Topic: Shoulda been a cowboy

Jake Duncan

Date: 2007-07-11 14:03 EST
Jake drummed his fingers on the steering wheel of the 85 Ford pick-up as he checked his rear view mirror to double check the trailer he was hauling. He was loaded down with ten Starlight cattle ranch bulls headed for California. Easing down the twisting turning curves of I-80 pulling into Salt Lake City, he was running low on gasoline, and needed to stop soon. Traffic was heavy on the east side of the city, and it was nearing four thirty on a Friday evening. "Might be better just to push through and get on the west side before stopping for gas or else I might get caught in rush hour traffic." Jake thought to himself. The mountains faded away as he came arround a soft curve leaving Salt Lake sprawling out before him. There was no problem as he made it quickly through the city traffic just staying one on ramp ahead of the rush hour traffic that roared onto the freeway always behind him.

Jake passed the airport on the west side of the city, and thought sure he would stop for gas at the next exit. His heart sank as he spotted the mileage sign on his side of the road, Next Exit 75 miles. "Oh shit!" Thought Jake unsure if he would have enough gas to make it that far. The miles seemed to drag on forever as Jake watched the desolate landscape speed by him. There was absolutelt nothing north or south of the interstate as far as the eye could see in any direction. A sigh of relief escaped him as he saw the sign for the exit coming up. Next Exit 1 mile U.S.A.F Bombing Range No UnAuthorized Traffic. Jakes heart sank again not really wanting to test even just a quick turn arround on that exit. There had to be a exit nearby though where he could get some gas, there just had to be. Another 88 miles passed with no signs of a exit till atlast with the truck running on fumes, the truck stop at Bonneville speedway came into sight. Jake wheeled into the gas pumps filling up both tanks on the truck with regular unleaded at 1.85 a gallon which was a bit high back in 1996, but when you had to have it you had to have it. The kicker of it all was that when Jake pulled back onto the interstate less then a mile away was another truck stop just over the Nevada border with gas for 1.45 a gallon. "I'll be a hogs mother!" Jake exclaimed out loud as he slammed his hand into the steering wheel.

Jake Duncan

Date: 2007-07-12 03:42 EST
Jake had just crossed over into West Wendover, Nevada after getting gas in Bonneville Speedway, Utah. It was about 6:30 in the evening, and his belly was rumbling. Jake spotted a sign for Taco House, and pulled his rig off the interstate to go grab a steak burrito supreme. He had never really cared for Taco Bell, but Taco House was a different story; just a little regional place, but they had the best burritos you could find for filling you up when you had a poweful hunger. The steak burrito supreme was loaded with chunks of steak, red kidney beans, refried pintos, chunked up deep fried potatoes, cheese, peppers, onions, sour cream and gaucamole. Jake grabbed two of them to go, one for himself, and one for Bobbi Joe his dog who was riding shotgun with him. Jake paid little heed to the cool bite in the April evening air as he ran back to the truck.

Jake wheeled the truck back on to I-80 hoping to make the Reno before stopping to catch a few winks. Jake consulted the map he had picked up at the gas station back at Bonneville Speedway, he was determined not to have a repeat of what happened in Salt lake City again. Wells was the next point on the map along 80, only about 60 miles west of where he was now, bout a hour drive give or take. Jake was shocked as he drove along happily munching on his burrito, just how fast night came on the desert. There was nothing to hold onto the light, and so it seemed that god had simply reached over, and "click" turned out the lights. One minute there had been a lovely sunset the next there was pitch black.

"Amarillo by morning, up from San Antone.
Everything that Ive got is just what Ive got on.
When that sun is high in that texas sky
Ill be bucking it to county fair.
Amarillo by morning, Amarillo Ill be there."

Jake sang along with George Strait on the radio much to the chagrin of Bobbi Joe who gave a low moan, and buried her head between her paws.

"I don't recall asking your opinion anyway." Jake commented to the dog as he reached to the glove compartment to grab a fresh pack of Marlboros. Jake peeled the celophane from the pack, and then tore the foil from the inside of the pack crumbling both into a small ball which he stuffed into the ashtray on the dash of the truck. Jake pulled a cigarette from the pack, and placed it in his mouth. Momentarily taking his eyes off the road for a second to grab his lighter and light up his cigarette. When Jake looked back up to the barren blackness of I-80, and the Pequod mountains of eastern Nevada he was startled to see huge flakes of white dancing in his headlights.

