Hello all,Hooking up the trailer to my Tundra we discovered the connection did not work and had no choice but to move out with no trailer brakes or lights. We headed back north to I-40 going through Abilene. I suggested to Levi we could stop off in Sweetwater and see if there were any rattlesnakes that were not caught in the last "Rattlesnake Roundup" but he wasn't interested (neither was I but it was fun to tease him) and we drove on to Amarillo. The land is flat and we drove for miles not seeing a living creature then the crude oil smell hit us like a ton of bricks. The strangest thing to see was the windmills in West Texas. We marveled at how some of the fans move slowly while others moved quickly and as we got closer I realized that they were humongous. One blade alone would take an 18 wheeler to move it.
Noting that there were no Auto Parts stores open on Sunday, actually there were no stores of any kind open on this route, we decided to stay the night at the first motel we saw. So around 9 pm when it was too dark to drive safely we pulled into the Days Inn for the night. The rooms were the most expensive we would find on our trip and the wall paper was peeling at every seam. But, I was exhausted and crashed as soon as I found our room. Levi noted I slept with my jeans on....maybe it was a good idea....not knowing what was behind the peeling wallpaper.
Early Monday morning around 6 am we hustled through Amarillo traffic and headed out on I-40 in search of an Auto Parts store. Stopping at truck stops when we hit half a tank we pick up every imaginable junk food known to mankind. Note, the Jalapeno and Cheese Hot Dogs are very hard on the digestive system and the restrooms at all truck stops are not created equal. Crossing the state line into New Mexico around 10 am we found an Auto Zone and the fella, Robert, who helped us was great. We tried every connector in the store but nothing work. Finally we decided we could either have brakes on the trailer or lights but not both. Robert suggested we unscrew the adapter that Levi brought with him and it would give us lights. Note, the trailer brakes would not work....this thought hung in the back of mind for the duration of the trip and was highlighted in big bold letters as we traveled across the Hoover Dam later that evening.
Folks on the road were polite but mostly in a hurry, The interstate we choose, I-40, had awful pot holes, guess this will be the next road construction site. Speaking of construction our trip was filled with one lanes and waiting. It was great to have someone to talk with on the trip. Levi and I discussed every aspect of human existence and sang every George Strait song on his CD. Needing to stretch our legs and desperate for a restroom we stopped at a little gift shop in new Mexico with Teepee's. We were at the Continental Divide and we discovered this great photo op..... 
Next we rolled on down the highway and found a great stop for a potty break. Chief Yellowhorse was the owner and he made jewelery. The continuous buildings were manned by his children and held lots of Indian blankets, jewelery and leather goods. Levi who is a card carrying Western Cherokee insisted we try their Fry Bread and I'm glad we did. Great stuff......soft flat bread still warm from the fryer, drizzled with local honey and powered sugar. Did I mention we added four inches to our waist lines on this trip?Big high fives were all around when we crossed over into the Arizona state line. Soon we were in Flagstaff and what a lovely area it is. The temperature dropped and we were grabbing jackets and feeling a bit sorry for the folks back home in the 106 degree temperatures. The trees were vibrant green and the smell of sweet rain made us roll our windows down and share in mother natures sweet showers. Unfortunately, the asphalt on the interstate was still very poor but the scenery made the drive more enjoyable and the easy, melodies of the Eagles filled our truck cab.
Several hundred miles later we entered Kingman, AZ and headed north on Hwy 93. The land grew flat, I mean flat as a pancake and I wondered if the hills we passed through we a mirage. I also wondered what the cost of a room in Las Vegas would be considering our Amarillo motel stay. Cars with California license plates left us in the dust as we drove parallel with Death Valley. All was going well till I saw the signs for the Hoover Dam. Damn, I thought.... I can handle this (OK so I do have a fear of heights....) but when we were pulled over for inspection I remembered the trailer brakes, or lack thereof - on no.....my hands began to sweat and my heart beat did double, maybe triple time. The young officer was nice enough and I remained very quiet. He passed us on. Now, we were hugging the curves and checking out the light show. All was well, until, Levi's cell phone rang. We were driving very slowly around the mountain and dodging the sightseers who were walking across the road and it's Levi's friend Paul. "NO" I said grabbing the cell phone with my sweaty palms, "please do not answer his call until we are off the Hoover Dam and keep both hands on the wheel". Well, that told Levi I was a scared and he decided this could be great fun.......until I informed him if he didn't keep both hands on the wheel and eyes ahead I was not paying for a hotel room that night.
