Although I had to be up early, it was nice that Eddie let me sleep as long as I could. Seems he knew the RV was in the shop and decided not to even check on it this morning.
We had a bit of a drive on our hands to meet up with Daryl Hatch at the Butterfield Trail near Gila Bend 
. Daryl is a driver for our Stagecoach Appearance Program and owns lots of horses and wagons. Turns out he's also a really nice guy and yet another "real" cowboy (see Day 7 of trip journal) I've had the pleasure of meeting on this trip.
We arrived a bit late — Daryl was waiting patiently with his horses out and spring wagon ready to go. It was a very warm and dry day out in the Arizona desert, but I was looking forward to the ride. Just before we were set up to go, I received a call from the RV rental company. They informed me they had located a place in Phoenix that would fix the transmission and that it would be done possibly by the end of the day.
They gave me the number of Premier Transmissions and told me to speak to Bill. Well, turns out Bill is not only a first-rate mechanic but also a real pro and a great guy. He assured me he would do everything he could to have the RV up and running as soon as possible. I felt much better after talking to him and looked forward to making the event in Yuma the next day.
Feeling as though we were back on track, I loaded up the boys in the spring wagon and we headed to the trail. While I've had the opportunity to ride on the parts of the actual Butterfield Trail, this was the first time I was doing it in an actual horse-drawn wagon! The ride was very bumpy as you can imagine. Unlike the Concord coaches, which have a suspension system of leather thoroughbraces that create a rocking motion, this wagon had next to no suspension system and created a jerking motion.
While Charlie quickly lay down, I was a little worried about Eddie. He likes to be where the action is and doesn't sit still. So I held on tight.
One of the things you hear about in all the travelers' accounts of the Overland Trail is the alkali dust. Well, I can tell you all the complaints leveled against it are very well-founded — the dust gets everywhere. Most troublesome is the amount that you breathe and swallow. If I had been better prepared, I would have worn a handkerchief over my face. But, like so many who've come before, you just don't know until you get in it. And boy was I in it!
Despite the dust, the scenery was spectacular. The mountains, the living Giant Saguaro Cacti , the dead and decaying Giant Saguaro and the rocks all come together in a quintessential Southwestern landscape. John Wayne would have been right at home.
It was on the way back I had another one of those moments that I will never forget — it was right up there with the buffalo at Ft. Chadbourne. I was allowed (under Daryl's watchful eye) to drive the horse and buggy.
What a thrill! Daryl is an amazingly patient man, and for five or so miles, I handled those horses with skill and determination. Daryl was quick to praise my newly discovered talent, and I was proud as could be with the reins in hand. I learned very quickly that horses don't just go down the road by themselves. They actually have to be steered in the right direction otherwise they will just veer off-course. And the reins must be orchestrated in unison lest the horses — you got it — veer off-course.
Once I got the hang of it and was able to relax, I imagined myself heading to town for supplies as though I had been transported back in time. It was an amazing experience and I am forever grateful to Daryl for his trust, patience and conversation as we moseyed down the trail.
After my thrill ride, I said goodbye to Daryl and was off again to Connie's and Bill's. It was a bit strange to be in one place so long, but without the new RV coming, I had to wait for Bill the mechanic to work his magic.
Back at the house Juan and I said goodbye to Connie and Bill — they were headed to their cabin for the weekend. I'm really going to miss Connie and will never forget the time we shared on this adventure. She's been a great companion and a real trooper, despite the grueling schedule and exhausting work. But her time is up, and she deserves a relaxing weekend with her husband Bill.
A call from Bill at Premier Transmissions (so many Bills!) confirmed what I had feared. Despite their staying late in the evening, the work would not be completed until sometime tomorrow morning.
Now we were back to a time crunch. The event in Yuma was between noon and 2:00PM the next day. It was too late to call the folks in Yuma — I just hoped that the RV would be finished early in the morning so I could make a mad dash to the event. With the pressure building, I retreated to Connie's massage chair (I love this thing!) and tried to work out the knots that had been tightening since the fresh RV problems started.
Then, knowing the mail and the RV were in the capable hands of Bill and his crew, I headed to bed, hoping for some better news and fewer tense muscles tomorrow.
Casey
Thanks for the nice comments you posted about our business. We really do go the extra mile for all our customers. The next time your in town, maybe we can catch a movie.