in the car that day her left arm , so thin and so brown , hung over the seatback as she spoke , we teased her by trying to barely touch the center of her palm and she tried to snatch at our hands or slap us , not looking directly at the three of us in the back seat , but letting her eyes float over the passing earth of arizona , and she wore impenetrable dark glasses and her lipstick spoke , yes , out at some fabulous ranches , here and there , in the back country of arizona , farther out than we are now , way out near the borders , some glorious ranches , my goodness the money it would take to buy them , kids , i tell you there isnt any money like that anymore , ranches that were bigger than whole states in the east , and i tell you kids , make no mistake , those were mysterious ranches , ranches with real histories .