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Letting the sun illuminate the words I couldn’t find.
Reaching for something in the distance
So close I can almost taste it
Releasing my inhibitions
Feeling the rain on my skin
No one else can feel it for me
Only I can let it in
No one else
Can speak the words on my lips
While I’m drenching myself in words unspoken
Living my life with arms wide open
Today is where my book begins
The rest is still unwritten
I break traditions
Sometimes my tries
Are outside the lines
We’ve been conditioned to not make mistakes
But I can’t live that way
Staring at the blank page before me
I open up the cloudy window
Letting the sun illuminate the words I could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close I can almost taste it
No one else can write it for me
Only I can let it begin
No one else
Can speak the words on my lips
Drenching myself in words unspoken
Living my life with arms wide open
Today is where my book begins Song by Natasha Bedingfield
Whatever you do today, add a page to your own story. Don’t let anyone else write it for you. Today is where your book begins. Write it big and juicy!!! Live, laugh, love.
Today is International Day for Achievers! It’s about time that successful people in the world get some recognition. It’s refreshing to actually have a day to celebrate those who aim their arrows and hit their targets, reaching for goals and dreams.
Achievements can include a problem you’ve solved, a mountain you’ve climbed, or just an improvement on your outlook allowing you to find peace with life as it is. They can involve reaching a single goal or redirecting your life in more positive ways. Achievements usually are the result of changing your path while continuing to climb your mountain.
Being human, everyone has their own personal idea of success. Rupert Murdoch’s ideas are much different than Mother Teresa’s were. In the eyes of some, success involves owning a big house or a fancy car. In the eyes of others, it involves a life rich with family and friends. Personal achievements are reached every day in all aspects of life.
Being very fortunate in my life, I wonder if outsiders realize the cost. So many events and outings missed because the farm needed constant care. With 24 hours in a day, activities needed to be streamlined or omitted all together. People used to ask VST how he could possible do everything in a day’s time. Simple. There was no choice. He had a family to support and 17,000 vines that counted on him. There were endless courses to complete to finish his doctorate. Parents that needed tender loving care. Achievers fit everything in their day by prioritizing. It’s just what they do.
Widow’s and widower’s have a right to celebrate International Day for Achiever because it’s a huge achievement to grow through this experience. It’s no walk in the park to lose a loved one and continue to put one foot in front of the other. We need to celebrate each day after such a loss, honoring the loved one that went before. No doubt about it. Surviving is a huge achievement!
Today is also National Cocktail Day, which is a bit appropriate as it IS Friday. Cheers!
Whether you are planning to celebrate your achievements or just celebrate your favorite cocktail, make your celebration purposeful and fun.
Whatever you do this weekend, Remember this!
Cheers to the Achiever’s in the world! Make some wonderful memories this weekend!
This, the envisioned garden areaThis is reality at Winterpast.“Oh No, Wookie, She’s writing about US!!!! Again.”
Well, there must be times the Dog Whisperer shakes his head in disbelief. at a loss for what to do to solve a troublesome situation. This weekend, there were a few times I would’ve liked to put Oliver in the new car and taken a drive to Caesar Milan’s fabled Dog Psychology Center which, according to the advertisement, is nestled in in 45 acres of beautiful rolling hills in Santa Clarita, California. Heck. I just need help with one standard cream, pie-balled, wire haired dachshund named Oliver. Somehow, I don’t think he accepts walk-ins.
As spring is trying her best to warm things up, Oliver and Wookie have been spending more time roaming the grounds of Winterpast. Now, they are quite a twosome. Although you wouldn’t guess it, they weigh almost the same. Oliver is solid as a rock. A standard sized dachshund, he weighs over 25 lbs, while his legs remain around 7″. He is built for dispatching badgers, which leads him to a deep love of digging and going under things. Like fences.
Wookie, on the other hand, has very, very long legs. She is quite good at counter surfing on her hind legs. If there is something good on the counter, I have no doubt she can jump right up there like the most nimble cat. Between the two of them, they make their presence known.
The difference lies in the fact that MM and Wookie have different television habits. Wookie has been watching Caesar Milan for her two short years. She even goes to the television and stands on her hind legs to get a better view. The show comes on after Oliver is already asleep.