I must admit the lights around Hoover Dam were impressive but they were no match for the lights of Vegas. Just outside of a small town called Henderson we began to see this large city of fun. We were exhausted and decided to try our luck at a Casino Hotel combination. We took an exit where a sign bragged $30 rooms at place called Sam's Town. I was game and Levi said he had stayed at one in Tunica, Mississippi. Thinking we would look rather different driving the strip of Vegas with our boarded up exotic Stock trailer I quickly agreed. Amazing, how parking becomes a huge concern when you have a stock trailer hooked to your truck. Even more of a concern when there is a critter it.
Sam's Town turned out to be great. The rooms were in fact only $30 per night and several notches better than the Days Inn. We arrived around 10 pm and again I was ready to fall into the bed. Traveling is hard for an old lady and with all the emotions of seeing new places and excitement of meeting our new equine friend for the first time was beginning to take it's toll. So, I agreed to go down to the Casino for only a little while. Taking a $20 bill I tried my hand at the $1 machines. Once I reached $34.14 I cashed out. Note, I am not a wild, risky one when it comes to gambling. So we stepped up the bar and ordered a drink. Still having visions of the Hoover Dam in my mind and thinking of our return trip through those winding roads I ordered an Amaretto - straight - no ice{:> The bartender was a nice fella and asked if we were tourist....yeah, kinda, it was written all over us with iridescent markers. We explained why we were in Las Vegas and he understood. He had strong opinions about BLM and shared them readily. The fella sitting next to me overheard our conversation and said he was an electrician from Michigan. He added he was in Nevada to install electrical service to the "man huts". These would be the housing for folks who would be building the pipeline.....pipeline, oh, my, gosh. It hit me like a ton of rocks. That must be the reason the Mustangs are being roundup and moved out.
Ordering another drink to shake off the new emotions, I took out my original $20, pocketing the $14.14 for dinner, and headed over to the Black Jack table. There I discovered others really want to teach you the game and even help as we are all trying to beat the dealer. Our dealer was a nice enough lady but I noticed she was becoming impatient with me when I hit 21 three times in a row. She also gave me a stern lecture on my hand signals. "HANDS on the table", she said. OK No worries and once the novelty wore off I cashed my $25 dollar winnings in and ask Levi to join me for dinner at TGIF's We dined on the appetizers menu as they were half price that night and people watched. Always great fun....especially at a Casino. I left Levi at the dance floor watching uncoordinated folks doing the Salsa and headed up to my room. The time change was catching up with me and the fluffy pillows where calling my name.
Next morning, I woke refreshed, energized and eager to see our young, bay, stud colt with the most beautiful black dredlocks. So, showering and dressing as quickly as possible I was out and ready to greet Reno. We walked several blocks to our truck and trailer.....no valet parking with an exotic stock trailer in tow....and headed onto highway. Driving north for our approximate 6.8 hour drive we soon saw two bright pink Hummers. They stopped at a gas station and so did we. We were determined not run out of gas so every time we were below a half of tank we agreed to stop for more. Levi spoke with one of the Hummer drivers and he said there were sight seeing company and the folks traveling with them were from Brazil. Cool, I knew would meet interesting folks on this trip.
Next gas station was over several hundred miles down Hwy 95. The friendly proprietor gave us a map and we chatted a bit. They had an adjacent building with a sign which read, Cherry Patch, open 24/7. Seeing the look on my face Levi informed me that we were in Nevada and prostitution is legal. OK, yes, I was curious but did not step inside. Levi walked in but said no one was there. I guess the economy is hitting every profession.
On Veterans Memorial Highway we saw dark mountains, dry land and cactus. The cactus look almost like trees but we saw no creatures except the impatient ones who would hover on your tailgate till they could pass. The sage grass was abundant, I can see why it is the state plant. We soon found a little place known as Mina, population less than 100, mostly adults. There is one family with six kids but they bus them to next town for schooling. The gas station is also a general store with lots of antiques. Things I remembered from Grandmama's house, like gloves, hats, green bottles, mason jars, cast iron skillets and rocks. OK, no Grandmama didn't allow rocks in her house as you were expected to take your boots off before you came through the door. But, the rocks at the General Store in Mina were really neat, different colors, shapes and sizes. We gassed up, borrowed the key to the restroom and chatted with the lady for a few minutes. She was a true Nevadian. She loved the land which we found so different from where we are from. She suggested we take the time to hike across the mountain on the east side of North Hwy 95 and see the wild flowers and river stream. She also knew her directions better than anyone we would meet on our trip. She took us right to Palomino Valley and Pyramid Lake through her mind's eye. My excitement was growing and I decided the people we met in Vegas were not true Nevadians. She and folks in her little town were the true Nevadians.
