Horsing Around

I had discussed with my mother the previous spring the idea of me delivering some horses when the current crop of foals was ready. With the drought in the West, the number of horses ordered declined. Still there were 2 horses with willing buyers ready to go this fall. Not as many as we had hoped, but still less mouths to feed in New Mexico.

Originally I was going to bring Zach and Becky. But as I worked out the math and logistics, it would take a longer time and more $$ to lug everyone around the West. I could save on motel rooms by sleeping in the truck at times and I could make my own lunches with the mini fridge. It would be a spartan few weeks, but it would be cheaper and faster. Plus there is value in being by oneself every once in awhile

So off I went on a Saturday morning. The nice thing is that the further West you go, the higher the speed limits. At some points, 80 mph. So I was able to make good time and made it out to New Mexico in 2 days. One thing that I noted was the occasional dead armadillo in Missouri. Not typically a state that you think of when you think of armadillo roadkill. I had thought their habitat was more in the SouthWest.

Well I arrived in Rodeo and rested for a day before embarking upon the 1^st destination. Had a nice meal at the Sky Island Grill – very healthy portions. Craig is a handy man that my Mother employs from time to time. The project du jour was to load up a colt into the trailer. But the colt still had to be separated from the mother. So that added a level of difficulty.

Fortunately the mare was gentle. So we got them both in the trailer by leading the mare inside. Then we had to get a rope around the neck of the colt to tie him temporarily in the trailer while we lead the mother out. Easier said than done. Craig and I had to tag team on the colt as he went from one side of his mother to the other as we tried to get a rope on him. We finally got him fastened and the mother was lead out. So step one was completed.

The next morning I left for Idaho. The owner lives just across the border in Wyoming, but the horse trainer lives in Georgetown Idaho which is about 15 miles away. We were taking him there to be halter broken.

The GPS took me on some highways that I had not been on before. So it is always nice to see new country side, particularly out West. Nice mesa's, butte's and just picturesque landscapes almost every mile. Saw some wild horses – that was pretty cool. Most were black or brown. But I saw a few with that wild mustang pattern. As it got dark on that 1^st day I started to look for a place to stop.

As it turned out the next town was on the Navajo Indian reservation. I parked behind a strip mall and got out to get in my daily walk. When I walked along the back edge of the mall where there was a fence, I discovered numerous empty pints of vodka. Apparently a favorite of Navajo youth when they want to indulge.

The people that I met in the restaurant and store were very friendly. I was walking out of the Burger King when a woman held the door open for me and said “god bless you sir.” I was taken by surprise – what I should said was - “I need all the help I can get!”, but I just quickly said “thank you” and went on my way.

On the way back, I did stop in at the Navajo “Art Center” - I add the quotes as it was not the art center that I had envisioned. Nothing hand crafted or locally made that I could see. Everything was manufactured – sure it had native Indian patterns, but nothing was handmade. I did buy Becky an Indian blanket and some incense, I figured it helped the local economy to a degree.

On the way to the drop off, I passed through a town called Soda Springs. It billed itself as a stop on the Oregon Trail. Which of course brought up memories of the Oregon Trail computer game – it felt like every other journey found you dying of dysentery on the prairie.

The trainer was nice, looked like a cowboy out of the old West. We got the colt unloaded just fine and I was on my way back to New Mexico. For some reason the GPS routed me back differently. It was getting towards dark and I found myself in mountains with hair pin curves. Was the GPS trying to kill me??? Thankfully the road straightened and I descended from the mountains to the valley below where it was smoother and the remainder of the trip back was uneventful.

Another days rest and it was time to depart, this time to Texas. We had to separate 2 horses that had been penned up as the buyer had been waffling back and forth on 1 or 2 horses, finally deciding at the last minute on 1. Surprisingly it was an easy load despite the horse not being halter broken.

But getting the trailer out of the corral was a chore. Over the years mesquite has grown in a few places and there were some fence posts in the way. So Craig and I finally had to unhook the trailer and rehook it at a different angle to get it out of there.

I was up before day break to leave. I did take a minute or two just to look at the New Mexico night time sky. No clouds and it felt like you could almost reach up and touch the stars. I looked at the milky way and just took it all in. Back to reality, I finished packing and I was off.

The terrain in West Texas was pretty much the same. Going North through New Mexico and Arizona there were a variety of rock formations and different colors. But West Texas seemed more bland in comparison. I do recall that it felt like you could drive for miles and not see any houses or anything.

There was a guy going east bound and he must have had some sort of car trouble. I saw him get out of the car with his flashers on and look around with his hands on hips. He must have been wondering “What am I going to do now!” I don't know if there were any service stations for 50 miles in either direction. I felt his pain.

I had to pass through Austin on the way to Caldwell, TX. On the West side of Austin there are more wineries than ranches. At least it felt that way. Even a place that made gin and vodka. They must party hard there in the state capitol.

I pulled up to the ranch that was the new home for the horse and the front section was dedicated to long horns. I saw about 20. Then I reached the horse barn and met the new owners. The ranch owner was a retired emergency room doctor – Glenn Cochran. He looked and spoke like Sam Elliot. Sallie was his wife and Carlos was the new owner of the horse. All were very pleasant and we conversed for a bit.

Soon it was time for me to leave and meet my sister. My father had gifted me a slot machine. But Becky did not care for it in the house at all. So I offered it to Heather since it was just sitting in the barn collecting dust. We arranged to meet at a restaurant in College Station so I could drop it off to her.

But I had time to get in an oil change, or so I thought. With all the time traveling through mountain, pacific, and eastern time zones, my time pieces were out of sync. My fitbit was still on mountain time. So I was leisurely getting stuff done, then I plugged in my laptop and looked at the time. What the...? So I did a search “what time is it in College Station, TX” It was almost time to meet at the restaurant!

I got with the manager at Jiffy Lube and explained my dilemma. They hastily completed their work and although I was fashionably late, it was better than the time I would have arrived if I had not happened to look at my computer. The visit went well and I was able to log in little driving time before dark.

I made it back to the ranch that evening and had a nice supper. That was one nice aspect to the trip. It is nice to be doted upon by your mother. At home I have to do all the cooking. She fixed breakfast and supper during my visits. And that last supper was good – salmon and mashed potatoes. I had already had T-bone steak on previous occasions. For breakfast the next day – potato pancakes. I can recall having those from time to time growing up, so it was a breakfast that fit my mood well. I have to confess, I felt a little guilty – it seemed like I should be the one cooking for her. But my belly had no complaints.

The drive home was a bit more adventurous. In Oklahoma just as I was getting tired and thinking of pulling over – it started to rain. Then rain a bit harder. Then it rained hard enough that cars and trucks were pulling to the side of the road with their flashers on. I had thoughts of calling it a night – but so did everyone else. The ramps had cars and trucks lined up on the shoulders, so I figured it best to just outrun it. The storm was going North East and I was headed due North.

I switched over to local radio to keep up with the weather since I know that Oklahoma is like the tornado capital of the world. Sure enough this radio station had a weather watcher in a car following severe weather. I am thinking “Dude, what are you doing – its not worth being out in this stuff. It's certainly not worth your life.” One of the towns they mention – Thomas, OK is an exit that I had passed not so long before.

And he is giving this play by play of rain, thunder, wind, etc. “I'm going down county road 31 to get a closer look at this storm...” You can tell the guy in the studio is getting worried. He is telling the guy to back off and keep a distance, they can see what could be a funnel in the radar. Dude finally gets the hint and pulls over. Sometimes we need to think about our life choices. I can think of lots of ways to make a living that don't involve chasing tornadoes.

I finally get to point where there is dry pavement and I start looking for a place to stop. I am really fatigued now. I pull off where there is a truck stop. But I spot a casino and I see a huge parking lot with like 10 semi-trucks parked to the back. A good a place as any and I settle back for the night. I figure if a storm pops up I can always run inside and take shelter in the mens room. And if I get insomnia maybe I hit the blackjack table.

