First Stop - Reno

In past experiences, it normally only take about 4 hours to get from *Where I Live*, Ca. to Reno. Maybe 4 1/2. I'd have liked to have gotten further on the first night of my Montana Road Trip.

It was bad enough that I had a late start and so many interruptions that you'd think the way out there outer world of crystal ball messages was telling me to not go on this trip. (and maybe I shouldn't have... but I was trying to be a good daughter. *laughs n sighs*)

Delays on this day included but didn't end with a call from a Toyota man who simply couldn't seem to *hear* that NOW was not a good time, I was trying to leave for a trip. An hour an a half later he apologizes and tells me to have a good trip. *groans and smacks the brainless wonder* (fortunately for me, the Toyota man was the last delay of the day - I would have probably had to shoot one more person that couldn't absorb the fact that NOW was not the time .. lol)

Finally, having reindeer and sleigh securely attached to the roof rack, dogs, cats, luggage and the kitchen sink loaded, I have one more stop to make and then were OFF and Running.... yay!!

The crate of peaches I'd picked up for my Mom on Sunday had all ready started to turn and were attracting WAY too many fruit flies to even consider loading them up in the girly-girl SUV for a road trip. A girlfriend of mine gladly took them off my hands, labeling them her husband's peach cobbler for dinner, and I hurried back to the fruit stand to pick up another crate of FRESH peaches.

So, everything's set. New crate of FRESH peaches loaded... We're off.

It's also 4 in the afternoon and now we have to contend with traffic that wouldn't have been there had I just ignored the million and one delays. *shakes head at self*

Ok, so... some of them really couldn't have been ignored, but I can pretend.
*grins*

SIX hours later, it's 10 p.m. and I've only made it to Reno. Traffic sucked. No - it was worse. lol But, really, I didn't care, I was just glad to be on my way.

Luck was with me and the very first hotel I stopped at was pet friendly AND it had an elevator. *whew* Carrying Galen's (the puppy - the 5 1/2. mo. 55 lb puppy) crate up and down stairs really didn't seem appealing, but knowing Galen is a chewer and that I'll want a 3 hour shower, I'm not about to leave him in a hotel room unattended.

Everyone faired well on our first stop, Except my Mom's peaches. It was pretty warm the night we arrived at Reno and I didn't want to risk this fresh crate spoiling so quickly the way the other batch of peaches had. Trying to save making a million trips back and forth to the SUV while unloading for the night's stay, I set the crate of peaches on top of the ice chest which has a pull handle and travel wheels for easy transporting.

So there I am, Galen, the 55 lb puppy on his lunge line in one hand, pulling the ice chest with crate of peaches on top with the other hand.

I feel a tug on Galen's lunge line, glance up at him ... and I'm not quite sure what happened, but the next thing I know, dozens of brightly colored peachy looking orange balls are rolling across the dark black parking lot pavement. They're scattered everywhere. Rolling across the pavement like they've got some escape route in mind. And a car is coming.

*quiet blonde look*

I give Galen a quick tug to check him in line and quickly start to gather up my wayward peaches, hoping that they haven't gone and bruised themselves to death. After all, this IS the second crate of peaches I've bought for my mom, having to give the fist one away!

This is the part where being blonde - kinda, sorta, a wee bit comes in handy. *grins*

I'm not paying attention to the oncoming car, I'm mentally WILLING it to stop and not run over my peaches in flight, scattered all over that yucky black pavement. I'm busily gathering up the high speed rollers (a slight slope to the pavement - naturally - lol - just what I needed.) carefully placing them back into the wooden crate, moving as quickly and efficiently as one can with a bouncing, tugging, tail wagging 55 lb puppy who thinks we have a new game, will allow.

The approaching car stops right before it makes one of my precious peaches a victim of its front wheels, it's headlights lighting up the pavement and surrounding me in a spotlight against the black pavement and darkness of night. The drivers door opens and a, just past middle aged man gets out of the car. (wait ... I'M just past middle aged! *laughs at self* - I sooo keep forgetting!!)

"You look like you could use some help, little lady," the nice man says, as he reaches down and plucks up a peach or two to put back in my peach crate. There truly wasn't much for him to help with as I'd almost gotten everything picked up, but it was so nice of him to help. Only one peach permanently got away, so it wasn't too bad. (the next day when leaving, I saw the poor smashed peach. It had become a roadside victim, smashed by someone's tire)

After the crate is full and placed back on top of my pull-along ice chest, the man smiles, tells me to be safe and have a good evening, then returns to his Cadillac and parks it.

I've hauled the ice chest and crate of peaches up to the room and need to make one more trip back down to the SUV to haul out Galen's crate. Last run for the night, then I can hit the showers. I'm soooo looking forward to that.

As I approach my SUV I hear a woman's angry voice chewing someone out. She's ranting and raving. SOB this and SOB that... damn! She's MAD! A madhatter's type of mad. In another second I might label her PSYCHO.

And then... I see the nice man that had helped me.

Damn is his wife mad that he did.

*sighs*