On the road again, we passed through Mercury and Goldfield, little mining towns that still retain the spirit of the "big" find. I did note in Goldfield there were more bars and saloons than Churches. So I guess many drown their loses and moved on to the next town. Hawthorne was a grand sight with the most beautiful body of water called Walker's Lake. I saw a herd of wild Mustangs in a distance and the aqua blue water looked so peaceful. It is also the base for the military Ammunition Plant with concrete buildings sprouting up from every corner of the vast landscape. The Walker River Indian Reservation, was true to the picture of Nevada in my mind. Mountains of shades of soft greens, pastel pinks, and gray horizons stretching from left to right. Levi and I did note the oddest thing. There were dead trees planted every few miles apart with a long tag on it. Of course, I said," that could not be, who in there right mind would plant trees in the desert?"......as soon as it came out of my mouth I remembered why we were driving a trailer into this landscape and we both mouthed the words...."our government" at the same time. Another note of interest, we saw over 50 bright yellow road signs with pictures of bulls, cows and calves crossing but not once did we see the cattle. We also drove over the cattle guards that Joe Bidden spoke of needing to do more for their money. I am sure there are reasonable explanations for these things but when you are just a few hundred miles from the world's "Loneliest Highway in America", also known as Lincoln Highway 50 you have time to think about things and sometimes come to conclusions be it right or wrong.
We reached Fallon around 3:15pm Nevada time or 5:15 Texas time. My cell phone would not change to the West Coast time so I just got use to and reduce everything by two. I called up the gentleman at BLM Palomino Valley, Timothy Green, and got directions to their place. He mentioned we were 45 minutes away and they closed at 4pm. So Levi and I decided to go into Reno and get a room for the night. Yes, I was bummed, another day had come and gone and I still had not see my little fella, Firefly.
We drove around the neat little town of Reno and decided to stop at the El Dorado. I jumped out of the truck and Levi circled the block while I went in to inquire about a room. Only a few rooms were left as it was an "oldies" car get together week. Man, there was more shiny cars in that one town than all the ants in Texas at a Brisket BBQ with sweet tea and Banana Pudding. When they said "Let the good times" they meant it. The place was filled to the brim with middle age couples enjoying the casinos and dinning. We tried our hands at a few slot machines but I could tell my luck was not with me and suggested to Levi we grab a bite to eat. The El Dorado is adjacent to the Legend Hotel and Casino and before we knew it we were walking into another hotel with more machines, restaurants and lounges. We smelled a familiar wonderful smell and decided the steak house was tops on our menu. But, unfortunately, this steak house was for the folks who were on an expense account or who had just won lots of bucks on the craps table. We ordered a beer and peeked at the menus. The tables were nice but the look on our waiter's face told me he didn't think we belonged there. Guess, it was the dusty boots I was wearing. Thinking I was really needing to start wearing my glasses so I could see better I fumbled into my pocketbook, found them and put them on. Ok, it didn't help much the prices were the same. So, I said Levi, "I'm buying and you choose anything you want". He glance as me as if I'd lost my mind. When the waiter with the personality of a limp fish arrived at our table and asked for our order I spoke softly saying I would have the Clam Chowder soup. He looked over his black rimmed glasses and with a torque frown on his pale lips asked "a cup or a bowl?" I said, "Bowl, please". He looked at Levi with hopes of a better tipping customer and Levi quickly said, "I'll have the same". Two beers and two bowls of soup came to $40 without a tip. But, it was one of the best bowls of Clam Chowder I have ever tasted and I grew up on the East Coast. We meandered around for a while and I headed to bed. Tomorrow was a big day and I wanted to be well rested.
When I spoke with Tim Green on Tuesday he mentioned the Coggins had not been received so I was preparing myself for another day in Reno. We decided not to hook up the trailer when we headed out to meet Tim as we could not leave without the Coggins and medical documents. Headed north to Pyramid Lake we passed through a little town called Sparks. I found excitement in every curve and turn. I knew when I saw the beautiful horses of every size and color we were there. We turned onto a little road called Ironwood and followed the well beaten path to the BLM Equine Holding Facility. I began snapping photos of everything. 
The other horses were not only beautiful they were friendly and as they say a picture speaks a thousand words.....
Then, I looked to my left and saw the cutest sight, brand new baby donkeys (burros).....oh, I have always been an admirer of big ears and big personalities.....
While, I went back into the office to sign paperwork, Levi, choose to stay out and meet the horses. He found a little one with a lopped ear who loved to be scratched. Again, it amazed me how these horses were so friendly. 