Just last Saturday, MM and I were inside watching an exciting baseball game. Outside, the most annoying dogs were barking up a storm. Those horrible owners were letting the barkers work up all the dogs in the neighborhood.
How rude.
How inattentive.
But, I’m sure you guessed by now, it was Oliver and Wookie at the corner of the fence. They’d almost broken through with the help of little Sylvia, next door. All the while, the three were barking like crazy. The party ended and our two delinquents were called inside.
This year, MM and I are going to share our gardens. He will grow things that need a little afternoon shade, while I’ll grow things that need full sun from morning until night. We’ve bought the Miracle Grow soil. The days are warming. There is just one thing we need.
A fence to protect our plants.
After visiting the hardware store, I realize that a fence isn’t going to be cheap or easy. I’ve gone from thinking about white powder coating to simple galvanized chain link, with a nice gate. Just something that will keep our two lively friends out. Just like kids, the minute they are uninvited to the party, that will be the one place into which they must burrow. I can hardly wait for their antics.
Calm.
Cool.
Assertive.
Those are the words Caesar throws out so easily.
Hard to find Calm, cool, assertion when the dog has just ripped apart 3 lovely peonys that were just starting to sprout. Last fall, I planted over 40 bulbs in four different pots. Not one has come up. I do believe there is a reason for that. It involves Oliver.
Yes.
We need Caesar.
If you see him, please let him know.
In the mean time, whatever you do today, cut your dog some slack. It must be frustrating to have no thumbs. Even more frustrating when their owner doesn’t understand how much fun it is to bark and dig. They won’t be puppies forever. After all, Oliver is almost 5. Puppyhood should be over soon.
Sir Oliver of Ashworth Hall — 8/6/2018 — Sooooo innocent………. NOT.
Elmer and Esther — Golden Anniversary at the ranch — 2001
Thank goodness days are far and few between that I wallow in a pity party over widowhood. I wouldn’t advise any new widow or widower to follow the path I took. Looking back, I wonder how I every made it through. Over the last three years, the one thing I’ ‘ve never wondered about is “Why Me?” Our futures are all unknown and the “Why’s” aren’t ours to choose.
If anyone had reason to question “Why Me?” it was probably my mother. Born 102 years ago tomorrow, she was the oldest of four daughters. Born to first generation immigrants from Russia, her German parents and grandparents ran a tight ship. From what I’ve been told about her life, the only thing they didn’t run short of was the work. She was raised in the same sea of vines as me. The main difference was, she never found a way out.
In 2007, she was feeling her age. After finding “Dr. Perfect” in the run down little coastal town in which she’d finally settled with my dad, it was decided that she needed an carotid endarterectomy.
According to the Mayo Clinic,
“A carotid endarterectomy is a procedure to treat carotid artery disease. This disease occurs when fatty, waxy deposits build up in one of the carotid arteries. The carotid arteries are blood vessels located on each side of your neck (carotid arteries). This buildup of plaque (atherosclerosis) may restrict blood flow to your brain. Removing plaque causing the narrowing in the artery can improve blood flow in your carotid artery and reduce your risk of stroke.
In carotid endarterectomy, you receive a local or general anesthetic. Your surgeon makes an incision along the front of your neck, opens your carotid artery and removes the plaques that are clogging your artery. Then, your surgeon repairs the artery with stitches or a patch made with a vein or artificial material (patch graft).”
Stroke.
At 86, that was my mother’s chief worry. Although her arteries were somewhat clogged, the “Physician” convinced her that she would feel right as rain after this procedure. He convinced her to have the surgery on March 30, one day after her 86th birthday.
She walked 3/4 mile to the hospital with my dad. They were avid walkers, walking at least one mile every day.
She jumped up on the hospital bed and gave us all assignments for the day. After all, her surgery would only be two hours. Just two short little hours we’d meet up and we’d all walk back home. Or so she was assured by the “Doctor”.
It was a Friday. We all completed the assigned tasks while mom waited for her 10:30 surgery which was delayed until 2:30. On a Friday afternoon. In a dilapidated town. Finally, off she went, the God fearing woman she’d always been.
