So.....let me briefly tell you about the trip and the "highlights". The trailer was packed full of hay, feed, tack, and of course the horse. Some things had to be loaded into the back of the truck -- one of which is a little trunk which looks like 2 stair steps -- both having a "lid" which lifts up and I can store things in the "steps". And it works as a mounting block at horse shows -- quite handy. There was no room for this trunk in the trailer, so I loaded it in the back of the truck. For about the first 6 hours, there were no problem. Delores was driving, and yelled -- "oh my gosh, some kind of white rag just was blown out of the back of your truck". I didn't know what it was, so we kept driving. About a hour later, she yells..."Something black just blew out of the truck -- and it's hanging onto the trailer". I thought.....is this something alive? So we slowed down and pull off the freeway to check. They were cotton "wraps" (for those non-horsey folks, these are long strips about 4 inches wide and about 4 feet long that wrap around a horses leg to provide support) that were stored in this little trunk. There were some bike riders behind us -- can you imagine riding along and all of a sudden this long, black, fleece thing hits you in the face.
I tried putting bundgy cords around the truck, think this would keep the lids in place. So we started driving again, and I looked back through the window only to see the trunk "levitating" out of the truck bed. So I yelled to slow down. We eventually got it stored in the truck, but it did cause a few tense moments.
The first horse bed and breakfast in Missouri was very nice. Ludo had a great big stall and horses to keep him company. The owners were great -- even let us borrow their truck to go get something to eat. I told Dianne she was being very trusting, and she said "I've got your horse". A couple of years ago, that might have meant something, but now Ludo is worth far less than her truck. Then she also reminded me she also had my truck and trailer -- good point!! Dianne cooked us a great french toast breakfast in the morning (mind you, it's 6AM!!), and we headed to Cheyenne, WY.
The only thing I can say about Nebraska is that it is flat and very, very long. Seemed like forever driving across the state. And the WIND!!! That state should be covered by those huge "wind mills" (can't think what these are called) because it would generate enough electricity for at least everyone west of the Mississippi.
Ludo was great. He road quietly in the trailer, and as long as we opened his door when we stopped, he as very content. During one of our MANY stops to get gas (unfortunately my wonderful diesel Chevy only averaged about 11 miles to the gallon), Ludo had his head stuck out the trailer door, and I noticed a lady bent down with her 2 young sons looking at the horse. I asked if they wanted to pet him (he's very friendly), and she said she was scared of horses, but her husband would lift up the boys to pet the horse. It was adorable and a definite "Kodak" moment. But where was my camera? Stuck in the truck. Then another couple brought over their little grandson to see the horse. LUDO WAS A HIT!!
Our 2nd stop was in Cheyenne, WY. The reviews for this place were great, which is why I chose this stable. But when we got there, things like "go through the white picket fence" showed a fence that hadn't seen white paint in quite a while. There was a skunk living under the sidewalk (they said they were trying to get rid of him), the barn was very old, and instead of having "paneled stalls", there were temporary stalls made out of pipe fencing. And there were no horses, so Ludo was very upset and running around the stall. Thank goodness he did settle down (when we left), and he was all in one piece the next morning. AND.....he emptied a full bucket of water over night. So I was absolutely relieved. I guess the moral is that "all's well that ends well".
"Ludo and Friends"
Ludo also met another guest in Jane's barn, and that is a little calf whose mother died about 10 days after he was born. So he is an orphan, and Jane has been giving him a bottle and getting him to eat some grain. Absolutely adorable -- Delores and I named him "Brownie" (very original).
So Ludo has settled into the barn, Delores and I have settled into Jane's guest house, and now the work starts when the movers show up.
"Brownie"
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