I did wake up to the truck rocking from the wind and thunder around 3 in the morning. There was one huge thunderclap nearby and the lights went out in the town. The Casino must have had emergency generators as some of the lighting stayed on and select lights in the parking lot came back on as well. It was back to the radio station.

But it was some talk show or another and so I figured there must not be any dangerous weather with this particular system. I looked at my weather app just to be sure, but nothing obvious was on it either. I read my kindle book – Wild Bill Hickock (hey I'm, traveling out West, right!)for a bit and nodded off.

I slept in a bit the next day and then it was back on my trek to Ohio. The weather system had brought in a rainy front that lasted all through Oklahoma and Missouri. Just outside St. Louis it brightened up and dried up a bit.

When I reached Terre Haute, IN it was getting dark. I put in my thumb drive that had my favorite music on it and cranked up the volume. I wanted to keep my adrenaline up so that I wouldn't feel tired during that last sprint across Indiana. Some old stuff, some new stuff on that thumb drive. Metallica to Brooks and Dunn to Imagine Dragons to Muddy Waters to Aurosmith to Frank Sinatra.

I pulled in front of the house around 10:15 or so in the evening. Sat there for a moment and reflected on the trip. It was nice to have some 'me' time to reflect on things. The West is always spiritual so there is a calming, peaceful feeling to it. Now it is back to the grind and reality – time to eat my own cooking.

Things I Would Say

 Becky and I stumbled across this letter in an old abandoned house.  It was written by a woman who was nearing the end of her life.  A lot of what she has to say has meaning to those of us still alive.  It is kind of sad in a way because we don't think that who ever she meant to have read it, ever saw it. The place was more or less intact and had been empty for 10-15 years.  It was left in a stack of papers in a drawer, along with a bunch of pictures and so forth.  But I thought that I would share it here so that all who read it can think about what she is saying pertains to their life.  The main message that I get is to not worry about the past - or the future.  Live in the now.

The Woods

 Went to Dad's today to help him clear out some fence line for the calves that he plans to buy this fall.  While working I stopped to take a break.  I was next to the woods that surround the house.  By moving slightly I could block the view of the house and see the woods as I saw it 50 years ago.  When cowboys and Indians, civil war soldiers and lumber jacks ran amongst the tree's.  The forts and teepees that we built - all those memories came back to me. 

Flashes of memories go by - drinking water from a mason jar.  Catching minnows from a nearby creek.  The time we knocked over an old hollow tree and tried to dispatch a possum with our makeshift arrows and bows made of sticks and twine.  Somehow no one got hurt that day, and the snarling possum made a hasty get away.  Camping overnight and the thunderstorm that struck, worried parents came and picked us up.

Mighty maple and sturdy hickory trees, oh the battles they saw once upon a time.  Do they remember me as I remember them. That pile of rocks there, that was once good to hide behind. 

The boys are all gone now, some forever.  But in the woods I can still see them and hear their war whoops as they chase down Johnny Reb. 

I take another sip of water and put my gloves back on, break time is over time to get back to work. The spell is broken and its back to reality. Well to folks driving by it's just a patch of trees, but at one time it was the Woods. 

East Coast Trip 2021

We were supposed to do our east coast road trip last year, but the covid shutdowns made that impossible. So we replanned our trip for this summer and now with covid winding down (for now) we started our trip. I do have to thank my deceased uncle Vaughn for helping to make this trip possible in a way. He passed away about 6 years ago and left some money for his nieces and nephews.  At that time we put some of the money we got into a CD for this trip. The money was to be used for our and our kids expenses. We knew we would be retired around then and we had planned to do an East Coast trip as a bucket list item.

The goal was to meet our kids and their families along the way and spend time together – to try and make memories with each family as we journeyed from the Keys of Florida to Bangor, Maine. We were partially successful in that we could only meet with 2 families this year – Joe and Sam are expecting their 2^nd child in July and so they took a rain check. The timing did not work for Eric and Vanessa. Both families want to do something next year – probably at the Great Lakes. So we split the fun over 2 summers, not really a bad thing all in all.

The 1^st leg of this trip was difficult. It was the beginning of Memorial Day weekend and so the traffic was up a tick or two that Friday. Then it was rainy and the accidents started to happen. We had at least 5 different slowdowns for accidents and in some cases phantom events. We would slow down to crawl for a half hour or an hour and then all of a sudden speed up with no rhyme or reason. 

Outside of Knoxville we ran into a heavy downpour. Hard enough that traffic slowed to about 5-10 miles an hour and we turned on our flashers. The heavy rain let up but we had precipitation of some sort all through that 1^st day.

Towards the end of that day we had one of our indicators for our trailer tire pressure bark at us and then stop. Very curious. We decided to be cautious and pull over at the next exit. I spotted a big parking lot across the way, but when we turned on the street they had put concrete blocks across the entrances.

So what to do, we went a short way down the road and I spotted an odd horseshoe shaped turnaround – just big enough for the truck and trailer. In the middle there appeared to be some sort of concrete curb with weeds growing up out of it. We were able to get off of the road safely and I check the tire pressure with a gauge and it was OK, so a false alarm.

Now to get back on the road. It was still a light drizzle and at first we were going to back out. But people were starting to get off work and it was hard to find a big enough gap in traffic to back the trailer out onto the road. So Becky had the idea to just go around the rest of the horseshoe and that way we could get onto the road easier with no backing.

There was a little mud at the far apex of the horseshoe. So I gunned the engine a little to make sure we went through it OK. The horseshoe had concrete closer to the road giving way to gravel at the end furthest from the road. We felt a bump when the trailer tire caught the middle curb. The tire rode up and over... then fell with a crash! Once the tire left the curb it fell into a foot and half deep hole!

So we were in a pickle. The trailer was resting on its frame over that hole and the drivers side tires were dangling off the ground. Fortunately we had a jack and blocks of wood. So Zach and I began the process of lifting the frame off of the curb. Fortunately there was a pile of busted up concrete off to the side. We used that to put under the tires so that we had a makeshift ramp to get the trailer up and out of its predicament.

It drizzled when we began work, but as we made progress, the rain gradually went away, which helped uplift our spirits as we slowly raised the trailer to where we could back it out. After about an hour of effort we slowly gave the truck gas as we gradually backed the trailer up the ramp. It held and we were back on solid pavement. This time we were patient and waited for traffic to clear and got back on the road.

We were lucky – no major damage to the trailer. There was some sheet aluminum that filled the gap between the frame and trailer that got bent up. Nothing that an afternoon in the workshop couldn't fix once we got back home – so we were fortunate as it certainly could have been worse.

We left early for our stay in the keys in case that there were to be a breakdown. So we used a fairly new app called Hip Camp to find a cheap place to stay in our trailer for a couple of days until our reservation date was here. We selected a place in a palm grove. It was a 17 acre place in the middle of truck farms and ornamental plant growers. In each direction there were fruit growers, flower growers, palm trees, and so forth. I guess with the warm climate you can pretty much grow stuff the year around.

The owner had several peacocks, they were shy and elusive. So we could only spot them at a distance. There were some mangoes and luchins(sp) growing. The mangoes were not quite ripe, but the luchins were tasty.

Finally it was time to go to Key Largo where our campground was located. The weather was very hot and sultry. But the ocean and sky were very blue. Chelsea and Dan met us down there and set up a tent right behind the trailer.

The beaches were fair, but there had been some seaweed wash up on the shore and so on the Caribbean side beaches there was a layer of washed up seaweed that that you had to walk through in order to get to the water. Once you got there, the water was clear and pleasant. The park beaches are around a lagoon and so the waves are virtually nonexistent. Great for the kids and Becky.