At 10:30 pm, we were finally informed that there had been a “little incident”. It wasn’t such a walk in the park, as my mother had been assured. The “Surgeon” had crimped the artery, leaving the left side of her brain without blood and effectively killing it. He was “very sorry”. She wouldn’t be waking up. No walk home. No laughter about our assignments. A “Physician Induced” stroke. The very thing she was trying to avoid by having the surgery.
Thirty days later, after the hospital complaining that she really wasn’t “Actively Dying”, she did actually die. She never regained consciousness during those 30 days, but because of the hospital “incident” , her DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) was ignored. The very papers her husband of 67 years had rushed back home to retrieve before they would perform the surgery.
My mother would’ve never said “Why Me?” She was brave and bold. I would guess that “Doctor Fancy Pants” needed to learn some lessons that only my mother could teach him. He never came to see her during those 30 days in the hospital. I know because our family never left her side. There was someone with her 24/7 listening to the obnoxious noises of the machines that kept her alive. We were told he traveled to Hawaii the morning after he killed her. A planned trip, you know. I’m sure he never once questioned “Why Me?” because it wasn’t him. Just an old lady that didn’t make it. Just something that happened.
Between three sisters and our heartbroken dad, never once did we question “Why?”
Farming taught us all so many things. There are some things that you can make right. A broken pipe? Stuff it with oranges and duct tape it. A tractor with a broken front axle? Stick a 2/4 in the joint and drive home on 3 tires. Wet raisins? Dry them out. A backed up septic tank? Caustic Lime.
But, a lamb that dies in the night leaving the mother with mastitis? Rain on your entire crop of raisins? A loved one that gets cancer? Somethings are not ours to know the “Why’s”, or even begin to understand them. It’s best to work towards acceptance.
When I tell this story, people ask the obvious.
“Did your Dad sue?”
No.
Dad lead our little pack through the nightmare, reminding us that money would not bring HER back. It wouldn’t make anything better. Robbed of HIS lifemate, he lead by example. There would be no law suit. No horrible hospital scenes. No threats or ugliness. We would sit by her side until she was gone. And so, we did just that.
Losing VST seemed that unjust and unfair. Nine weeks isn’t even an entire season. I Just 63 days, we went from buying a house in a dusty little town off the interstate on the high plains of Northwestern Nevada to going to sleep alone as a new widow on a Wednesday night in Virginia City. Even then, “Why Me?” wasn’t the question.
For me, the real question will always remain, “Why Not Me?”
No matter how bleak the situation became, and those days were as dark as they get, there was always something hopeful in the horizon. I hope that my kids learned something from watching the struggles and victories I’ve made. Even though my dance hasn’t always been the most graceful, it was REAL and MINE to dance.
Here’s the deal. Sometimes, the absolute absence of reason must be accepted. Cancer, a rogue doctor and other terrible, unthinkable things don’t happen to everyone but can, in fact, happen to anyone at any time.
Why my mother? Why VST? Why my students? Why do bad things happen to undeserving people? They just do. All part of life, leaving grief as a constant companion, shadowing us while towing the the excess baggage.
These experiences are opportunities to grow in faith, hope, and love. Beauty is present in the saddest of times. Working towards the acceptance of “What Is”, the miracle of “What Was” and the excitement of “What Will Be” can be more fully appreciated.
As VST would surely remind me, “You can’t get nowhere on yesterday’s train”.
Happy 102nd, Mom. Enjoy heaven!!
Whatever you do today, try to replace questions about the past with focus on the “Right Now”. Spring is a beautiful time of year. Go out and enjoy the day!
Sometimes quiet solitude is just what the doctor ordered. No way in, no way out. This winter has presented this situation to many here in the mountains of the Wild Wild West. This winter, Mammoth Mountain has received almost 70′ of snow. Some roofs are collapsing under the continuous weight of the snow.
Mammoth is a town close to heaven. With an elevation of 7,881, oxygen is in short supply up there. At the base of the mountain, the elevation is closer to 9,000′. It is THE ski resort for the rich, famous, and expert skiers. Not too many bunny slopes here.
Mammoth isn’t the only place with snow troubles. My besties, CC, was snowed out of her house in the foothills of the San Joaquin Valley in sunny and warm California for 10 days. At 3,000 feet elevation, 8’feet of snow fell during that time. She’s still digging out and assessing the damage. Since then, the rains haven’t let up. There’s been at least one evacuation for flooding.
