"My name is Juan Medina
A vaquero once was I
Now I live in the air above the pepper trees
Where are all the cattle, that belonged to Captain Dana?
They're blown away like ashes in the California breeze
And once I rode the foothills
And I swung a long reata
I worked the hide and tallow trade in the land I loved
I rode in wooden stirrups
And the dust raised by my ponies
Was smoke from my altar offered up to God above
Todavía estoy aquí I am still here
Todavía estoy aquí my soul is dancing in the moonlight
I mingle with each grain of sand in the land that is my
birthright
I am still here, todavía estoy aquí
I am still here, todavía estoy aquí
In the canyon and barrancas
And willows by the creek bank
I chased the wild cattle through the live oak trees
Cross valleys, ridge and mesa
And the hills baked oh, so yellow
My ponies sleek and dancing were all a man would need
Todavía estoy aquí I am still here
Todavía estoy aquí my soul is dancing in the moonlight
I mingle with each grain of sand in the land that is my
birthright
I am still here, todavía estoy aquí
I am still here, todavía estoy aquí
In the fog of early morning,
Or the misty haze of twilight
Beyond the sagging ruins of these adobe walls
You may see me in the dust,
That shimmers in the half light
Or hear me in the whisper, of the grass so green and
tall
Todavía estoy aquí I am still here
Todavía estoy aquí my soul is dancing in the moonlight
Oh I mingle with each grain of sand in the land that is my
birthright
I am still here, todavía estoy aquí
I am still here, todavía estoy aquí
My name is Juan Medina
A vaquero once was I
Now I live, in the air above the pepper trees....."
This is a newer link of the Hammond-Snyder Loop trail, which
links to the neighborhood along a short spur trail behind some
houses, and continues down a track between the cemetery on one side
and the PG&E property on the other. As I was walking by with my
horse one day, I thought, there ought to be a cache here. Since
this is also part of the De Anza Recreational Trails, I thought I
would tie this one in with
my other De Anza cache.
Then, I thought about
the song above by Dave Stamey, and thought about the Vaquero
culture of California, with which I have long been enamored. I
thought, perhaps another Juan still hangs out here. The cemetery
next door may have many ghosts wandering this trail.
So, the next day, I came up here again with my horse, and dropped
this hastily camo'd cache for you to find. If you listen to the
song, maybe the ghost of one of the Juans will help you find it.
But it should be a quick and easy find for most folks, anyway.