One place we wanted to see was Ernest Hemingways place in Key West. We were not disappointed. Now it did take some effort to find parking. There were a few lots around, but it was a more residential area. Becky and I got lucky and found parking on a side street ½ block away. Chelsea and Dan had to park a bit farther away and had to walk several blocks.

He had a bit of coin from his books from the looks of things. Lots of carved wood, marble sinks, and so forth. The place was well furnished, I was impressed. He had a smaller second building behind the house where he did his writing. We could not enter the room, but were able to get to the entrance way and take a look around.

Found out that he could not get a permit for explosives and so they had to use picks to dig out the swimming pool in the coral rock below. At the time, it was the only swimming pool for a hundred miles. One of the reasons he moved down there was to go fishing which he did frequently.

We did see the cats with the extra paws. They were through out the house and grounds. Little Sterling went to pet one – and got scratched! To be fair she had just had an altercation with her sister and I will bet that the cat figured that it didn't want a troublesome girl to come near. I joked that we should sue the Hemingway House for damages and mental anguish and become the new owners.

Chelsea and Dan found a nice beach on the Gulf side – with no seaweed and we spent some time there. Afterwards we went to a restaurant by the ocean called Hog Heaven. It was reasonably priced and it had a great view, more importantly their food was great. Of course their specialty was Southern BBQ, but they had some seafood as well. They had a circular dock where people could tie up their small boats and grab a bit to eat. All in all a good experience.

Oh, and there was a glass bottomed boat tour to the coral reef. That was another highlight of the trip. It was true about the abundance of fish in a reef. As we slowed down we could see sand and hardly any fish. Then suddenly we were above the reef and seeing fish left and right. Even some nurse sharks and barracuda. The smaller fish were very colorful. Definitely worth experiencing.

Zach did admit to feeling a bit seasick. But he did not throw up. However on the upper deck several people were looking pretty green. The rest of us handled the ocean chop just fine.

Chelsea and Dan cut out for Miami a few days early. Even though we let them borrow a fan, it was just very hot at night. There were some little biting insects that would pester you early in the morning and late at night that were problematic for them. At the end of one day when they had played hard at the ocean and at a park, a tired and cranky Sterling protested that,“I don't want to be on vacation anymore!” We let the girls come into the AC of the trailer and lay down in our bed. to give them a respite that afternoon.

Next stop for us was Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center. Another one of those bucket list things. But let me warn you – that place is expensive. $57 per adult ticket. And when you pull into the entrance – another $10 to park! They know their audience, the geeky folks willing to pay through the nose for a peek at all this, and they put a vacuum cleaner to your wallet.

I was not sure what to expect. They had rockets there of course. But we went to the Saturn/Apollo Mission area as our first big exhibit to see. That was worth the price of admission. They have you watch a short film when you arrive. Then they have the original mission control set up – and working. They go through a 3 minute countdown and launch on the live screen with the actual voices of the NASA staff. It does put you on the edge of your seat when they get to the last 10 seconds.

At launch the doors open and there is an actual Saturn rocket. You get to touch an actual moon rock which is cool. There is a lander, a lunar rover, and many other artifacts from the Apollo program. There is also a tribute to the astronauts that died in the one rocket when they were going through a drill.

Next up was the space shuttle and again there is a film and the curtains open to reveal an actual space shuttle. Lots of stuff to see and lots of activities for kids in that area. So all in all it was a good experience, we left satisfied.

Jekyll Island is a place that we had experienced in the past and enjoyed. So we included a week there as part of the trip. In the early 19^th century it was a place for rich people. Now it is a park – although there is private property inside the park. So there are motels and houses scattered amongst the marshes and trees.

Camping has been hard to find everywhere we have gone. I think that with Covid being on the wane (for the time being at least) everyone is satisfying their travel bug. So all the low priced camping places were filled up on the island and only the expensive ones are left. So we stayed at a “RV Resort” during our stay. It was not actually on the island, but an easy 15 minute drive away.

It was very nice in that the facilities were pristine and upscale. We did notice that trees were sparse and concrete was everywhere. So not like camping at Hueston woods for instance where you are on a concrete pad and surrounded by grass and trees. We noticed after the 1^st day or two that we had about the oldest rig there. All the other rigs looked to be fairly new and very nice.

So a woman was walking her dog and noticed our trailer. She said that she used to own one just like it. And that it was nice to see a “vintage” trailer still in use. We had never thought of our trailer as a vintage trailer (It's a 2003, about 18 years old). As I observed to Becky - well at least our trailer is paid for, a lot of these rigs cost $60,000 or more and I bet they will be paying for them long after they get tired of them.  

Later in the trip as I was fueling in upstate New York, a guy with a RV dealer logo on his shirt walked over remarked how he had not seen a Kiwi Too trailer in a long time and how ours was in good shape.  I thanked him and mentioned that in all of our travels we had not seen another one.  He replied that most folks did not keep up with their trailers and they end up in a scrap yard.  We keep ours under roof and I guess it helps keep it from weathering.

I did observe a novel way of fishing. I saw a guy with a drone and at first it was hard to see what he was doing. But after a bit I caught on to what he was doing. He used a drone to carry his fishing line out about a ¼ mile from the beach. Then he released the rig and brought the drone back to the beach. It got the bait way out there, further than casting it manually would have done. It was an interesting use of technology. If I tried something like that the batteries of the drone would give out and I would lose it in the drink.

Poor Zach had a rough go of it early in the trip. I tried to tell him that he needed to start wearing shorts and short sleeved shirts before we left. That way his skin would start to tan at least a little before we got into full sunlight on the beach. I had already been wearing shorts and sandals before we left and did not burn at all. Zach was a different story, he did not heed my advice and despite our efforts at getting him to wear sunblock, his lower legs and feet were burned and peeling at the keys.

Then at Jekyll Island we were at St. Andrews beach and at the South end there were some dead tree's. Guess where Zach decided to get into the Ocean – by the dead trees which had roots going out into the water. He cut his shin and forearm. So he was sore and miserable for awhile. As I write this we are in the outer banks. He is tanned and his cuts have healed. He still doesn't like very big waves in the ocean (OK with low tide or a cove), but he loves the beach.

Here is an incident that happened while going to a Walmart. Becky is handicapped and so I always go inside and get an electric scooter for her. I walk to the door and in front of me is an elderly woman and her daughter walking to the same door. A Walmart employee on an electric scooter comes out of the door and heads down the front of the store to the other set of doors.

We all converge at about the same time. The daughter asks the guy if she can have the scooter for her mother. The employee responds that I have to get this over to the other door for some one who needs it. The woman says that her mother needs it now – and she wants that scooter. She starts berating him and he is firmly but politely saying that this other person asked for it first. Then she says that she does not like his attitude and that she will report him to his manager.

I am thinking to myself, wtf – this poor guy is probably making minimum wage and is simply doing what his boss told him to do. In other words just a poor schmuck trying to earn a living. This lady has to be a jerk about it and give him a hard time.

So I go around the little side show and go into the store. There I see a single scooter by the door. I go ahead and get it going and go out the door to take it to Becky. Just as the mouthy lady and her mother walk in. She looked at me with daggers but didn't say a word. It was nice to be part of karma, I have to admit a bit of smug satisfaction as I cruised out the door. I felt sorry for the mother, but if her daughter hadn't wasted time giving the dude lip they would have gotten into the store first and the scooter would have been theirs.

A side note, both the women and the employee were black. It goes to show that Karens come in all colors.

