What a day! After driving to the Roadhouse with Pat this morning, I had lunch and then drove Pat's big truck over to Jane's house. I had never driven this way before, so Jane met me at a good spot, and I followed her home. I went over there so she could show me how to feed all her animals, because I will be taking care of her house while she and Don go to Oklahoma in a couple weeks. She showed me where to feed the cats, the chickens, and the horses. She showed me around the house and everything I need to know . . . like how to turn on the stove and microwave! It was later than Pat suggested I leave, and the clouds seemed to be gathering, so I left.
Jane followed me to a place called Four Corners that I thought I knew how to get home from. It's a good thing she followed me, though, because there were some twists and turns that I didn't expect . . . even with her map. One was just at the edge of the horse corral . . . right or left? I guessed left . . . wrong!
I was leery about driving home by myself, because although I've been on the road maybe twenty-five times, I was always sitting in the passenger seat, and not really paying much attention. (Except that one time that I followed John and Pat home from Four Corners while Stefan was here.) Anyway, I turned right at Four Corners, and was just anxious to get to the first wash to see if there was any water in it. Thankfully, no.
Then I got to the big wash, and luckily it was dry, also. But, Janes map showed that I should turn right instead of left just after the wash. It didn't feel right, but the map was clear, so I turned. The road didn't feel at all familiar with some of it a little washed out on one side. It was more bumpy than I remembered the road should be, and there were some low, steep really bumpy places that didn't seem familiar at all . . . but, I kept going. I'm not the most observant person in the world, and I thought maybe I just didn't notice. I drove a little further and saw that the road up ahead turned into a one lane road. It didn't look familiar at all. To the right was an well pad, and I turned around there and went back the way I came.
When I came to the fork, I went the other way, but I still wasn't sure I was going the right way. Nothing looked familiar . . . I mean it kind of looked familiar . . . it's all kind of high desert here with beautiful mesas all over . . . but it's all kind of the same . . . with dirt roads that mostly look alike all over. Pat said they all look different, but she's known them for ten years. So, I drove on but was still unsure.
Then I saw a couple oil trucks pull out of this area. I missed the first one, but the second one stopped for me. I asked if he knew if this was the way to Largo school. He said to follow him and he would show me where to turn off. That confused me, because I thought it was a straight shot from where I was . . . if I was in the right place. So, I followed him. The only problem was that these oil guys in their company pickups drive about ninety miles an hour . . . well, an exaggeration of course, but they drive much faster than I would ever want to go on these roads. Plus, Pat's truck is a big, hulking thing with very strong shocks . . . so you feel every bump.
But, I couldn't afford to lose him, because I still thought I was lost. So, I'm driving behind him and trying to keep up. He would get way far ahead of me, but every time there was an intersection, he would slow down and wait for me. What an angel! Then, I saw the wooden corral by the side of the road . . . it was the one landmark I was fairly certain of. I thought I was on the right road, but I still had to follow the guy in case I wasn't. Then . . . we were at the top of Ice Canyon . . . it is a very steep part of the road with drop-offs on the right. I put it in second gear . . . I wasn't going fast down this part of the road, no matter what. And I still wasn't sure it was the right road . . . especially when I got to the bottom and the road kept going. My memory told me that the school was right after we reached the bottom of Ice Canyon. But, after a few more minutes I saw the bridge, and I knew I was within feet of home. He turned around at the intersection there . . . he came a lot of the distance just to make sure I got there all right! What a sweetheart!
I parked the truck, and as soon as I got out I knew something was wrong. Two of the panels on the back of the truck were missing. I couldn't remember if they were on there or not when I left Navajo City, but I had a sneaking suspicion that they had fallen off when I was driving so fast over the bumpy road trying to follow that guy. I called Pat and asked if they were there when I left. She said they were. I told her that I had gotten lost, and asked if I should go look for the panels. She asked if I knew where I got lost. I said I did, so she said to go look.
I filled up my water bottle with fresh water, got an extra pack of sunflower seeds, and the most important thing . . . I invited Chica to go with me. I figured if I got lost out there, I would at least have a dog to keep me warm over night! So, Chica and I set off. We went up Ice Canyon and came to the wooden corral and no panel. We kept going. I saw some landmarks that I had seen as I followed the oil guy, but no panel. Then, I got to the place where I had found the oil guy. I had been so certain that going fast over the rough roads had knocked them out of place, but they were no where to be found. I kept driving.
Then, I found one! I stopped the truck, and dragged it up into the back. It is very heavy, but somehow I managed to get it into place, and lock it in place. One down, one to go! I kept driving. It seemed like I drove and I drove and I drove. At the same time, I was watching my watch and watching the sun. If I didn't get home before dark, I was in trouble. I wasn't familiar enough with this road, and everything looks different after dark any way. I drove and drove and drove, and no panel. I decided if I hadn't found it by 6:30, I would have to turn back.
Then, I reached the place where I had taken the wrong turn. I turned back up into there, knowing that as rough as that road was, there was a good chance that the panel had fallen off there. The road was even rougher than I had remembered, with some really scary places, but I got to my turn-around point and found nothing. Back over the rough, scary road, and I turned back towards Four Corners. I decided that I would go all the way there to make sure it hadn't fallen off back at the beginning of my trek.
Then, I drove and drove and drove again. It felt like forever. I saw a landmark that John calls Chimney rock, and Pat calls something else. I was hoping that Four Corners was close to there, because Pat had pointed it out to me on the way. The sun was going down, but I finally reached Four Corners and unfortunately no panel was to be found. I was so disappointed, but I didn't have time to lament my circumstances. I had to turn around and get home, and I had to do it NOW. I turned the truck around. It has a great turning radius by the way!
I don't think I was driving more than a minute when I saw the missing panel leaned up against the side of the road! Success! I don't know if it had fallen off in such a perfect position, or if someone had gotten out and placed it there, but there it was in all its splendor and glory! I was so grateful to the angels who must have been watching over me! I dragged it over to the truck and got it into the back. Then I climbed into the back of the truck to juggle it into place. After locking it into the other panels on either side of it, I looked around. I was now in the back of the truck . . . how to get out! Finally, I climbed up the side of one of the panels and dropped myself gently to the ground. I raised both arms into the air and shouted for all the world to hear, "Score!" No one except Chica was around to hear me, though.
I had gotten what I came for, but I still had one more important goal . . . to get home before sundown. It was still before 6:30, but I had a long way to go . . . and as I went, you can bet that I kept checking on the panels to make sure they weren't going to fall off again! I drove and drove and drove again, but this time I had a lot more landmarks that I knew to show that I was going in the right direction. I was still racing the sun, and it was starting to get harder to see. There was one turn off that I wasn't sure if I went the right way or not. Then I came to the wooden corral! Yeah! Almost there. I reached the top of Ice Canyon at 7:05, and I knew I'd be home by 7:15. My other worry was getting home in time to still have enough light to feed the animals. It wasn't critical, because I could adjust, but it was still on my mind. I pulled up to Largo School at 7:15, and fed the animals just as the sky was getting too dark to see.
And everyone lived happily ever after!
:-)
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