A spring flurry was not entirely unheard of out in this part of the world, but still curious to get some news Jake turned the dial on the radio to get some news of the weather. The radio announcers voice came in fuzzy, and Jake struggled to hear clearly what was being said.
"The National Weather service is declaring blizzard conditions for all of Northern Nevada, and Utah throughout the night, and continuing into the early morning hours. Forecasters believe that the worst hit areas could see up to 24 inchs of snow accumulating during the overnight hours. Nevada Department of Transportation will be closing sections of I-80. Any sections that remain open will require all vehicles to have chains on their tires."

Jake groaned as he had no chains in the truck, and was low on cash to get any. His day only seemed to be getting better, and better.

Jake Duncan

Date: 2007-07-15 04:55 EST
The black ribbon of asphalt that was I-80 soon was covered by a thick blanket of fresh snow. The twists, and turns the road took coming up through the Peqoud mountains became as slick as a greased doorknob, and turned driving the truck and trailer into something akin to trying to steer a locomotive on wet grass. Jake took a deep inhale of his cigarette as he eased off the gas to keep his wheels from spinning. Suddenly the steering wheel nearly jerked from his hands as the trailer began to shift violently. Bobbi Joe yelped as she sprung up on the seat to look through the back glass of the cab at the trailer full of cattle, and Jakes horse.

Of course Jake should have known this would happen. It had been warm all day so the cattle had spread themselves as far apart as they could, and now with the sudden cold they were trying to bunch up, which was shifting the weight back there. Jake fought the shifting cattle for another ten minutes before they finally stopped. Between the snow, Bobbi Joes yelping, and whinning, and the cows jerking the rig arround Jake was a nervous wreck. It came as a huge relief to see the red taillights of several semi's coming into view. The big trucks undoubtly had chains on, and would be tearing a path through the snow that Jake could follow behind all the way to Wells where he could stop for the night.

The miles between Wendover and Wells stretched on forever. The drive that was supposed to take no more then a hour ended up taking four hours to navigate. Four hours of slow crawling first up the steep incline of the mountain range, then the even more trecherous trip back down the other side where you could build momentum, and get your trailer swinging arround to jack knife you on any curve. The Flying J truckstop at Well greeted Jake like an oasis. It was his saviour for the night. The gas tanks refilled Jake headed inside to use the phone to get a hotel room. The truck stop was bright, and noisey, this being Nevada where gambling was legal they of course were a truck stop slash small casino. The noise of the slot machines, and excited voices made it almost impossible for Jake to hear the front desk clerk on the phone. The news was not good, and Jake almost wished he hadn't heard it at all. There was one hotel in town, and of course with the blizzard all the rooms were taken.

Jake Duncan

Date: 2007-07-23 04:14 EST
Pulling his cowboy hat down a bit tighter on his head, and turning up the corduroy collar of his Carhart jacket Jake headed back outside. The jagged winds slapped him in the face, feeling like a thousand tiny needles. Jake paused to jam his hands into his pockets before making the dash to his truck. The pause was long enough Jake noticed the pump attendant milling arround by the door.

"Excuse me sir, but is there anywhere to go in town to get a bite to eat, and maybe a quiet drink?" Jake asked quickly.

The older man looked Jake over a couple times before he replied. "Theres Donna's or the Hacienda just over the road a bit. Take a left out of the lot then take your first right. Other then the truckstop here those will be the only places open right now."

Jake gave the man a nod. "Thanks mister I appreciate it." Jake began his dash to the truck eager to get out of the cold. Jake fired up the truck, and lit a cigarette for the short trip.

Donna's was the place he elected to stop if for no other reason then it was the first of the two which shared a huge parking lot. Jake parked near the front door, and got out of the truck. Climbing on top of the trailer Jake grabbed a bag of sweet feed for the cows, as well as his horse. A can of dog food, and some fresh water for Bobbi Joe, who would have normally been sent to the bed of the pick up for the night, but Jake let her sleep in the cab tonight.

Jake jogged to the front door of Donna's after the animals were all situated, and walked on in.