By Judy Eron

“ It is recommended that the patient live closer to medical services during the winter months .”

Thus read the summary of my most recent doctor ’ s visit . But do these words mark the beginning of the end of my life in paradise ? For 30 years , ever since I ’ ve lived on Terlingua Ranch , on our remote mountain desert of southwest Texas , I ’ ve known that I ’ m living in an area with few medical resources . And the few that are here are many miles away . Almost two hours from us , Alpine has its tiny hospital with a surgeon and a few doctors and nurses . And as many out here do , Charlie and I have the life flight insurance that will transport us to a larger hospital if needed . But it requires us to first get more than halfway to Alpine , where the helicopter lands on what was once called “ Trash Can Hill ” but is now “ No Trash Can Hill ” after they took away the always overloaded trash cans that resided there . I have heard that , when asked what to do if you ’ re bitten by a rattlesnake , one Alpine doctor has been known to say , “ Out here , your best first aid kit is your car keys and a credit card .” Yay for the Wild West …