It Takes A Team

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Wagonteamster

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3/22/10, Welch, TX - After a late start, the team put in a stellar performance and trekked 23 miles today.  We didn’t get off until 10 am, because most host Hadley, was kind enough to take me around with the truck so I could get grain, groceries, propane and gas. I got everything but hay.  Right now, I’ve got enough hay for tomorrow night, but I’m not too worried; sometime in the next 36 hours it will show up - it always does.

When I get supplies, I always try to obtain everything I’ll need for a week. Then when something gets down to a 3 day supply, I try to restock it.  This works fine for everything but water.  I can currently only carry about a 2 day supply.  Before I head out across New Mexico, I’m going to have to obtain more water containers to increase that to a three day supply. In 70 to 80 degree weather, the horses drink about 50 gallons a day.

I like to have a cold beer when I’m done driving, so one of the stops I made was at the only beer and liquor store, this side of Lubbock. Of course, when the team stands in front of a Budweiser truck, the first question I get asked is, “Is them horse Clydesdales?” I tried to con the truck drivers out of a free case of beer, but they already knew the truth. Next time, I’m going to say, “Yup, there Clydesdales. And they get really ticked off when people don’t give them a Bud.  You ever seen an angry 2000 pound Clydesdale, that ain’t had his beer?” - That ought to do the trick!

After we detoured about a mile to the small town of Los Yibenez (the only wet town anywhere around), we drove through the city of Lamesa.  We were shadowed by the Animal Control Officer on our way through the city, but only because we were a lot more interesting then stray dogs.

I had lunch, just north of the city, and spent most of the lunch hour talking to Wayne, a retired farmer and fellow teamster. He does a lot of day trips with his wagon and mules on the back roads.

The kids are back to school after spring break, so I didn’t get the normal carloads of kids stopping to pet the horses.  A couple of folks stopped to take pictures, and that was it.

There was a very large oil field south of Welch, that took over an hour to cross.  I could see hundreds of wells, and they were all pumping away.

A long day, but at last, the horses are watered and fed, camp is set up, and I have a couple of minutes to have that cold beer.

I’m camped tonight at the ‘Jim Weeks’ residence on the south side of Welch.  My hosts have been great, and after a struggle, we finally got power to the wagon.

It’s been a long day, so after I post this blog, I’m off to bed. I might even sleep in until 6:30 or 7.