Mammoth Mountain — Hard core skiiersSnow removal companies go old school.Notice the chimney—-Slip and fall much?Summer skiing should be great!
Here on the high desert plains of Northwestern Nevada, we’re blessed that we aren’t buried in feet of the white stuff. But, our day will come with the melt…..
In the meanwhile, we await another winter storm. And so it continues.
“A band of steady snow extends from Mono County across west central Nevada near and east of US-95 early this morning. Snow has accumulated on some roadways, including I-80 near and east of Lovelock, US-50 near and east of Fallon, and portions of USA Parkway. Even where roads are just wet, near freezing temperatures may bring icy patches by commute time. Be prepared for slick roads and slower travel this morning.
Significant travel concerns continue over Mono County (poor Mammoth Mountain) from heavy snowfall overnight. Snow and pellet showers will develop this afternoon which may produce brief minor accumulations in lower elevations and a few inches of additional snowfall possible in the Sierra, along with a 15% chance for a rumble of thunder.
While it will be harder to see long-lasting roadway accumulation during the day given the late March sun angle, periodic travel difficulties in the Sierra should be expected. For tonight, some high resolution simulations are indicating bands of snowfall setting up in parts of western Nevada, with the potential locations varying across Washoe, Douglas, Lyon, and western Mineral counties. If these snow bands form and persist, they would produce isolated snow amounts from a dusting up to a few inches tonight, with slick and icy conditions continuing into the Thursday morning commute.” Today’s weather alert for my area.
So while I’m technically not snowed in or snowed out, I won’t be zooming around in the new car today. It’s almost April. Easter. The birds are waiting to start their families. Winter has overstayed her welcome. The bulbs are not even thinking about coming up. This year, it’s quite possible that we’ll get no spring. Extreme snow to extreme heat after the snowiest winter of the decade, all while we wait for The Great Floods of the Summer of 2023.
Whatever you do today, enjoy springtime in your area. If you are snowed in, try to avoid the news. Read. Craft. Cook. Learn something new. Anything but the news. Spring is a time to refresh and renew.
Is anybody happier because you passed their way? Does anyone remember that you spoke to them today?
The day is almost over, and its toiling time is through, Is there anyone that will utter a kind word about you?
Can you say tonight in parting, with the day that’s slipping fast, that you helped a single person of the many that you passed?
Is a single heart rejoicing over what you did or said? Does the one whose hopes were fading now with courage look ahead?
Did you win the day or lose it? Was it well or sorely spent? Did you leave a trail of kindness, or a scar of discontent?
Remember, in this crazy world, kindness cost no pennies from our purse. Help a neighbor. Wave at the mailman. Go out for a walk and smile at a passing neighbor. Call a friend that’s having a hard time. It will make your day, and theirs, too.
Seriously. If my mind hasn’t been stretched to the limit trying to learn about the workings of my new car, up pops one more thing I should’ve known long ago. Just one of life’s little hacks about which I wasn’t taught by my very efficient and knowledgeable mother. Wondering when this first appeared, it’s something everyone who owns a kitchen should know.
Take out your aluminum foil box and look closely. First of all, with such a magical tip as the one I’m about to share, why oh why wouldn’t it have been addressed on the box? So many tips are listed on my box of foil. Tips for “Easy Cleanup when Painting”, “Floral Arrangements”, or “Gift Giving”. You can use this foil to line, grill, or freeze. It’s the “Non-Stick” solution to life. There are “Stay Closed Tabs” on the box. 50 Square feet, converts to 16.6 Yards X 12 Inches, that converts to 4.64 Square Meters. (Just who decides what information will appear on the box? Who?) But, no where on my box is the real tip of the day revealed.
Of course, I found this hack while reading through a list of tricks not to be missed on the internet. Isn’t everything found on the internet?
Without making you wait another minute, I’ll now tell you what we have all been missing our entire lives. On the end of the boxes of foil, and other wraps as well, there are two, almost invisible, tabs. Almost circular, they are meant to be pushed inward to hold the roll in place. Just like that, no more crazy rolls of wrap that come out of the box, causing lots of crumbled problems and waste. Just two little tabs and, POOF, years of frustration could’ve been avoided.
