Forty-Mile Desert - Nevada Historical Marker 26

About midway between the towns of Reno and Winnemucca Nevada, lies the Forty-Mile Desert.

Before the first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, the life-giving Humboldt River Basin of Churchill County was the last water to be seen by many people slowly heading west to California by covered wagon.

During the height of the gold rush, upwards to 30,000 people annually emigrated west via the "Overland Emigrant Trail" which separated from the Oregon Trail near Fort Hall in Idaho and headed across the empty plains of Nevada to the gold fields in Placer County, located high in the rugged Sierra Nevada mountains and onwards to settlements and cities of northern California.

One of the more northern branches of the California Trail, the Truckee River Route, was used by the ill-fated Donner party. The Forty-Mile Desert route was originally touted as "a better way, being a shortcut."


The sign reads, "The 40-Mile Desert, beginning here, is a barren stretch of waterless alkali wasteland. It was the most dreaded section of the California Emigrant Trail. If possible, it was traveled by night because of the great heat.

The route was first traveled by the Walker-Chiles party in 1843 with the first wagon train. Regardless of its horrors, it became the accepted route, as it split five miles southwest of here into the two main trails to California--the Carson River and the Truckee River Routes.

Starvation for men and animals stalked every mile. A survey made in 1850 showed these appalling statistics: 1,061 dead mules, almost 5,000 horses, 3,750 cattle and 953 graves. The then-value of personal property lost was set at $1,000,000.

The heaviest traffic came from 1849 to 1869. It was still used after completion of the Central Pacific Railroad in 1869."

Thanks to photojournalist Pamela of "The Dust Will Wait", we can see just who is still using the perilous dusty, hot, desert trail...


Pamela suggests that this straggler has become separated from an Orange Barrel Train, and is very thirsty. We will never know the fate of this particular ORBA, but that nasty dent to the head makes me think this one will become a statistic and join the 1,061 dead mules...

A glimpse of the desert behind the suffering barrel really makes me admire the stamina, pluck, and courage of our ancestors. The overland journey from the Mid-West to Oregon and California meant a six month trip across 2,000 miles of 'difficult' country, traveled mostly on foot.

More Wagon Trail information (here)

Sometimes things don't go as planned...

This past Friday morning, I left home and went to Rochester, New York to see my nephew graduate from High School that evening.

After seven hours on the road, and a quick shower at a motel, I joined my brothers, parents, my older brother's wife and her family and we rode to the Rochester Institute of Technology's Gordon Field House.

My nephew, who plans to go to St. Bonaventure University this fall, was really excited to see everyone - its been a while since everyone in his family has visited him in Rochester. He had a crowd of twenty-two relatives there to cheer loudly and lustily when he picked up his diploma.

Well, almost.


I think there were about 20,000 people in attendance at the ceremony. I felt hemmed in and claustrophobic, so I moved toward the back and midway up some grandstands to get some air. And was stuck back there alone when ceremony began.

About midway through the reading of 450 some graduate's names, my cellphone vibrated in my pocket. I looked at the display and saw "Urgent - Rochester EMT needs to talk to you". I moved out of the noise, called them, and was told, "Find your mother and bring her outside NOW. Your dad is in the ambulance at the curb." So I elbowed my way back into the crowd, found my mother, and dragged her outside to the ambulance where she hopped in, tossing me her car keys.


I didn't see my nephew get handed his diploma. I found my brothers and made hasty arrangements to get out of the parking lot before the crowd poured out of the building.


I did hear the commencement speaker - the town manager of Henrietta, tell the graduating class, "Now it's time for you to find your way in life, and let me tell you something, you are young, and you need not decide today what you want to do with your life. If you find yourself in a college you don't like, or a job that isn't making you happy... Change! Get a new college, a new major, or new job! Life is to be enjoyed, I myself, have had five different jobs before finding this one - the job of my dreams."

I think he was "right on."

But that night, as I raced across the parking lot to my parent's car - I found myself in electronic contact with my deaf brother texting me directions, while my nephew celebrated a milestone in his young life without me seeing it, to a hospital I've never seen before, traveling on dark roads in a city far from home, wondering why my dad had been carried away underneath a strobing red light and mournful siren.

I got to the ER without mishap, and learned my dad had become dizzy during the graduation ceremony and had staggered out of the building, where a campus security guard found him and led him to a standby EMT crew. My dad was profusely bleeding internally and before things were stabilized, would require 8-9 units of blood transfusions.

Late that evening, I took my mom back to the motel in hopes she would get some rest and early Saturday, we returned to the hospital to be told "we would need to wait and see" what would happen. My dad said, "You two go and visit with the others, I'll be okay here." The Doctor said to stay nearby just in case.... "Just in case, WHAT??" I asked. He's only reply was it would take some time to stabilize my dad, he had lost a lot of blood. It turned out, it was just case they needed someone to donate some blood...

So, remembering a happier day, my older brother said, go to the Pittsford's Canal, where we walked with Aunt Eleanor when she was here for my (older brother's) wedding in 1982!

I scratched my head, got the car out of the garage, "poured" my mom into it, and drove down a couple streets that I thought looked "vaguely" familiar and then the old photographic memory kicked in. Fifteen minutes and ten miles later, I pulled into the parking lot where I had last talked to my (Great) Aunt Eleanor, 35 years ago. My mom looked at me and said, "I don't know how you do that, and it freaks me out sometimes, but today that ability of yours is really a blessing."


