My new Dell computer is a gem, gleaming silver and blue on the bench before me. It seems to be telling me, "Ok, Hotshot, Let’s have at it and unload some old stories and new ideas before that other foot slips over the side."
What a miracle is this beautiful machine, a miracle brought about by a group of friends led by one strong person who followed through on an impulse to do a deed of random kindness. These wonderful people, and I do mean ‘people full of wonder’, bet real money that the memories and random musings of a 20th century sojourner might be worth reading. We will see. Here goes.
I put my routine on hold last week, things like going for mail, doing my laundry, and a trip to the library, in favor of waiting for the FedEx man to brave the unmarked dirt roads on this Indian Reservation to find me. No amount of information given beforehand, or calls to the FedEx tracking center in Texas, helped. I was just glad the center wasn’t in India. It took until Friday for a lady named Amy, in San Diego; to tell a driver named Juan, before the computer was loaded on the truck. Juan called me two hours and 70 miles later from the small new casino just over the hill where 25 huge windmills are lined up churning the air. I told him to aim for the north end of the windmills, take the only road down the other side of the hill and he would see this horse camp off in the distance. He made it, and I was so glad to see him I forgot to be mad about the three-day wait.
The friend who agreed to install the new computer for me wasn’t available until Monday. He came late and spent over four hours at it, after which I treated him, and my daughter and me to a meal at the new casino. (There is an IHOP way out here in the boonies!) My friend came back Tuesday night to install security software. That puts us at today – Wednesday, and for better or for worse, I’m writing.
The routine of the critters here was also interrupted over the weekend. There were no quail or doves or crows to be seen, and the coyotes didn’t give the campers even one serenade – at least I didn’t hear one. It was all a big hustle and bustle of people, horses and dogs. And our pack of rescued dogs, including the pit bulls, was surprisingly quiet. All I had to do was yell HOSE at them and they remained quiet all night and most of the day.
It was nice to see all those beautiful horses – I saw one pastel pinto – but I sure was glad when they all left. One thing that impresses me about the groups who come here, is how neat they leave the place. They bag their trash and put it in the garbage containers provided, and they rake all the horse manure out of the corrals into neat piles for easy removal later. They even did pretty well at sorting their cans and bottles into the correct containers that are provided. Awfully nice, are the words to describe these horse people.
Still, I was just as glad as the critters when they were all gone, and peace and quiet returned. Now I have to catch up on all the chores I put off while waiting for FedEx Juan and my computer-wise friend to do what needed to be done. This is it for today. I’ll be back in a day or two with a tale of getting lost in the Maine woods at 15, and someday I might tell you about skinning sheep in North Dakota alongside Mexican braceros one winter long ago.
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This just in (Ruth's assistants setting up the new PC!):
The coyotes are close and noisey tonight!