This tip was probably missed in 4-H Girl’s Cooking class, while flicking flour at Betty, Sandra, and Linda. This is a truly helpful hack. A week after finding this online, the local news was broadcasting a story about the little tabs on the ends of foil boxes. Not a secret anymore, I wonder if this was something discovered at the International Space Station? My high school Home Economics Teacher, Mrs. Freda Montgomery, wouldn’t have withheld such critical information from her happy little home-makers. She just wouldn’t have left this out.
With a sigh, this is truly all I have to share for today. I hope you enjoy poking the tabs on all your wraps inward and then trying the boxes. Such an idea hidden on the ends of the foil box.
As for Oliver and I, we are finishing up a week in which he is learning that he is the DOG and I’m the HUMAN and WINTERPAST’S QUEEN OF EVERYTHING. After making some extremely bad choices last week, he’s spent the week experiencing Dog Training 101. Actually, many tips from Caesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer, have turned him into a respectable canine house mate.
There’ll be no more furniture hopping. No more sleeping in the bed. He’ll show respect for personal boundaries of all humans. And the biggest……NO Biting, Guarding, or Growling. That’s the end of that side of Sir Oliver. All in all, the tips from Caesar have been working. Disrespecting the hand that feeds the dog is never a good idea. Oliver is thinking over that idea, while I’m trying to a remain calm, cool, and assertive pack leader.
This weekend, the desert weather may be a little warmer. It’s time for working in the yard. Yesterday, curious as to why my bulbs hadn’t come up yet, MM started to investigate. To my embarrassment, I hadn’t planted bulbs planted in the first two planters we checked. After plant them in September I just forgot where. When we finally found the right pots, there they were nestled at the proper depth in the soil, far behind his blooming bulbs, but green and healthy. After a hard winter, there are many things that need cleaning and fixing. What a glorious season to spend time under desert big skies on the vast plains in Northwestern Nevada.
Whatever you do this weekend, be thankful for the wonderful life you have! Start a gratitude journal. There are always things for which to be thankful even in the midst of pain and grief. Hold onto those things and calmly carry on. Have the best weekend you can! Easter is almost here!
I’ll be back Monday for a few days before my Spring Break!!! Stay tuned.
Created by the loving hands of Miss B’s Granddaughter
All I can say for sure is this. When I turn 85, there better be a party.
I’m still a bit groggy from the wonderful party last night at the Cow Hand’s Café. Not knowing how in the heck we kept it quiet, it was a huge shock to the guest of honor, Miss B, my Mysterious Marine’s mom. With all the twists and turns in her journey during the last year, she celebrates her day today, but we kicked off the festivities last night. In the past year, she’s suffered broken bones, moved out of her house to rehab, emptied and nearly sold her home, and then decided to get well enough to move back in to begin again. To watch her heal and return to her life has been nothing short of a string of miracles all worthy of a big party for her 85th. The next chapter of her beautiful life.
The Mysterious Marine comes from a family of five boys. There are actually a couple step brothers I’ve yet to meet, but Miss B started with this core group of five, with MM being the oldest. The baby is about ten years younger and still hard at work as a coach. These five men are a wonderful example of what brotherhood should be. Having grown up in this town, their family is legendary at the High School and community, as is she. After all, Son #2 is our town Mayor. Miss B, you did a great job!
The birthday talk starting weeks ago. With a visit at her home coming to an end, Miss B made one final declaration that night.
“I’m turning 85 on April 3rd and there’d better be a party. A good one.”
Now, I don’t know about you, but when a person almost 20 years my senior says, “There’d better be…” I know there better be. Period. No time to pussy foot around with “Maybe’s” or “We’ll See”-s. Time to put the date on the calendar and run with it, which is exactly what was done. In secret. Sometimes a little hearing loss is a blessing.
After weeks of hushed phone calls and a final flurry of activity, the party started last night when she walked into the room. There were balloons hugging the ceiling. Thirty members of this wonderful family came together to celebrate their Mom, Grandma, and dear friend. The room overflowed with “Remember when”-s of love and respect. The restaurant had to put on extra staff just for us. And yes, her son, The Mayor, was in attendance to make it a perfect night for Miss B.