Next stop was Edisto Beach, a place that we have been to at least a dozen times over the years. We were meeting Chad, Sarah, Cash, and Serenity there. I do remember the feeling as you drive to the beach and it was nice to feel it again. You are in the South with the huge trees filled with Spanish Moss. The trees are on either side of the roadway – in some cases just feet away from the road. But the tree canopy closes overhead in several spots where it feels like driving through a tunnel. It makes you feel like you going to an enchanted land. I felt the warmth of good memories as we weaved our way around the huge shade trees to the beach. And about a mile or two away the trees give way to marsh and suddenly you are in the sunlight again. The ocean is bright blue in front of you and an ocean breeze tickles your hair. Vacation we have arrived again.

We stopped at the Pavilon as we have many times. It has changed ownership over the years and it has pretty much morphed from a restaurant into a large beach store. There is a small bar and grill on the ocean side that is still in operation, but the building is 80% retail now where it was all restaurant before. Still it was nice to see the familiar after not being here for 10 years.

The campground was booked up so we used a new app called “Hip Camp” to book a place to stay. It is like airbnb, only for campers. Someone with extra room on their property can allow tents and RV's to stay over for a fee. Hip Camp gets a cut of course. But it is a life saver on this trip. In the touristy areas, the campgrounds are full this year. I think Covid has made everyone want to get out and do stuff this summer.

So the place we stayed at was next to a marsh and was about 5 acres with lots of trees. Plenty of spanish moss hanging from the grand old trees on the property. There was a rickety pier that ran out into the salt water marsh. I did not feel like getting out my ocean tackle, and the water was only 2-3 feet deep, so I took my light pole over to the dock. I lost a couple of shrimp. Then I felt the line move and I set the hook. Zzzzz went the line as it sang off the reel. 100 feet of line peeled off as the fish raced for the deep water. Then I felt a bump and it was gone. Never saw the fish, but it must have been huge. When I inspected the hook to see what happened, it was straight. Lesson learned, I should have gotten out the big tackle this close to the ocean.

Chad and Sarah rented a house on the main street through town. They were easy walking distance from the beach, Pavilon, and the grocery store. So it made a good base of operations for us to drive there and then go to the beach access from their place. We spent plenty of time at the beach of course. Poor Cash looked red as a lobster to us. Serenity fared a little better, but still has some redness about the shoulders. Both were beach bums, it was hard to get them out of the water. Edisto is good place to body surf. Something about the angle of the beach and the way the waves break. So I was able to body surf a little. I tire easily anymore so it was body surf for a half hour, read for 2 hours, then repeat.

We did go to Fort Sumter on a tour, it was something that Zach asked to do. It was interesting to get a detailed history. I did not realize that after the confederates took it over that it was attacked several times by the North. Alas, all attempts were unsuccessful. The North did gain the Fort in 1865, but only when the South finally abandoned it. They had huge cannons there and the brick works were immense, it was a well made fort.

Afterwards we went to an eclectic place called the Tattooed Moose for lunch. It was a bit off the wall, but in a good way. They encourage people to write on the walls. So all sorts of graffiti everywhere. Many mounted animals including a huge moose head over the bar. The food was excellent and we left satisfied.

The outer banks of North Carolina was our next stop. This is another place that we have been to several times. We visited for the 1^st time not long after grandma Susan bought the place in Belhaven. The North end is very busy and commercial. But the further South you go, the less congested and less commercial it gets. So a little something for everyone. The North end with putt putt golf, giant jungle gyms, and so forth for the younger crowd. Then the South end with miles of open beach and sand dunes for people who pursue life at a more leisurely pace.

The nice thing about the outer banks is that you are allowed to drive on the beach. So for us with the mobility issues and the amount of gear it takes to get set up, it is nice to be able to just park the vehicle at a quiet spot. Unload right there and no carting back and forth armloads of stuff to and from a parking lot to a distant beach.

Becky and I had a date night and after dinner at the Pangaea - we tried to watch a sunset, but mother nature did not cooperate. It was very cloudy to the West. But still it was peaceful on the beach and it was nice to have a cool beverage and watch the day bow down and the night creep in across the ocean.

I went fishing at Avon pier. Over the years the ocean waves have slowly twisted the structure this way and that. It isn't unbearably twisted, but it has several slow rolls left and right, and a few up and down slopes. It is solid enough, but I would not want to attempt to walk it drunk. On the day that I was there they were setting up fireworks for the 4^th of July. So there was a fair amount of commotion and hammering. Despite the disturbance, the fish were biting.

Some youngsters caught a croaker and a sea trout. I caught a decent sized flounder. The fellow next to me caught a fair number of white and yellow fish. Another guy further down caught a small shark. I made a mistake, while drinking my water I threw my head back to take a swig. A gust of wind caught the bill of my hat and away it went. It must have sailed a good 50 feet in the air. Charlie the tuna is probably wearing it by now.

It was my favorite hat, one that I had bought in Amelia Island about 12 years ago. And like most guys, I hate to part with the familiar. A T-shirt has to be in rags before it is tossed, blue jeans need to be soiled and stained into many shades and shoes have to have holes in the soles before they are disposed of in a trash bin. So I was sorry to see an old friend go. But fortunately, I packed another hat and it will become my new favorite. At least until my next bone-headed move.

I did have a good day fishing at the beach the following day. Croakers and I think they are called whiting – small white and yellow fish were what I caught that day. Around 10 in all, so that a good day too.

They had fireworks at the pier on the 4^th of July. We parked on the beach and I think that ½ the town did too. It was very crowded, but everyone got along just fine. We had a guy come by and say that at the end they were releasing vehicles in groups of 10 from one end of the beach to the other. I looked at the hundreds of vehicles up and down the beach and thought to myself, good luck with that.

The fireworks were nice – they lasted about a half hour which is about right. A local music station played music to match up with the display. At the end it was not an organized 10 car at a time exit as the officials had wanted. Rather it was a Formula One start – everyone headed to the beach exit at the same time. Which is what I expected would happen being a student of human nature. We were not in any hurry, so we had a drink of wine while we alternated looking at the stars and looking at the trucks and jeeps jockeying for position in the sand. After most of them had left we left and returned to where we were staying.

One thing that we have noticed all up and down the coast is the fine print you need to read when you get gas in touristy areas. So you will drive along and see a sign where the gas is like 10 cents a gallon less than the others. So you pull in there (hey what a bargain!) and start to pump your gas. Then you realize that the difference only applies to cash only or to using one of their brand credit cards only. In other words, you are paying more than the advertised price on the sign.

We learned to be watchful of this early on and now that we know what to look for, we have seen it every state and mostly where there is high influx of unwatchful tourists. The locals already know what is up so they avoid those stations, they are looking for the guy from out of state who isn't paying attention.

The next stop was in Massachusetts where we visited a nephew – Mike and a niece – Katie. Mike lives in Dalton, which is in the Berkshires. A ski area where folks from Boston and New York like to visit and so it has a reputation for being an upscale area. My impression of the area was trees and boulders. Both are to be seen in abundance.

Our campsite was on a rugged climb up the side of a hill. It was Mount Greylock campground afterall. So I guess we should have known it wouldn't be flat. It was rainy and muddy when we set up. Hurricane Elsa had been pursuing us up the coast and had finally caught up. It rained for the first couple of days when we got there, then it cleared out. We liked some of the architecture of the houses that we saw. We saw several churches made of stone that we liked.

The visit with Mike went well. He and his wife Christina seem to be in a good place. They are looking to buy a home in the Dalton area. It is a sellers market and so places are going at a premium. Still they have a place that they plan to make an offer on here in the next week or so.

We ate at a place called the Old Forge. The interior was like a rustic tavern. They had a multi-page menu of just beers, I was impressed. The basement of that place must be stocked full of beer to keep up with that inventory. I tried a local beer and for a 2^nd round, Mike ordered a draft german beer. I followed his lead and ordered one as well, I was pleased.  He has a good taste for beer.

They are known for their wings, so we had to try them and out. Of course they were awesome as well. The owner does a good job of being a field general. Moving chairs here, sending the busboy there, checking on a table on the other side. He really stays on top of things. And from the quality of the food and service, it shows.

