A Fleeting Moment

A traveler can pass many historical markers along the highway.  How many do they stop in to visit?  Probably not that many.

When going through Nevada I crossed the old "Californee" Trail, Pony Express route, and first transcontinental telegraph route.  I did stop in and read the historical sign.  Did the government hire a new prose stylist?  It was interesting to read about.  What grabbed me was their emphasis on the sheer physicality and athleticism of the Pony Express riders.

I thought about a friend who did all 800 miles of the Arizona Trail last year and is doing the Pacific Crest Trail this year.  I then drove into the foothills of the nearest mountain range to look for a place to camp overnight.  A hundred feet off the road was a herd of ten antelopes.  Didn't I once read on Wikipedia that they were the second fastest land mammal?

Something about that juxtaposition of images made me smile, and it isn't that often that animals make you smile: ultra-fast antelopes and crazed Pony Express riders!  I guess a boring old idea doesn't interest a person until you add something or combine it with something to make it fresh again in your mind.

And I did find a marvelous place to camp.  It snowed on me that night.  (Remember what 'nevada' means in Spanish.)  A few feet away there was an old, weathered sign mentioning the telegraph line that was built soon after the Pony Express was established and put it out of business.

from nationalponyexpress.org