It Takes A Team

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Wagonteamster

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3/27/10, Whitharral, TX - Everything was back to normal today, with the team doing what they do best - greeting the public. It never ceases to amaze me how many people have never been up close to a horse before. I’m also amazed at how 90% of the people in Texas, think the team are Clydesdale horses. I think this is in part, due to the popularity here of Keystone beer. If more Texans drank Bud, they would be knowledgeable of their draft horse breeds. More likely, is the fact there are not many draft horses in this part of the country; the summer heat would do them in.

We received a lot of really nice gifts today.  The first came when a guy at a connivance store on the north side of Levelland, ran home and fetched us a nice bale of alfalfa hay - Thank You.

About 9 or 10 miles into our travels we stopped at a roadside park for lunch.  Several carloads of people stopped to chat and see the team. I tried to read my E-mail at lunch, but AT&T has way too many voice and data customers for the tower transceivers they have in the area, and I kept getting kicked offline.

When we got to the town of Whitharral, I was stopped by a very nice family who gave us 2 nice bales of alfalfa, 2 bags of grain and some groceries. Gifts like this go a long way to helping me stay on the road, and I really appreciate it.

I just thought I heard some kids talking outside, than realized instead, it was the nightly chorus of coyotes. About an hour or two after sundown is when they normally start getting active and yappy. The horses treat coyotes as nothing to worry about.

When I finally read my E-mail this evening, it was really heartening to see all the support I’ve received from my readers, and I want to thank you.  Everybody needs support from others, and I’m no exception (yeah, even an old grizzled teamster needs some). I’m particularly fortunate to have a cast of thousands to help prop me up.

I try to listen to as many folks as I can, and I’m amazed at how much personal detail that some folks go into. I attribute this to the fact that I try to listen and be supportive whenever I can. I also think that there are a lot of people that need the support of others, but have no one to turn to. B.O.B., the Philosophical Horse, thinks this problem is unique to humans. Horse herds are much closer, and even low ranking horses get support and sympathy from other horses - unless it’s grain time, then it’s every horse for himself.

Tonight, we’re camped about a mile north of Whitharral, TX.  Some very nice folks are putting us up. Since there wasn’t enough room for the electric playpen, the team are tied to some pine trees for the night.  This is much better than the wagon. At least I won’t have to get up at 2 am and yell at Bill, when he starts acting up.

This was a very pleasant day.  I’m just a few days from crossing over into New Mexico.  It will be nice to finally get to another State, but I’ll definitely miss the good people of Texas.