What I Did On My Summer Vacation or How I Survived Highway 80.

So I had a kitchen pass for two days! Yippee!. I loaded up the horse into the trailer and hit the road. Let me tell ya, that new truck can haul the horses! Man alive!

But I hadn't gotten more than a mile down the road when ...

This Truck and trailer in the slow lane is going 70, with an empty trailer and it is bouncing all over the road, and weaving.

I get in the far left lanes- the fast lanes where I never drive with a trailer- just so I can pass the SOB.

He goes even faster!

I finally get around him and in my rear view mirror I see him straddling the white line and coming up behind me pretty fast- the toll booth is directly in front of me and I pray that I can get to it before he gets to me. And that he will stop when he reached the booth!

I roll up and ask the worker to call the CHP- that the guy RIGHT BEHIND ME AND COMING FAST needs an intervention of the CHP{ kind. The dopey guy just smiles and nods at me ( I don't think he understood the english)- so I grab his hand as he hands me the change and say - in no uncertian terms- CALL THE COPS!

Then I pull away, just as the truck closes on my bumper and high centers himself on the curb just in front of the guys tool booth! I had just enough time to look back and see that dopey little guy in the booth grab the phone and start jabbering!

WHEW!

So I make it the Dolittle Ranch. They call it Dolittle because they DO Little but work- Ha! They DO Little but treat me like a QUEEN! Although I did help Stud Spud with his surveying- I got to be the 'stick' girl. I held the stick and it went beep- and then I could move the stick. Lucky for me Mr Helper the neighbor came over and took my job.

Whew!

I needed a drink after all that work!

I brough two bottles of wine. D and I sit down to visit, and before we knew it it was time to go out for dinner.

They took me to the Silver Doller Saloon in Marysville.

It was a house of ill repute at one time in its history- now it is a western style restaurant. And a good one!

The burgers are at least seven inches high, you would have to unhinge your jaw just to take a bite!

We all sat down and Stud Spud says" You have to see the men's room."

Whaaaattt?

So he takes me to the mens room.

This is what I see there!

Ha ha ha ha!! Better not have performance anxiety there!

(Womens room is just plain and boring!)

The next day D and I are riding early 'cuz the shoer will be there at noon.

So we played around with the horses. D rode Little Wednesday and a cuter pony you will never find.

She did some tarp work with her, and took her through the 'car-wash'. I took Desi too.

Desi is a little bit of a prima donna- he spooks of weird and not so scarey things- like peacocks and turkeys- but he was a champ doing the 'car-wash' . For video of us going through it check out Denesirita Un-paid Ranch Slaves blog.

Before we knew it the Horseshoer was there.

We told him about the colored shoes we saw on Mikeys blog.

I won't say what he said then- it wern't pretty- and he said he would have to add an Aggravation Fee to put the PINK ones on Wednesday. Humphf!

So we hung out with the shoer- just because we like him and he's kinda cute- then left him all alone to go swimming. But ever' so often we'd jump out of the pool, throw on the cowboy boots ( we still had our suits on) and went down to clean the chaff from his work and switch horses around ( I think D had ten or so head to do!).

How many horseshoers can say that their clients changed the horses in the bathing garb? Lucky him? I might beg to differ- we ain't as young or as perky as we a' used to be!

The next day we all went to the cattle auction nearby.

D and the Stud Spud wanted to sell a few calves and one cow.

I hadn't been to an auction of that tyope since the seventh grade when My BFF and I went with her Dad to one. We sat up in the top row, and we bought a calf. He wern't too happy about that but he did pay for it- and she did raise it!

I would have bought a few more weaners, but since I didn't live nearby and it was Keiths truck- and my Hubby would have had a stroke- I let someone else buy them.

It was time to go home and the weather has been HOT! 100 degrees for the last two days ( Mikey don't snort- I know- but that is hot for us!)

Load the pony and take off.

About a hour into the two hour drive I get into a real storm- there is a huge piece of something lying across the freeway and I have no way to get around it ! There are cars on either side and I couldn't slam the brakes or come to a complete halt on Highway 80- I had to go over it.

I tried.

It was some kind of thick felt blanket and it wrapped around my drive train and started making the worst noise!

I pulled over on the side of the freeway as quickly as I could, got out and looked- I couldn't see it- it was really up there.

I got back into the truck and crept along the shoulder to an exit ramp.

I grabbed my cell from my purse-

And it was DEAD! I hadn't recharged it (because I didn't have my cord- I left it at home despite my Hubbys reminder) SHOOT! STUPID! I wanted to pound my head against the red hot pavement.

Then one of two miracles happened.

First a truck pulling a trailer pulled ahead of me and into the shoulder. He was checking his load before the weigh station I reckon- but I jumped on him like a chicken on a tick and begged to use his cell. He kindly allowed me to call 911 and I was assured that a CHP would be there soon.

I went back to the truck, climbed under it to see if I could drag the 'thing' from the drive train.

It was about a million degrees under that damn truck and I am thinking I am gonna get in so much trouble from my hubby...

Then the second miracle happened! A tow truck driver pulled up and asked if I needed help.

I said , sort of nonchelant- HECK YEAH!

He got the truck up on chocks and with a big ole knife he cut that thing off my drive train.

I gave him a hug and went to get my AAA card. NO need , says he. This is a free service and he hands me a brochure.

He is a member of the Freeway Service Patrol.

These guys are free roaming tow truck drivers that will help motorists in need! Gas, hoses, a tow- what ever you need to get you to a safe place or get you on your way. AND it is absolutely FREE!

They are all over the Greater Bay Area from Sacramento to Santa Rosa to San Jose. You call 511 for their service or 911 and the CHP will send them.

This guy had just seen me and pulled over. The CHiPper came about ten minutes after he was finished.

Let me tell you- I was one HAPPY Cowgirl!

No harm- No foul and I was on my way! ONLY 45 minutes late too! Whew!

So I got home and had a glass of wine, happy that I had survived the Interstate 80 corrider.

I still got in trouble for not having my phone charged- but I made Hubby a good dinner tonight and now all is forgiven.

AND I WILL NEVER LEAVE HOMEWITH OUT MY PHONE CHARGER AGAIN SO HELP ME GOD!