My older brother joined us a few minutes later and we had an early lunch and took a short walk on the Erie Canal.

As we were leaving there, I remembered I had something for a wonderful blogger friend, Yaya and her son Alex, but hadn't made arrangements with her yet or found her place on a map, so my older brother put his thinking cap on and said, "I know where that street is... you two follow me, it's just a short distance away." We found the street and her lovely house, but the blue-eyed, orange-loving Yaya wasn't available.

Oh well. I hoped to be able to go back and meet her later that weekend, but things refused to work out that way. My other nephew graduates next year. Maybe next year things will go a little smoother?

It wasn't until Monday afternoon that my dad stabilized and was discharged from the hospital. I immediately drove my parents home - and then drove myself the rest of the way home last night. My dad is doing better today - but is visiting his own doctor for follow up today.

I have been alone all day today in a cool, very quiet office and just can't stop yawning... I think I'm getting too old for this kind of exciting weekend.

I hope to visit your blogs soon, if I've not done so yet.

25 things you didn't know...

Nancy over at f8hasit tagged me in a 25 things you really never wanted to know about me-MeMe. I really admire Nancy, she is very smart and writes like I only aspire to on my best days. So I'd decided to give this me-me a shot.

I think you already know about my only having one pair of underwear and of the agony I go through when I have to put the SpongeBob SquarePants underwear (briefs) in the washer, so digging up 25 other things really made me have to think...

1. If you lined up all the men I admire alphabetically, Rodney Dangerfield would be right front of John Denver.
2. I once memorized the words to "Go Tell Aunt Rhody" at a recital just so I could blog about it.
3. I think spitting is grosser than discrete nose picking.
4. I learned the hard way why you don't wear size 32 man's underwear briefs when you have a size 36 waist.
5. Some days, I just want to look at a sexy woman for hours and hours and hours on end.
6. I think Oak trees over the age of 120 years old should be given the right to vote.
7. I used to dream of taking the perfect photograph of a wild squirrel. Thanks to modern medicine, I've been (mostly) cured of this.
8. I wished I had or knew an Aunt Rhody. And for more than ten minutes, even.
9. If I could teach the world to sing, it wouldn't be about Coca-cola.
10. I used to like Orange and Vanilla Creamsicles, but now I just see them as frozen Orange Coneheads.
11. I enjoy flying in little airplanes, and flying really low so I can see "what's down there", and really enjoy seaplane rides most of all.
12. I've visited over 3 dozen different denominations of Churches, to find the right one, and ended up just enjoying the stained glass windows.
13. I greatly covet a SLR digital camera with a real zoom lens, but don't think my photography hobby justifies the expense.
14. I think dogs are way cooler than cats, but I know some nifty cats too.
15. Every time I put fuel in my car I can hear my college roommate bemoaning that the two biggest wastes of time are pumping gas and going to the bathroom.
16. I will read virtually anything and read virtually anywhere.
17. I never own more than two pairs of shoes at any given time, but have worn out ten pairs in the past two years walking. I'm on a first-name basis with the cute shoe sales lady.
18. My dental hygienist is cute too. Every time I visit, I eat a whole package of Oreo cookies while waiting in the lobby. Sometimes she has to cancel the rest of the afternoon's appointments. I blame being overweight on her cuteness.
19. I've actually been thinking about getting a computer with Linux instead of Microsoft Windows on it for the first time in my life.
20. I continue to "train" for getting married. I find sleeping on the sofa is more restful than sleeping on a bed.
21. I will eat almost anything once. Dried octopus chips/crisps (they looked like potato chips) to mountain oysters, but I can't get past "eating bugs" like they did on Fear Factor. And oh yes indeedy, I still dislike Brussel Sprouts.
22. I like how young kids look after they have had a nice tall glass of any flavor of Kool Aid.


23. I secretly wish I was the M & M Yellow guy but I'm probably more like the red one.
24. My favorite soup is New England-style Clam Chowder.
25. Given the choice between riding a Camel and an Elephant, I go with Elephant everytime.

Now I must tag 10 people to beg, plead, and nag to do this!

These lucky people are:

1. My cute dental hygienist.
2. My cute shoe sales lady.
3. The cheery lady at the cash register at the 7-11 across the street.
4. ToriZ of Tori's World in hopes of finding out how she determines horse's sex.
5. Rita of SoulComfort but if Karma wants to stand in for her, that's okay!
6. JennyMac at Let's have a cocktail. I don't usually get intimidated but this woman is so well put together she leaves me tongue-tied and stammering.
7. Yankee Girl over at Adventures of a Yankee Girl because she's so cool I'm sure I'll learn something surprising.
8. You!
9. And You!
10. And You Too!

An Idyllic Evening in the Meadow

Cotswold Sheep... grazing... in the setting sun...


When viewed from a distance, these Cotswold Sheep seem startlingly alive.


They were fabricated from cor-ten steel at 125 percent life-size, to avoid appearing diminished by the vast meadow.

Artist - Charles Layland, American, born 1928.

Cor-ten steel is a "weathering" steel that forms a protective layer (basically a fancy form of rust) that prevents them from rusting through.

According to the sign located near the sheep, "Historically, garden parks like the Morris Arboretum sometimes included ornamental farms with livestock. Not only did sheep trim the lawn, but as pictureque counterpoints to the culivated landscape, they provided a reference to an agricultural past."

Blah blah blah... This not-so stuffy art critic thought, "Hey these things are cool!"

:)