Levi walked over to a pen where horses who were recently rounded up were being housed. They were still running at the sight of humans. The photos didn't come out well but they were some of the most gorgeous roans I have ever seen. Horses of every age and size.
Back to Palomino Valley we drove and I was high with adrenalin. I remembered our picking up Golden Red, Blossom and Little Black Fish in Paul's Valley, OK. I video taped it and still cry when I view it. Golden Red was so scared and frightened, she was banging her head on the top bar of the shute as they tried to get her to move on through. Blossom was at her side but protected by mama every step of the way. This time was different, way different. Firefly was calm. All the horses looked great, as the pictures show. One of the young men who was helping us readily agreed to give us some Alfafa for our road trip home. We had brought some of Coastal Bermuda Hay but since Firefly was eating Alfafa I wanted to keep him on it for the trip and until he got use to good ole' Texas Coastal.
The young man asked if I wanted his tag and yes, I sure did. I have placed it in my hope chest along with my three son's mementos. Next, they whistled and he came on through. They even helped us rig a rope to open and close the mid section of our trailer so we could go in and out with water buckets on our trip back home. Jeb, who knew more about horses in his little finger than I do in my entire body, gave us directions through Pyramid Lake to avoid the traffic in Reno and we were on the road again. Just like Walker Lake it was beautiful, so still, serene and peaceful. I asked Levi to pull over for a photo to capture the moment and sweet Firefly was very patient. One note to self, beware of the beautiful wild, sage bushes...they have thorns{:...We continued through a little town called Nixon and Arthur S. Jackson Memorial Hwy to I-80 and headed back the way we came through Fallon. The alfalfa fields were freshly mowed and the plants waiting their day had beautiful bluish-purple flowers on top. Back through on the Memorial Highway we drove stopping for gas at every gas station whether we needed it or not. We remembered clearly the sign posted on the gas station- general store in Mina...."after hours fueling an additional $25 fee"
Almost immediately I asked Levi, "what do you think of Firefly?" He responded, "Sparky looks good". "Sparky?" Well Levi knows by now that I name everything and names are important to me. In addition, I give everyone at least four names and always Golden is in there somewhere. Black Rock's Golden Firefly was named for the fact that his little band of brothers and sisters were thought to live by a watering hole in the Black Rock Mountains. For years, they were left in peace while other Mustangs were rounded up and the water hole was their subsistence. Fireflies are also known to congregate around standing water. Unfortunately, I did not miss the analogy of capturing fly-flies as a little girl for my pleasure and forgetting to release before they died in their jar. I only hope I can be a better friend to Sparky and allow little his wonderful personality light up others lives as he does mine.
So Sparky he became and secretly, I like it . It also rolls off the tongue much easier than Firefly after having a cold beer{:>
Levi's dad has a trucking business and knowing my dreaded concern of crossing the Hoover Dam with Sparky and a trailer with no brakes....(and did I mention we would be going up hill on the back) he called his Dad with a simple question. Whats the best route to take back home? His dad knows the roads like the back of his hand and could tell us in seconds what the next town would be. He noted we would see wild Burros near Beatty and we'd better gas up before Luning, NV. He was right.....he suggested we go into California taking the trucker route and miss the Hoover Dam. I was all for it and decided it would be great to say I traveled through five states in less than forty-eight hours. But, atlas, the road through California was traveled by what seemed every trucker in America and the DOT of CA decided it was a good night to do road construction. We traveled at a crawl most of the way.
We stopped only for gas and potty breaks. Determined to get Sparky home as soon as possible we grabbed junk food at every stop and once when we could not keep our eyelids open without toothpicks we stopped in a gas station parking lot outside of Needles, CA for a few zzzzz's.
Feeling comfortable that I could take the wheel and being dog tired Levi gave up and I drove starting in Deming, Arizona. We gassed in Tucson and I-10 looked tremendously like the land we just left. We watered Sparky at our stops and people were really impressed to see a Curly Mustang. Sparky, already living up to his name, has a Sparkling personality. I would walk up to the trailer and he would smell me and blow warm sweet breathes through the slants. I bragged about this to Levi who quickly put me in my place and said he had already touch him.
