boasts a custom dashboard crafted and painted by Karen, and is on
its way to becoming a masterpiece of craftsmanship and the art of salvage.
"We never paid a cent for anything," adds Tim with a smile.
Tomorrow,
we're heading out to the Paloma Ranch, owned originally by John Wayne,
to watch custom harvesters bring in the wheat crop. We'll try to hitch
a ride on a combine!