I’ve never seen a birthday party come together so quickly. MM’s daughter brought the fixings for a cake to his house at 3:30 pm. Whipping cream. Two large 18″x18″ sheet cakes of a special secret family recipe. Fruit. Floors. Decorations. By 5:00, she had created the most beautiful garden cake I’ve ever seen, complete with the freshest flowers on top. Just like that, without breaking into tears once!
As we sat in the kitchen laughing our heads off, it was as if I’ve known her my entire life, not just seven short months. Easy. MM’s family is beautiful and easy to love. I’m slowly learning who belongs to who. The Mayor and his wife have 5 kids, 25 grands and 3 or 4 Great-Grands, so my work is cut out for me. I could sit and talk at length with any one of the people at the party last night, from the adorable teens to the oldest woman in the room. The brothers have four of the cutest wives ever. Such a great crowd. The amazing thing is that they all like each other. A Lot!!!
After dinner, we ate cake while presents were opened. The turtle was quickly named Bartholomew by a grandson, which caused lots more laughter. Miss B loved every single second of the biggest, bad-est birthday party in the history of Cow Hand’s Cafe. Somehow, this crowd kept the entire thing a big secret which is saying a lot.
As the for restaurant staff, this crowd gave them a run for their money. There were at least five or six staff waiting on people at all times. Whatever we wanted we had in seconds. It has now become my favorite place to eat. In this day and age, there aren’t many places in which you can get that kind of service. Especially places right off the interstate in a dusty little town at a wide spot in the road on the desert plains of Northwestern Nevada.
Bartholomew’s the name. Don’t forget it.
Well, with the fresh snowfall, it’s time to try out the new snow blower. This should be the last storm of the season, but this year, it’s hard to tell. Next week, the temperatures are expected to climb into the 80’s. And such is life in the high desert.
Whatever you do today, have a little laugh about something. It could just be a cute piece of ceramic that suddenly gets a name like Bartholomew. Remember the reason for this season. Renewal and Rebirth! Have yourself a wonderful day!
Looking back at events of the past year, I want to honor Ronnie and Beverly Barker on this Ronnie’s one year heaven-ersary. RV’ers are strong, resilient people. Ron and Bev were no different than VST and I as we set out to see the country. One big difference between us is that Ronnie and Beverly Barker disappeared in their RV.
Poof.
Gone
They were driving along the lonliest highway in the US one minute, even stopping at a local gas station to fill up. The next, they’d vanished.
The following is a story that has haunted me since it began last spring. Today it’s one year since Ronnie died. Although I don’t know Aunt Bev, her strength is a testament to the faith she shared with her husband.
Yes, Aunt Bev. I now carry a Bible under the front seat of my car, too. Thanks for that special tip.
It took nine days for local authorities to find them. Crazy weather prevented an early search by air. Once it began, they were discovered in a few hours. Along with the weather, legal road blocks cost Ronnie his life. Ronnie died because of Nevada’s legal road blocks on Days 1-8.
Nevada Law Enforcement — #LISTENTOTHEFAMILY — NOW.
The following speaks of the strength and courage of Ronnie and Beverly Barker. It speaks to their faith in God Almighty. It speaks of so many things bigger than us, you just need to read it and find the message waiting for you. The statement was given just days after Beverly and her Ronnie were found.
Written by Ronnie and Beverly Barker’s relatives Travis Peters, Lynn Bledsoe, Chris and Jennifer Whaley. Told by Beverly Barker, survivor.
UPDATE 9:22 EDT 4/6/22
If anyone would like to see my full interview it will be on at 10:00pm Indiana time / 7pm Nevada time. Just open Facebook and go to the WTHR-TV homepage and our Facebook live segment will begin. I’m not used to being on that side of the lens.
UPDATE 8:02pm EDT 4/6/22
I don’t even know how to tell everyone the story… I will try to tell the best I can. About 6:15pm, we received a group video call from Jennifer. Like you all, we were waiting anxiously to hear how Bev is doing and get some details about what happened. Jennifer appeared on the phone and waited for everyone to appear…. she was sitting in the driver’s seat of a car so we assumed she was headed to the hotel after visiting with Bev. There was a gasp of astonishment when Jennifer simply panned the phone over and there was Beverly sitting in the passenger seat of the rental car. You guys cannot imagine the rush of emotion that shot thru us all….