We visited Katie next. She lives to the North of Boston. We found a campground on Winter Island which is close to Salem Massachusetts. It was only 30 minutes from Katies place, so it worked out very well. We were close to the ocean which has been a common theme this trip.

We visited Salem first – the home of the infamous witch trials. And the color black was a common theme with the womenfolk in town. We took a tour of town and found out about a notorious couple of guys. A sheriff and another fellow who collaborated on getting folks to confess to being witches so that they could take their properties. They had a “witch house” where they would torture people into confessing. This was besides the witch trials so all kinds of weird happenings in Salem back in the day.

One item of note about New England towns. A lot of these places were founded and instead of being platted out they were added to a little at a time. A road here, and a street there but always in a random way. Sort of willy nilly depending on the whims of the builders at the time. And the hilly terrain adds to the complexity as well. At times it seemed that the streets were staked out according to the ramblings of a drunken tavern customer staggering back home.

In Pittsfield there was one main road we followed that actually cut through the middle of town like a snake. And Salem was similar in that we sometimes felt like we had to turn all directions of the compass to get from point A to point B. What did people do before GPS? I could not imagine navigating without it on the East Coast.

We did enjoy our stay on Winter Island. There is a harbor there and we spent several evenings having a glass of wine while watching the boats come and go. We discovered that there were several places along the harbor where there were flowers and plaques. Other couples had enjoyed the same thing over the years and when their partner passed they would set out flowers or a plaque by their favorite bench in their memory - very touching.

We met some interesting campers on Winter Island One couple from Oregon is traveling with 4 kids! They are taking a summer to see the states. I told them that we would go for maybe a week or so with our 4, but my hat is off to them for going cross country with all of them. Another couple is from Colorado. The husband is a computer programmer and they are living on the road for year to see if they like it. He is a computer programmer and so working remote makes sense for them.

We had dinner at Katies place. It is a suburb of Boston and close to the expressway so it was easy to find. Young Jack was all boy. He was full of vim and vinegar. The young lad also has blond hair and blue eyes – I am sure the lassies will find him attractive when he is older. Katie is expecting and he will have a sibling sometime this fall.

Dinner was fine of course. And for desert Katie splurged a bit and got chocolate eclairs from a genuine french bakery. They were excellent. Sean does work where they optimize ads on the internet for clients. Right now he is working from home due to covid, but expects that will end so and he will be a commuter once again. It is only about 30 minutes to where he works, so it isn't too hateful.

The last place we visited on the East Coast was Bangor, Maine. Actually a campground between there and Bar Harbor. We wanted to visit Acadia National Park and Bangor so we found a place midways between the 2 places. Our 1^st impression of Massachusetts was boulders and trees. Maines 1st impression was just trees. There may be boulders there as well but they are well hidden behind all the trees. Plenty of timber to be found here, I can't imagine the timber shortage we had earlier this year after seeing all of the pine and maple. Maybe they are hoarding it to drive up the prices.

But my 2^nd impression of Maine was Lobster restaurants and firewood sales for campers. In our immediate area there was an abundance of both. We did go out to eat Lobster to celebrate the last stop on the East Coast. The place had lobsters from 1 pound all the way to 5 pounds. They had them outside in huge tanks. The cook was grabbing them out of the various tanks according to their size. We joked – how did he have all his fingers. I guess those bands don't slip off very easily. But the water is cold – 38 degrees and he said that he had to stop sometimes just to warm up his hands.

The people here are pleasant and polite. Sometimes the folks in Massachusetts struck me as a bit standoffish. At Winter Island me and Becky passed by another couple who were camping and said hi and in response – nothing. Welp we just shrugged our shoulders and went on. But here in Maine they were very nice to us both at the campground and during our travels

We made a journey to Acadia to see the coastline and mountains. One thing that I noticed on the way was that as we got closer it was more and more commercial. It reminded me of the drive to Gatlinburg only on a smaller scale. Lots of shops and restaurants on both sides of the road. Finally we reached the park and we were back in nature. The rugged coastline is the main feature of this park. There are some very high cliffs and various types of rock that made up the cliffs. It was very scenic.

So now it was time to start angling for home. Becky had never seen Niagra Falls and we added a stop there on the way back to Ohio. I had been there once before when I was around 12 or 13 with the Freedmans. But it is still impressive. The roar of the water, the mist, and just the sheer power of the falls.

We took a tour on the Maid of the Mist. So we good a good dose of all of the above on the boat trip. The water really rocks you around. It reminded me of when I went on a 10 mile offshore fishing charter and there was a storm off shore. Waves coming at you from various directions and the spray getting everything wet. They did pass out ponchos so we were able to keep mostly dry.

The guy at the campground said that we had to try the cave of winds. We commited to going there and it was another $24 per person. I was disappointed. You went on these wood steps and wood decks by the falls. I thought that an actual cave would be involved, but rather it was a vortex of wind and water from the falls. More exciting than standing under a water hose on a windy day, but the same effect.

I noticed that the decks and stairs were all made of 2x4s. I remarked to Becky that you would think that it would be made more sturdy with all the people that visited each year. So the ranger that took us up the elevator remarked that they had to rebuild this every year due to the falling ice – it destroyed that structure every year. So that made sense, make it all just sturdy enough to last about a season because it will all need to be put up fresh next year.

My favorite part was just being on the various beaches during this trip. I enjoy just reading a book or fishing from the beach. My favorite manmade thing was the space center at Cape Canaveral. When they simulated the countdown to a Saturn V rocket launch, it really got your heart pounding with anticipation. The most peaceful spot was when we watched the boats come while siting on a bench by the harbor on Winter Island. All in all it was fun and memorable trip.

The great Cicada invasion of 2021, as I remember it.

I go to the front door and survey the yard as I prepare to make a run to the mailbox to get the mail. Somehow it is still being delivered despite this plague of insects. The grass and sidewalk is strewn with the carapaces of molted Cicadas, discarded as they rose from the depths of the earth. I walk swiftly as I go down the sidewalk casting glances side to side. I can hear a subtle change in the humming as my presence is noted. There is a crunch, crunch, crunch as I make my way – no way to move without making an abundance of noise.

Suddenly a beady eyed scout flies my direction. I furiously swat it away as a warning to the others to keep their distance. I hastily swoop up my mail and now I am in a run as I scamper back to the safety of the house. The door slams behind me and the humming becomes more subdued as the red eyed demons relax their guard as I leave their sight.

Every 17 years the plague begins anew. They lay a new brood and that brood saps the lifeblood from the roots of the plants – more and more as their needs grow over the years. Then after stunting plant growth for years, they burst out of the ground and begin pruning the tops of all the plants. Laying waste to vast swathes of land as first tree's, then grass, then anything with a leaf is devoured. And when all the plants are gone – anything that moves.

We were now entering that last stage. I have to force the dog to go out at least once a day. In the beginning it was fun for him – he would playfully grab one and munch it when they first came out of the ground. But they kept coming out of the ground, more and more. At times it seemed like a volcanic eruption as scores of insects filed out of the ground. Leaving the yard pockmarked with holes as they exited. Then after awhile the hunter became prey. Now I have to drag the dog out of house, keeping watch while he hurriedly does his business and as soon as he is finished - he is off like a shot to the protection of the house.

We knew this was coming, so there are plenty of provisions but still the tedium of being under siege day after day as the red eyed hordes hungrily munch away is wearing upon us. First the pandemic and now just as that quarantine is lifted we are once again housebound. Nothing but the 4 walls of this house. It is enough to drive one crazy.

