The year was 1972. Tracey was two. I was expecting our
second child. Her daddy and I placed her baby bed mattress in the back seat of
the car, and off we went to visit my dad and brother in Reno, Nevada.
What a road trip. We traveled the Northern route going through Utah and saw the opulent Mormon Tabernacle and gold pavement.
We came back home the Southern route, on Highway 66. At one point, I wish I could remember where we were, maybe Wyoming or Colorado, there was a detour on the highway. There were torrential rains, the kind we are experiencing now. The unpaved, two lane road was a muddy mess as we traversed it through no man's land. I fretted that we'd get stuck.
We came back home the Southern route, on Highway 66. At one point, I wish I could remember where we were, maybe Wyoming or Colorado, there was a detour on the highway. There were torrential rains, the kind we are experiencing now. The unpaved, two lane road was a muddy mess as we traversed it through no man's land. I fretted that we'd get stuck.
Off to my right, ahead in the distance, I noticed
great motion. A herd of wild horses, perhaps Mustangs, came thundering at full speed right
past us. It was an unbelievable sight to behold. An image forever ingrained...because
I had no camera, or was it flash cubes? This is a stock photo.
That herd of free spirited wanderers took my mind
off the fact that I was having a miscarriage. The following year, I had Jason,
and three years later we took the kids
to Disney Land in California. I so hoped we would see those wild stallions again. But
we didn't. Closest we came to a horse, was riding the Merry Go 'Round with Mickey.
Funny isn't it how a memory sneaks up on you?
8 comments:
Running herd of horses are beautiful, their power. Right now, the wild horses are in trouble. There are so many of them, Westerners are complaining. They have no homes. One more fragment of life finding issues in today's world.
Linda--No camera or flash cube, but you DO have your memory and you DO have your writing skills... which means you can write (again) about that moment. That way, you can relive it each time your write about it or read your piece about it.
I love horses, so I would have been thrilled to see that.
Yes, Linda, it's true that a memory can pop into our minds at any time. Sometimes I welcome them, other times, I don't want to remember something. Guess that's how it is for everyone. Sorry you are having so much rain. Daffodils are out here. They are sweet. Susan
When I walk to the end of my driveway and smell the neighbor's horses across the road, I am 12 again, at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia, walking through the livestock barns.
I can be thinking about a variety of topics, but when that smell hits me, it takes me to the fair.
Love your post, Linda...and I also love Val's memories! A friend and I were just talking about trains the other day. We had dinner at a restaurant so close to railroad tracks that it almost shook when the trains went by! We talked about growing up near train tracks and I said every time I smell tar, no matter where it is, I think of those railroad ties. It's not an unpleasant odor to me....just the opposite!
Wow, that must have been quite a sight. It left behind a deep impression and a vivid memory for you as it would have for me too, if I had been there.
Horses are such aristocratic animals! The sight of them is always something to remember , especially when they're in a herd and engaged in a flight, as in your description.
Funny indeed! My husband and I did the exact thing. Had one and one on the way. Traveled all the way across the country (mattress on back seat, to get to NY from California after he got out of Vietnam. Still don't know if that was dumb or adventuresome! Love your story.
Post a Comment