Once we hit New Mexico it was clear where we were. We were passing through the Nightly News at 6's latest coverage of the border crossings. My first clue was numerous white SUV's with Border Patrol written in green letters on the doors on the shoulder of road and the camouflaged ATV's with men in camo attire waiting in the medians. I looked out over the vast desert land while Levi slept and felt a deep gut wrenching emotion. The Rio Grande was not that wide and could have been swam across by adults but little ones surely were put in perilous harm. The land was full of cactus and sand and the very idea of walking across it made me shiver. The conditions those folks were leaving must be hell to go through that only to be put through more when they arrived. I am not a political activist and proudly belong to the "politician who makes the most sense" party, which, unfortunately, I have not been able to find for quite a while now. I believe in American pride and understand the both sides of immigration concern. Also, I see the parallel of this issue and the BLM Mustang roundups. I do believe in solutions and worry that greed has taken over our country's government like the Kudzu weed has taken over the southern states of American. Being from North Carolina it is not lost on me that the government and people in Maryland and Virginia work together in their annual Wild Horse of Assateague Island and Chincoteague swim and roundup.
Crossing into the Lone Star state was a great feeling. I worried about the Border Check and just knew Sparky would see light at the end of the trailer once the door was opened and be last seen galloping away in the Franklin Mountains. Strangely, we only had to wait for about fifteen minutes and when our turn came up we were waved on through. Guess, we didn't look too suspicious but the sedan with grandmama and grandpapa they pulled over must have.
Gosh, it felt good to be back in the Lone Star state even if we did have another nine hours to drive. We drove through Van Horn and saw a golf course in the middle of nowhere. Yes, it was getting dark but I am sure I saw it. Continuing down the road with fresh new junk food to fuel our bodies we found I-20. Ok, now, I know I am almost home as I-20 goes within ten miles north of our ranch about 30 miles outside of Dallas. Wahoo, I was feeling good until we realized we were low on gasoline. Well, we were just outside of Odessa.......Midland and Pecos. How hard was it find gasoline? We saw buildings in the distance and were past the 1/4 mark. Levi pulled off at the exit and we found ourselves in Toyah, Texas. There was not a living soul in Toyah, Texas. Not even an dead armadillo on the side of the road. We remembered our little one gallon gas tank in the back of the pickup and quickly poured it in. The gas marker barely budged. Well, if we are going run out of gas it might as well be on the interstate so we pulled back on the road and held our breathe.
Boy, a Flying J Truck Stop never looked so good. We pulled in and gassed up. Levi grabbed a pizza slice and I yearn for the meatloaf and mashed potatoes on the buffet but settled for a fast, dry, prepackaged, chicken sandwich. Once we were ready I took the watering bucket over to a hose to fill it up for Sparky. The water was hot. I mean scalding hot. Being in Texas for the last twenty odd years I have learned that on hot summer days the water in the hose gets hot too. But, after almost seven minutes of no temperature change and being low on patience. I marched into the store with my little red bucket. First, the girls at the counter were unconcerned and told me to take it into the bathroom where I explained those little faucet handles would not allow me to fill it up. Then one said, you can go into the maintenance room and get water there. OK, no problem. Well to get to the maintenance room you had to walk through the lounge where half dressed men waited for their turn in the shower. Didn't matter to me I was on a mission to get my Curly Mustang, Sparky, some nice cold drinking water.
Sparky feeling a tab bit refreshed from the cool water break and I feeling overwhelming stuffed with yet more junk food in my stomach, Levi and I continued down the road. We saw lights in Odessa and smelled the distinct smell of the refinery. Soon, we were back on I-20 and passing signs showing the amount of miles to Sweetwater. At midnight, my body said, "Wahoo there little Missy" it time to shut down and I pulled into a rest area and parked beside half a dozen big rigs. Just as I laid my seat back for some shut eye Levi's phone rang. He friend Paul was checking to make sure all was well and to give him an update on their horses. A few minutes later Levi turned to me and said, "OK, I'm awake let's switch" and he took the wheel. I slept like a babe in her mother's arms waking finally as we merged onto Hwy 175 just South of LBJ. At 5:25 am we pulled into the ranch and since we both too tired and groggy to speak clearly we simply smiled at our safe arrival back home. Sparky's water was refilled and he had lots of alfalfa to last a while so we decided to wait until we were fully awake to unload him into his new stall. I checked on all my babies and they nickered soft hellos. Creeping into the house I found my handsome hubby waiting with a cup of coffee. I kissed him good morning and slowly crawled into the shower. My bed never felt so nice and I slept till noon.
We drove the truck and trailer over to the round pen which is attached to the corrals and stalls according to BLM specifications and welcomed Sparky to Golden Curls Ranch. He made a quick exit and immediately whinnied to the other horses. All our Curlies were aware of the new arrival and responded with a chorus of Hellos.Black Rock's Golden Firefly, Sparky, is now munching on alfalfa at his forever home and I am pleased with how well our trip went. We have taken the first step of our journey. The next step will be our biggest. Trust.
All our best, Angie and Sparky