And then there is the daily humming as thousands and thousands awake in the morning. It rises and rises in volume as the sun warms them and they begin lustily calling for mates. Then it dies away as the sun goes down but in my mind I can still hear the humming and at night I awaken and look at the clock and count the number of hours until the horde arouses and starts their daily ritual. Filling the dry, dusty air with that incessant drone, only stopping their noise and feasting with the darkness of night.

The landscape is without life – save for the cicadas as far as the eye can see. Tree's that should be full of leaves, reduced to stark, bare limbs as if it were the dead of winter. The lawn is dust and a few sparse clumps of grass, too withered even for the voracious cicadas to digest. With no grass the ground dries out and becomes dust. Now dust devils wander about the landscape as though intent on inflicting as much damage as possible upon this barren land.

Finally I can't take this desolation and isolation anymore. Florida – there are no cicadas down there, at least according to the news. A place free of the cursed insects and their infernal humming. It's as though they are trying to drive you out of the house and into their hungry mouths.

Now its breeding time where they climax their time out of the ground by mating and laying eggs for the next brood that will slowly throttle the life blood out of the land. So yes this is it, time to make a run for for freedom.

I wait for night as that is when they are resting and I grab what possessions I can in one arm and I drag the dog to the car with the other. We have to be quick before any are awakened. He seems reluctant to go, I have to drag him down the sidewalk – maybe it is the fear of having to run through a gauntlet of these insects I reason to myself. I have to dodge away from one of their scouts as I rouse him from his slumber.

We are inside the car and I pray that it starts, it has been a while since I have left the safety of the house. If it doesn't start do I risk walking down the road to the highway? It cranks slowly, and then the engine barks to life. It coughs a bit and now it is running. I sit for a minute relieved, then I recover my senses – time to get moving before they become away of my plan. I put the car in gear and zoom down the road. Twin vortexes of dried cicada husks blowing behind me are billowing in the moonlight as I make my way to the highway.

I look at my gas gauge, the car will need fuel. I see a sign ahead and pull into the station. Nervously I begin to fuel the car. It is quiet this late at night and I am the only car here. What, what is that? Could that be those little demon red eyes glowing in the dark? Are they coming for me -just as I make my escape? Thinking fast, I pull the gas pump nozzle out of the car and start spraying behind me where I saw the glow.

The man inside the gas station comes to the door and starts yelling excitedly at me. I can't quite make out what he is saying. I yell at him to save himself – the beasts are coming for me and I must kill them. I hear him this time,“You're crazy, man!” and he bolts out of the door and away from the station. I see a McDonalds bag in the trash and I light it and throw it on the gas. With a satisfying Ka-Whoosh, the gas lights and flames tower into the air. No more glowing eyes. Well this 'crazy man' just saved your life I think to myself.

This is enough to buy me time as I jump back into the car and squeal my tires as I get back on the road. The gas station is a distant glow in the rear view mirror as I enter the highway and settle in for the long drive to safety. But soon another light appears in the rearview mirror. The flashing lights of a police car.

I am the only car on the road, what could he be after me for? Then it hit me. In my haste to leave, I forgot to pay for the gas! But I need to get out of this place, I have no time for courtrooms. I press the accelerator and turn off my lights at the next exit. I use my emergency brakes to slow down and ease off the highway (saw this in a movie). The police flash by the exit, siren wailing.

Now I search for an apartment complex and slide into a parking spot. I have a few tools in the trunk and I get the license plate off of another car and put it onto mine (saw this on a CSI episode). All the while I am looking left and right. Not worried about anyone seeing me, but more worried about the cicadas. They are out there I know. Thankfully they are too busy breeding to pay attention to an easy meal below them in the parking lot.

The dog tries to worm his way around me as I open the door. I grab him by the collar and push him back onto the passenger seat. He cowers against the door. Fear makes one act in unusual ways. He will be able to feel safe once again when we reach Florida.

The rest of the trip is a blur. I drive straight through, only stopping for gas. Gradually we leave the desolated landscape behind. As the sun rises I can see leaves once again and grass. It is sunny and bright. But still I press on, I want to be as far away from those cursed creatures as possible.

Finally I go to where I can go no further. It's the beach. I come to a stop and open the door. The dog flies out of car and disappears into the woods behind me. I call his name but he does not come back. Well at least he is safe from those demon cicadas. I drop to my knees, thankful to be away from the plague.

Suddenly from behind me I hear that familiar buzzing of wings. My mouth drops open as I turn and look. A single cicada loaded with eggs buzzes away and disappears into the woods. Oh Florida, I think to myself, what I have I done...

2021 West Trip

Day one of the trip got off to a slow start. I had installed a new tire pressure monitoring system on the trailer. It had been a pain to set up – it took like an hour of going back and forth in the owners manual to figure out what had to be done to get it working right.

After all of that it started barking at us on route 35 just before we got on the interstate. Saying the tire pressure was too high. I had just guessed at a number and it was too low. I hadn't figured that the air inside the tire would heat up even in the winter due to the heat of the rubber against the road. So I did some quick math and reset the upper limit – problem solved.

I learned one lesson the hard way that first night. I had a new little buddy heater for inside the trailer. I set it on the stove that first night. Figuring that as the heat rose it would not damage the metal vent above the stove. Well the heater was at a slight angle and above the stove is the microwave. The heat caused cosmetic damage to the plastic cover. Yikes. It does not look pretty but it still works. Now the heater goes on the floor.

The 2^nd day on the road went fairly uneventful until that evening when we were about 5 miles from our destination – Wichita Falls. A car was merging and I went to the left lane after making a quick glance at the mirror. Suddenly a car zoomed into my view on the left. For a moment we had 3 vehicles across 2 lanes! When we got everything sorted out we saw that the reason we didn't see the car was that he had his lights off! What an idiot. A Texas highway patrol went by shortly after. We theorized that the trooper was looking for him and that was why his lights were off.

I will say that the highways in Eastern Oklahoma weren't too bad. But the roads in Western Oklahoma seemed to get progressively worse. Almost like they ran out of money when they got to that end of the state. After passing over another section of bumpy road, I quipped that no wonder they have so many bronc riders in Oklahoma – They just get a strap and see if they can hold onto their pick up truck for 8 seconds on the highway!

But it was nice to pass through and see the road signs for places you only heard of in country-western songs – El Paso, Abilene, Lubbock, Tulsa, Amarillo and so forth. We played some old time country music on Sirius and it helped put us in a Western frame of mind.

We arrived at Chosa Campground outside of Carlsbad Caverns and set up for the night. This was the 2^nd time around for Becky and I, it was Zach's 1^st visit. He was interested in some of the formations. Not sure how interested that he truly was, he is from the internet generation so it takes a lot to hold his interest. He did say that he liked the mountains in the area. I think from watching all of the Westerns, he recognizes the terrain.

Next place of interest was the Gila Cave Dwellings. It is a place that you really need to have a desire to get to. It is about 35 miles of winding, twisting roads. It must be an old game trails that got converted over to road. Speeds range from 25 to 35 miles per hour. It would be a great road on a motorcycle, not so much in a pickup truck. You definitely could not relax behind the wheel at all.

 

Becky wanted to go with us on the walk – despite her mobility problems. I cautioned her that the article I read showed that it was rugged terrain. On we went, and it was struggle at times for her. Both Zach and I had to help at times. Zach was a real trooper though, kicking rogue rocks off the trail and taking Becky by the hand - leading from the front while I trailed behind in case she fell backwards.

We finally made it to the caves. It seems like they would have made a very defensible location and well sheltered. The Mogollon Indians must have been short judging from the height of the roofs. Besides the caves, it was a good location for a settlement. A creek on one side and a spring on the other.

We spent the next day trying to check out Silver City. The museums were shut down due to quarantine and the restaurants were takeout only. We did get some take out from a Mexican restaurant. We were able to check out the humongous copper mine about 12 miles outside of town, that was about it as far as sightseeing. The tourism industry is taking a hit big time from Covid.

