Dogs
There is a singular dog seen most places. Her ears are tattered; her fur is rusty and mottled with black. Her teats hang close to the ground and sometimes drag on the dirt. Though she is a mean and fearful dog, she belongs to everyone. One day she’ll get a rock to the ribs. Another day she’ll get a skinned rabbit. Sometimes she’ll get a round of buckshot to her face.
Cars
The Dodge Ram is the most beautiful object, and only desired in Inferno Red. Subaru doesn’t end up on the yard, because it survives winter after winter after winter. Most cars end up on the yard.
Noses
Richard Blackowl has a flat nose. No bone. Fetal alcohol syndrome. Not uncommon among the Blackowls. Looking at the Punt, Pass, Kick competition you can see bone, bone, no bone, bone, no bone, no bone, bone, no bone.
Tobacco
If Tobacco is the Red Man’s Revenge, then two holes must be dug. Tahoe brand was my favorite when I was 10.
STPUD
South Tahoe Public Utility District. Condemned land that encompasses Diamond Valley, which holds the reservoir as well as the res.
The Reservoir
Treated sewage from beachfront houses in Lake Tahoe, slushing down Snowshoe Thompson’s irrigation ditch to pool in the big cement reservoir. In the summer we jump off the bridge to swim and cool off. Occasionally swallows leave their mud nests to black out the sun. They dive and intimidate us.
Cats
So many cats. Under every house you can hear the mewing of the next generation. Coyotes come and eat them, but they don’t have large enough stomachs.
Bears
A gunshot in the night means Greg shot another bear. Mean black bears that eat up all the camp food in Yosemite that the nice people brought from San Francisco. The ones that ate too many bags of marshmallows; they’re caged and released less than one mile from the Res. Killing them would be inhumane.
The Reservoir
Maybe swimming in treated sewage causes some of the noses to be flat?
Res Ball
Full-contact sport. The rules go:
Houses
Built decades ago with promise of renewal. Without foundations, they slump to one side or another. It’s a good thing building code violations aren’t applicable on Reservation land.
Sheriff
He’ll stay out of your business unless your meth lab explodes.
Skippy
Ask why she’s called Skippy and, smirk wink, you’ll hear a story about a dog and peanut butter.
The Walker
You’ll see him along 95. Picking up cigarette butts. Every day; walking and picking up cigarette butts. They say he lives with his aunt.
Cal-Trans
The savior of us all, California Transit employees and feeds the community. You need to buy your own reflective vest. Avoid drunken drivers.
Non-Serrated Knife
Never leave home without it. And make sure it isn’t someplace hard to get to, like in your backpack. Tape it length-wise to your belt in the small of your back. They won’t wait for you to fish it out of your backpack.
Indian Tacos
Dale Bennett’s Indian Tacos would have ended the first and second world wars. Frybread, sour cream, rabbit meat, chilies, diced tomatoes, lettuce and cheese. Once a year she makes them for everyone at school. After that, you need to wait for Christmas, David or Nicole’s birthday, or the Candydance. But definitely not Thanksgiving.