Shady

Original "home" of Green River, Utah

Greetings,

My name is Shady and I am a car antenna ornament in the form of a cactus. I proudly sport some dark sunglasses, a black cowboy hat, and a blue handkerchief. This is a snippet of my life in the year 2011, which was a monumental year for me.

 My life began in some dark and smelly factory, most likely, where else, but China. Somehow, only the powers above know why, but I ended up in a small, decaying gas station in a remote, also dilapidated desert town, called Green River, Utah. Most people only stop there to fill up their gas tank on the way to the adventure paradise of Moab, Utah.

I spent many, many years in this tiny gas station, which was named, “Shady Acres”, which was appropriately named. My plastic packaging became fragile, weak, and yellow-tinged. Years and years of dust started to cover me. I was constantly living in a land of fuzz and haze as I would peer through my plastic coating at the same bag of Doritos on the shelf across from me. I felt suffocated. I felt hopeless. Would anybody ever want to buy me for ten dollars? Would I ever feel the freedom of fresh air flowing through my cactus spindles?

Full length profile

Completely unexpected, but one day in the middle of February, a young gal, wandered to the dark corner of Shady’s Gas Station and started drifting through the metal spinning display of novelty’s. Low and behold, she grabbed me, took me off my hook, dusted me off, and proceeded towards the checkout. I was in disbelief!

Right away, she tore off my plastic layer and shoved me onto her truck antenna. Boy, was I glad I had my sunglasses on! I’ve never seen such bright, brilliant light before! The gal’s name was Crystal, her trucks name was “Frosty“, and she named me “Shady”. From then on, we three have become great friends and have shared great adventures in 2011 and beyond.

Sadly though, I lost my black cowboy hat along I-15 on the way to Salt Lake City in March. So now, I have been referenced to a naked penis with cactus arms. I’m used to it now, but my noggin gets cold.

O' Canada ! Petro station !?

In May, I traveled to another country and experienced Canada first hand-the British Columbia and Yukon Territory! I also spent the whole summer living in Alaska! All I can say is that I felt very out of place and was a bit chilled up North. I also got some very funny looks.

A really really long lake in British Columbia

Shady enjoying the fresh, cold Alaskan air along the highway near Anchorage

The latter part of 2011 brought me back to another cold spot. Probably the coldest place in the Lower 48-Northwest Wyoming. What was Crystal thinking? Is this some sort of punishment? -14 degrees and this white stuff called “snow”. My poor cactus spines are frozen and constantly hurt!

Cruzin' in Wyomin'

Please ,please take me back to the desert, where I belong. Or at least for a vacation. However, I really shouldn’t complain, I’ve seen more in one year than in my life time of one Chinese factory and one dirty, dingy gas station in Utah.

I wonder where 2012 will take me?