With an abundance of caution, we are getting Covid tested before seeing Mom to be sure that we did not pick up anything on the trip here. Then cooling our heels at a campsite in the Coronado National Forest for a few days to make sure no one gets a fever or any symptoms.

The camping area is called Sunny Flats. There is a dry stream bed nearby, but they must get some gully washers. The sign says that if there is rainy weather then the campground may close due to flooding. We are like 10 to 15 feet above the banks of the creek, so they must have some real gully washers.

So if floods weren't enough to worry about, the bulletins by the restrooms give cause for more concern. Keep dogs on a leash and small kids close by – there are dog eating cougars in the canyons. And yes that was cougars with an 's', so more than one apparently. Another posting says to watch for rabid foxes. Then of course to be wary of rattle snakes. Although with the snow on the ground, they are hibernating until warm weather. Anyway as Dorothy said, we are not in Kansas anymore.

There is a hiking trail by the campsite. It says Ranger station one mile – it must be an Arizona mile as I hiked a good ways and did not see it. I did see another couple and they said the trail does not go directly to the ranger station, you have to look for it through the trees. So there is a good chance that I walked right by it.

I did come across something curious on the trail, 2 small stone buildings with heavy steel doors that had a faded warning painted on them “Danger Explosives” both buildings looked to be long abandoned. A long lost mine closeby? Explosives used to clear out rock for the roads? I will have to find a ranger and ask.

It snowed during our stay – about 6 inches is my guess. It is supposed to warm to 60 by next week, bu t we will just have to hunker down for now. No cell service in this canyon, we have to drive about 8 miles or so to check email and such. So very primitive conditions for this era.

We got our Covid tests back as negative and so we proceeded to the ranch. There is substantial excavation where they appear to clearing the brush and making it into pasture. New barb wire and posts are up. They tore down the old wooden windmill that stood beside the road back to Mom's. It was sad to see a pile of rubble where it once stood. Progress I suppose, but for no more room that it took it seemed that it could have been left there or moved. It was part of the history of Rodeo.

Mom's truck wouldn't start – and it was right where we had parked the trailer last time. Close to the electric pole where we could plug into the outlet and power up the trailer. After trying unsuccessfully to jump start the truck, I got a chain and pulled it forward about 20 feet and we parked for the night. We did go inside and see Mom for a bit before turning in. Seemed to be in fairly good spirits and we had a few spirits ourselves before turning in.

The next day I had to run Mom to a pain clinic in Las Cruces. It was a long drive. They had her take a couple of Xanexs to steady her nerves before her pain shots. I think it was 1 to many as she slumbered all the way home and seemed unsteady when I walked her into the house. Hopefully the shots are beneficial, we will see in a few days when they kick in.

Zach was gung ho as a ranch hand while I was gone. We had discussed some things we could do to help out around the place the night before. So he went ahead and got a start on the projects. Getting the outside straightened out and getting a wood pile moved from the front yard to the back. I got home around 5 and he worked until dark when we brought him in for supper.

Grandma Susan has some health issues. She waited for us to get here on this visit so that she could be driven to a pain clinic for a shot. Then she got a corona virus vaccine. But we found that she had low oxygen from a COPD issue. So we had to take her to hospital and now she is on oxygen all of the time. She is a very reluctant patient. She has been very independent and now she is tethered to an oxygen tank.

Our tourist activities are in the background for the time being – at least until she is stable and has adapted to this new situation. She really wanted a back pack unit for mobility. But the small unit was not able to produce enough oxygen. So they did say they would try it again in a week and see if there was any improvement.

So Zach and I are getting some things done around the ranch, clean up, fixing fence, etc. We are doing some local sight seeing and looking for interesting rocks and minerals here and on the gravel roads. There was a giant volcano millions of years ago and created a lot of the rock formations and mountains in the area.

One local store that is worth noting is a mercantile store in Animas. It is an old timey general store that has a little bit of everything. Milk, eggs, fencing, hardware, just about anything that folks living in the middle of nowhere might need. While I was in there a couple of cow hands from a local ranch came in there. Had they not driven up in a big pick up truck, they would have looked like they rode in from the range circa 1885. One was huge – like a size bigger than me, the other was a Mexican fellow – both wore cowboy hats and boots. I felt like a greenhorn as compared to them.

I was surprised to find a town named Cotton – and yes they do grow cotton there. There were also several groves of pecans, a few irrigated hay operations and the always present cattle. I spoke to one of the nurses while waiting for a doctors visit to finish and found that she and her husband had about 300 cattle scattered over about 28 sections of land. Out here it takes many acres to support just one cow.

Part of the reason we came here was to give her rides to some medical procedures where she needed a driver. So we started making the rounds and early on we found she had low oxygen. So the 1st hospital we took her to put her on oxygen and released her - I think this was on Tuesday.

Then she got worse later this same week and we finally had to call for help and they took her by helicopter to another hospital. She was not in the best condition that morning, but she did ask for chicken soup and sat up in bed to eat it. But later that day she got less and less responsive. Finally I called 911.

She has had COPD and she now had some respiratory problems with fluid in the lungs and pneumonia. She was in pretty bad shape and we were fearful that this may be it. When the doctor is asking about do not resuscitate documents, you know it's serious.

But she is a tough old bird. I was surprised to get a call late last night from her. She has no memory of the helicopter ride. She let me know that she is getting better and we talked a little.

When we took her in, she seemed to be knocking on deaths door. Could barely speak and move. But she has done a 180 and is on the mend. She has not been released yet, but she should be going to an assisted living place for rehab in the next few days. We are still waiting for a long term prognosis - will she need oxygen from here on out or ?, how long will she need to stay in assisted living, etc.

Not happy with that 1st hospital, but I am satisfied with Gila Regional in Silver City. Also I have empathy with others who can't visit ill relatives due to Covid.

At the 1st hospital in Deming I had to sleep in the parking lot - she was not released until 4:30am. At that point, why bother releasing her, right?  Then I also had to deal with a hyper vigilant guard in the parking lot who was not happy where I parked to get wifi. I finally just left and went to a truck stop to browse a little and finally drift off to sleep.

Then I had to rely on phone calls to nurses and doctors to get statuses at the 2nd hospital - no visitors allowed. Next, I will have to talk through a window at the senior center when she is moved there.

Well Mom is not happy at all with the senior center. But we want to be 100% that she is stable and that the doctor OK's her release. They finally agreed to release her on Thursday. She still needs oxygen, so that looks to be an ongoing thing.

In the meantime, we took Zach on the long promised trip to Tombstone. He seemed to like it OK. We had a good meal at the Longhorn Saloon. Becky got a few items from the tourist shops. Zach was not interested in the shopping, but tolerated it well. We are going to do day trips during our stay so that we are close to Mom and aren't gone for an extended time.

We are making good use of our time here. Cleaning up both inside and outside. Keeping up with the horses and dogs. Adding rails to her steps and replacing some bad boards to make them more stable and safe. So things should be in good shape when she returns.

 

We did some exploring as well. We thought Mom's road was bad until we went down the way. The road goes into a T and we explored both ways. And we ended up turning around on both legs. We went left first and that dirt road continued into the mesquite. We had one place where the mesquite raked against the sides of the truck. Then there was a steep gully and it looked like the trail beyond was fairly nasty so we backed to good place to turn around and did so.

The other leg wasn't too hateful in the beginning. A bit rocky in places though. Then we came to a small washout where it was about a foot wide and maybe a foot deep. I wasn't going to take a chance on damaging the truck – it may have made it, then again maybe not. So again we turned around. The interesting thing was that at that washout you could see recent tracks where someone had gone over it. Wider tires with a deeper tread. There was a house a bit further down the road – very hardy individuals must live there.

