Pronghorn Are Not Antelope

In all the miles we have driven, seeing wildlife is an unusual event even in some of the most remote places we pass through.  Today though was different.  I spied a herd of pronghorn from my side of the coach.  At first I thought deer and then antelope.  But the horns were wrong.  They rose straight up from the head of one of the animals, obviously a male.  He was accompanying about five others that seemed to include a juvenile or two and some females.  It was exhilarating to see them from above on the highway but it all happened so fast I was not able to photograph them.  The photos above and below are from the Web.

These beautiful animals are the fastest hoofed animals in North America and can reach speeds up to 60-miles per hour.  Interestingly these animals are unique to North America.

Yesterday we passed by Fernley Basin.  It is part of an irrigation attempt started in the late 1800s to bring water from Lake Tahoe to this Nevada area via the Truckee River (the source of that river) to combine with the Carson River.  Then using both, the intent was to create an irrigation system to support agriculture over a 400,000 acre parcel of land in western Nevada.  Apparently this resulted in the usual battles over water (just as we saw in California) that continues to this day.  Interestingly, at one time San Francisco even wanted to claim Lake Tahoe as its water source!  But I could go on for pages telling about the battle for water in this area, so I will leave the history behind this photo to those of you who wish to research more about it on the Web.  It makes for interesting and frustrating reading all at the same time...

Today was our eighth anniversary.  The years have passed so quickly, it is hard to believe.  We went out to dinner last night at a local truck stop called Bella's.  It is one of three truck stops in Wells, Nevada which has just two exits and about three main streets.  We are in the western Nevada high desert on Interstate-80 traveling easterly and tomorrow we turn north and will reach Idaho.

As a note of humor, at dinner we spied a framed Wall Street Journal article about Bella.  It described how in Nevada the legal, oldest profession thrived during the Salt Lake City Olympics.  We did not see any evidence of that during dinner.  It seems now Bella is involved in promoting the sale of espresso and coffee beans.

And that is it for today's edition of "As the World Turns" from along the road...

Chris and Jim

A Man and His Horse

"Hands", as the spotted Appaloosa horse is named, is in love with Jeffrey.  The feeling is mutual.  We stayed with both of them in an RV park Jeffrey owns and manages single handedly in Bridgeport, CA.  He is amazing.  With a work ethic that beats most, he is at his job from dawn to dusk.  The park shows his effort.

Hands (and Jeffrey) are older gentlemen and this is their summer endeavor at the edge of a reservoir that is barely hanging on.  The once marina and RV park now exist above a pasture lying between them and the water in the distance.  It is a grand view toward the west and the Sierra Nevada mountains and I don't care about the distance to the water.

Jeffrey told me to watch for the stars.  Here with no lights to interfere, the stars on a clear, cool night are strewn across the sky like a pouch of diamonds thrown onto a black velvet covered counter. Awesome is the only word to describe the wonder of them.

This is a serene place to reconnect with your soul or whatever inner essence you dare to hold dear. Here you can reconnect with it in the evening silence that surrounds you.  Watching the sun set over the mountains, I am keenly aware of the majesty of the earth.  It overwhelms the infinitesimal existence of mankind.  Is there not something in that to be grateful for?

I look forward to a return to this place as a reminder of what is truly important in life.  A place to connect with what and whom one holds dear.

Pioneer Yarn Company

We are in Minden, Nevada getting ready to drive north to Idaho this morning.  I am looking forward to the journey.  It will take us three days of driving to reach our destination.

I managed to motivate myself out the front door of the coach just before 7am this morning to get in a 15-minute walk in just over 60 degrees.  Walking felt invigorating and the view of the nearby mountains in the early morning sun was delightful.  I also have the satisfaction of seeing some activity on my Fitbit.  Hurray!

Yesterday I visited a yarn shop called Pioneer Yarn Company that I discovered here last year when we stayed in Minden.  It is a fabulous store and it feels wonderful to walk in its front door and see the topnotch selection.  I admire the manager.  Kim Christensen is so helpful.  Again this year she assisted me in making a perfect selection from all of her tempting offerings.

It is awesome having a baby girl to knit for.  Well, I knit for her mom too.  There is something comforting in knitting.  It is the movement of hands and the creation of something useful.  The personal connection to a garment that has every fiber passing through one's fingers makes it satisfying to create and give.  I will start on this adorable sweater with less fear of failure than usual because I have already knitted one for her.

The joy of knitting for a baby is the rapid result.  My personality likes starting new things, finishing them quickly and moving on to the next endeavor.  It is a trait that spreads across every job, home and craft I have ever tackled.  But that's ok.  I've learned to accept it.

I am a starter.  I like to get things going in my compulsive, Type-A way and then pass off the well functioning business, a renovated home or a useful creation to someone else who will carry it forward.  I look back once in awhile to confirm that what I did was right and good.  Mostly, I am rewarded with a feeling of happiness that someone else has benefited from my efforts.  For that I am grateful.

Wrapping up California

A month has elapsed but it seems like only yesterday that we wrote in the blog.  In the interim we have visited parks down through the Central Valley (Fresno and Bakersfield) and then looped around and headed north again seeing parks all along one of my favorite sections of California-Highway 395 bordering the Eastern Sierra Nevada Range.  Awesome!

Now we are on to new territory.  Tomorrow we leave the Reno area and head north to Idaho.  This should be an interesting journey.  We will check in with news and photos along the way to show you a new portion of our travels you have not experienced in previous blog entries.  Thanks for hanging in there and I promise to write more often.  (Unfortunately work just overwhelmed my creative energies here in California!)

But I will return to some California stories and interject them as I look through my photos.  Here's Highway 395 north of Bishop, California: