2-- Mustangs, Hard Rock, & Mother Trucker

 

2^nd night on the road, 4/27 

We park our coach for the overnight in the barnyard among the corrals filled with horsey butts, and the rest of their anatomies in Alhambra Illinois, somewhere north of St Louis.

Debbie is excited at the Legendary Mustang Sanctuary even thought it's north of St. Louis and nowhere near what you think of as West.  When we arrived, Kathy and Sean were very accommodating and spent about an hour introducing us to all the horses they currently have and the history of the work that they do!  It started 23 years ago when the owners received their first 2 wild mustangs from out west where the government rounds the horses up.   As we learned on a previous trip, the  BryRV blog from October of 2020, the BLM (no –not those political anarchists, rather the bureaucrats) told us the wild horses are ruining the environment with their unrestricted breeding, so they are herded together and disposed of. The lucky ones find loving families while the others end up in places like glue factories.

Kathy tells us that's only The Government Version –and far from accurate in her worldview.  She says Mother Nature is very good at controlling any species' population.  When the resources run insufficient, critters will die.  Even us humans.

Kathy had wanted to offer a Mustang sanctuary for a long while, but Sean doubted they would be able to get the horses able to be ridden.  To their surprise, they were able to gentle the horses and ride them with a saddle within 30 days, each one.  Sean uses an approach as seen in the movie, The Horse Whisperer, not the bronco busting as in the old westerns.  Over the years, they have been able to save many of these horses and get them adopted, and they have connections all over this country for adoption.

We move on to the Tulsa, Oklahoma area, for the third night.   The moment Debbie uses the O-word, the words and music that John's mother listened to frequently decades ago filled his head: where the wind comes sweeping down the plains and the waving wheat, it sure smells sweet... Yeah, like that.  As unforgettable as She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah and other tunes from his generation.

The Hard Rock Café casino hotel is in Catoosa, OK.  No wheat, but lots of concrete and asphalt where we set up for free in the parking lot.  Then we pay for a buffet dinner in a very loud ambient setting.  Rock music from a live dance floor, from the ceiling speakers, and from– everywhere and all at once. For $24 a plate, the food is... food. The only take away for us is that the place is operated by the Little River Band –far off the reservation we had believed was in Michigan. We are in a well lit parking lot near a main road, not far from City Life.  The night is a far cry from the quiet, rural farm of the previous night.  Debbie decides we're going to Amarillo tomorrow night, which is a 51/2 hour trip, unless we want to make it shorter and stop somewhat earlier.  Either way is a campground, electricity and sewer and probably a shower.  And John has been wanting to see Texas anyway.

On the fourth night, Debbie and John meet neighboring campers No Rain & Shawn at the Double D RV Park just off I40.  It's a pull-in park in Texola, OK.  Fifteen seconds of this gives you an idea how the park appeared four years ago: https://youtu.be/3kTeQidAMl0?t=35 [and the video drone pilot. Bonus!].  2022 is much more dusty at the end of April and the adjacent restaurant is closed and posted for sale.   But it is a nice price for the overnight with enough power for the necessary air conditioners and other mobile house accessories.

No Rain is a Cherokee from Arizona, but they hail from in Pennsylvania and are headed eastward for the summer, hoping to dodge Southwest America's scorching heat in New England.  To be more accurate, they live On The Road now –fulltime RVers, checking in with family members in their wanderings.  No Rain also is a grandmother trucker. They visit for half an hour or so of nice conversation and email address trading and Debbie takes notes where to go in Arizona.  No Rain gives us some excellent suggestions about places around and near Cottonwood, AZ.  She touts the Verde Valley Railroad ride, a 20-mile long tourist trap (something like the Coopersville-Marne Railway in West Michigan, but with red rock canyons!).  She also advises that we visit the the old mining town of Jerome, as well as Red Rock State Park in Sedona.  Sure!  We're just wandering anyway and, now, Debbie has a reason to go to Sedona!  Stay tuned, it's only a couple doors away, almost.

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When No Rain and Shawn knocked on the door, John scooped his fleece-lined shirt-jac off the floor where he stores it frequently (much to  Debbie's dismay) and hung it on the driver's chair which is still handy (and annoys Debbie somewhat less).  When they leave, Debbie "suggests" the closet would be better as this night's low was not jacket weather.  So, keeping peace in the family, John lifts it from the chair only to find it suddenly heavier than he remembers.

Now, keep in mind he's worn this for three days/evenings on the road and Debbie even threw it at him while he pumped diesel in Tulsa because a bitter wind was blowing.  John even jammed his hands in the pockets in lieu of gloves.  This is the same garment that hangs by the back door at home and was included in the wallet search several times over the past two weeks.  But tonight– it is heavier– and there's a lump in the pocket– and the lump is the wayward wallet!  Glory be!  John's happy to have all his cards again, except that he was self-embarrassed over not finding it and had to spend $24 for a replacement driver's license.  

Oh, well... Onward & Westward.