Another day trip was to the Coronado National Forest. We went on paved road, then gravel, then dirt. There was melting snow from the mountains and so some of the roads were a bit muddy. I had put new tires on the truck the day before and that turned out be fortuitous as the terrain was challenging at times. No guard rails to speak off and there were some places with steep drop offs that were a bit scary. We went through a town named Paradise that had at most 12 houses in it. A very remote place, about 7 miles from paved roads. But the scenery was beautiful and the rugged rock formations made for great camera shots. So it was all worthwhile.

Mom was finally released from the senior center. She seemed a bit subdued, but pleased to be back home. She is still on oxygen so she have to adjust to that. She does seem to have more energy so the oxygen must be helping. We cleaned the house and moved stuff around – hopefully we did not disrupt things too much.

Mom has had a chance to get re-acclimated. She seems to have energy in bursts. So the oxygen is helping. Zach and I set a new post and gate, we are getting to be regular ranch hands. Mom has a friend that lives on a family place. The grandfather worked on cars and it carried forward through the generations. They all also accumulated old cars through the generatons. So behind the place is well over 100 cars from the 1950's on up. There are even 3-4 from before that. Lots of potential car and truck projects laying about, but they all take time and money.

We took some time to do exploring and went to the South of Mom's place. It was rugged going and finally made it to our destination. Zach wanted to check a rock formation at the top of the mountain. Since we were about 1/3 up Becky told him to go ahead. We found a few interesting rocks and then we saw that it was close to suppertime – and still no Zach. We had seen him at the peak earlier but it had been like an hour.

So I started going up the mountainside to search for him. When I got about 200 yards from the top, he finally responded to me shouting for him. He has young legs, despite my headstart – he beat me back to Becky. I congratulated him on scaling the mountain. He made it to the top of a mountain before me.

We saw a neighbor of Mom's, her name is Tato. She is 72 and rides a horse pretty much daily to check up on some cattle down the way. She said she used to rope calves when she was younger, but doesn't do that anymore. It is calving time so that is keeping her busy. She is spunky and spry for 72. When Becky asked, she said that she has not seen many gemstones the only thing she has seen is Apache tears near the base of some of the mountains.

I have been trying to walk a little each day. I keep my eyes open for unusual rocks for Becky's collection and also arrowheads. I was rewarded the other day when I found an Apache arrowhead about 200 yards to the NE of the house. I knew it was Apache because it was the same design as others that we saw at the Apache museum. So that was pretty cool to find one right here. Becky got lucky a day later and found two Apache tears on the property as well.

We have had to do a lot of driving to go to doctors, hospitals and pharmacies. Rodeo is fairly isolated – nothing is close by. I told Chelsea that imagine if you had to drive from our house to Columbus every time you needed anything. Walgreens, Walmart, TSC, the hospital – all well over an hours drive away. So lots of windshield time and if a prescription is messed up or there is some sort of snafu, then it was a wasted trip – that has happened a time or two.

The effort to get this one particular prescription is a story unto itself.  We get a prescription and I drive to CVS in Douglas (one hour drive) to get it filled.  I am informed once that I present the prescription that they cannot fill it - that the insurance company won't allow that drug for that particular problem.  That we need to go back to the doctor and get something else.

So we get a 2nd prescription after consulting the doctor and this time we have it sent to Walgreens that is about an hour and half away because I have to take Mom to that town for another doctor.  I go there and... they are out of stock! I find out that Silver City has it in stock so I drive there the next day (hour and a half one way).

I go there only to find out that the copay is pretty darn high.  Something like $250 as I recall.  Well its your mother, so what do you do - you pay the price.  Mom couldn't believe that it was that high, she said lets get the money back. So we go there like a week later because she has another doctors appointment in Silver City.  They said that it had to be returned within 24 hours for a refund.  We explained the distances involved and so forth to no avail.  So that was an experience that was totally frustrating all the way around.

After Mom was back home and doing better Becky and I went on a weekend excursion to Wilcox, AZ. There are several wineries in the area that we wanted to visit. It was a good weekend. We started with a visit to a winery at the edge of town and then an Apache museum. We did a bit of antiquing and then ate at an authentic Mexican restaurant.

Our server was only 15 years old, but was very good and she helped correct our spanish when we tried to use the lingo. The food was great. They needed better signage though. Our GPS said we arrived and we looked around and there was a small sign on front of a building that simply said restaurant. I told Becky that this must be it – this looks to be the only restaurant on this block. But nothing with the actual name of the restaurant could be seen. 

The next night we went to a place where 3 wineries went shares on a building and so you could taste wines from all 3 wineries without having to drive around. So that was very convenient. We bought a bottle of wine from each winery. That night we went to a local steakhouse – great reviews online, but our experience was subpar. My steak was not that good and my potato was cold. So you roll the dice and sometimes it comes up snake eyes.

But Wilcox on the whole is a nice place. And plenty of tourist activities. Several small museums – both singers and actors have come from Wilcox, we had no idea – we were only there for the wine! Rex Allen and Marty Robbins both have museums. Tonya Tucker was from there, she was from our era so that was interesting for us. Definitely worth a visit and I know we will be going back some day.

Zach wanted to see Bisbee,AZ since his mother had been there. Zach was not enthused about all the little shops there. But Becky sure liked them. We did the Queen mine tour which is always interesting. We did eat at a cafe in Bisbee – there are nice little cafe's sprinkled all over downtown. We have been there a couple of times and have not been disappointed either time. The museum was closed due to covid, so we will have to see that another day.

We did get to see a real cowboy on the trip. There is a huge cattle operation that has 3,500 head of cattle. They will sell hay – cash only. Mom needed some hay, so off we went to get some. It was such a huge place. They use front loaders to mix the cattle feed in a huge hopper that grinds/mixes the feed. While I was there the 1^st trip a few cattle had gotten out of a pen and were on the gravel road.

And like a scene from the old west, a cowboy comes barreling down the road on a mustang. He passes the cattle and heads them off. He stops the horse hard in front of me in a cloud of dust. The mustangs front feet are braced in front, its haunches are low in the back as it slides to a stop with dust billowing and gravel flying. He wheels the horse around and with a whoop races back down the road to turn the cattle back to the pen that they had escaped from. It was worth the trip just to see that - a taste of what the old West was like.

On a later trip I got to talk to him, a really nice guy. His name is Nathen and he has been working cattle all of his life and is happy there on the ranch. I think that as long as they kept him fed, he would work there for free – as long as he got to ride his mustang, he was more at home riding it than riding on a front loader.

We put a lot of time into riding Mom's Mule – the vehicle, not the animal. We needed to stay close to home to keep an eye on Mom, so we did a lot of exploring locally. We would take off driving for an afternoon and go a different direction each day. Found lots of interesting rocks and minerals. Thank goodness that it is 4 wheel drive, there were several washouts where it was treacherous to cross and a 2 wheel drive vehicle probably would have gotten stuck. Becky wants one now and those things aren't cheap.

Overall the trip seemed to do Zach some good. He enjoyed the quiet and serenity of the desert. He liked to go on walks and also drive the Mule down the gravel roads in this area. He said that he would like to go back again – which we plan to do.

We got to see lots of wildlife. There was a small herd of pronghorn antelope that were grazing next to the highway one day. Javelinas – mostly from a distance, but one morning we saw a big one next to the highway. Bobcats – twice; once when we were driving back to Mom's at dusk. “Hey look two cats crossing the road, hey wait – they don't have any tails, they must be bobcats.” Then the one I kicked up out of his den when I was climbing the mountain. All kinds of birds: quail, road runners, hawks, cranes, etc. Small lizards on the mountain climb.

All in all a good trip and the weather in New Mexico beat the winter cold of Ohio. Mom felt bad that we didn't get to do quite all the side trips that we had planned because of having to care for her, but I told her not to worry that we were where we needed to be.