We anticipated Jennifer was going to tell us what happened, but instead we were given the story directly from Beverly.
Through an intermittent cell signal, and the voice of someone that had just spent 9 days on the side of the mountain we heard the details. I will attempt to re-tell this but I will never get it 100% correct but I will try.
Beverly stated that the GPS was to blame for getting them into the pickle they found themselves in. The “highway” switch was not turned on in the GPS settings so I suppose it found the shortest route to their destination and that’s the way they went. I’m unclear of where they were heading on that Sunday evening, that’s a detail I missed when talking with her.
In any event they started down the road, following directions. There never was a fear that they were doing anything wrong. Bev recalls they they saw other cars, I believe she even mentioned another motorhome was seen. The directions had them making turns and they knew they were going up a mountain but I don’t think they ever had a fear that they were doing anything wrong. Bev said that the RV was doing just fine on the road other than the fact that they had to slow down because the trailer dolly that was bouncing around if they went too fast. Eventually the motorhome became stuck in the gravel and sand that was their roadbed. In my mind I pictured them stuck in the mud, but I think it was more of the sand.
They were going nowhere that Sunday night so they figured that they would just sleep in the RV and just hop in the Kia Soul in the morning and just continue up and over the mountain and get help to free their RV.
Without thinking about it, they just got in the car the next morning (Monday) and drove away from the RV. Thought wasn’t given to getting some water or blankets… They were ok, they just needed to go get some help to get the RV. Bev said they continued and came across numerous intersections and they took a wrong turn and eventually found themselves stuck again.
The next part of this story isn’t about the struggle to survive, because yes, that was happening. No, the rest of this story can only be described as a religious experience. I cannot provide a day-by-day account, but I will give you some details only because Beverly gave me permission to tell you all.
They remained with the stranded Kia, roughly 2 miles from where they left the RV. They had no idea how far they had went or how to begin to get back to the rig, especially in the shape they were in physically. They stayed with their vehicle and Ronnie would tap out SOS signals on the horn every 10 minutes. Ronnie taught Bev the pattern and she would do the same throughout the 9 day ordeal.
It was cold at night. Bev said the temps dropped to roughly 27. She never mentioned hunger as an issue, but thirst was their enemy. I’m unsure of when things got to the point that Bev had to begin taking care of my uncle as the dehydration began to pull the life from him.
Bev mentioned finding the strength to walk a long way to get snow that remained along a ridge. She used her walker for balance and she had bags that she would fill with snow before returning to uncle Ronnie. She mentioned using N95 masks that they had in the car to hold the snow. My uncle Ronnie was dying, and there was nothing they could do but honk that horn and try to melt snow for drink.
Bev mentioned the beauty of the area they were stranded in. She recalled how gorgeous the blue skies were and how many aircraft they would see crisscrossing the skies. I THINK she mentioned hearing or seeing someone that was looking for them but the cell signal made it hard to understand her at times. She spoke of the nights and how beautiful the stars were as they cuddled in the backseat of the Kia Soul.
My uncle was having difficulty breathing so Bev would have to position herself in ways that allowed Ronnie’s lungs to get air. She joked about one time she put her leg across his body and he told her it felt good because of the warmth she was providing him.
My uncle began to see Ananias from the Bible and he would talk to Ronnie. Ronnie asked Bev to read to him from the bible and she would do so as they passed the hours and days in the car.
Ronnie blamed himself for getting them into the situation but I do not think that there was any blame for him to shoulder. Eventually peace came upon the both of them and Ronnie Barker passed away at 3:12pm on Monday April 4. Beverly said that she snapped a photo so that she would remember the time of his passing.
She left her husband in the back seat and moved to the front of the car and resumed the only thing she could do….honk the horn….S O S….. She became frightened that the battery had died at some point after Ronnie passed. She went to honk and nothing happened. She waited a few hours and though to try again and luckily it started to honk again.
She remained with Ronnie and the next day (yesterday) unbenounced to her, rescuers located the RV. They were able to see the tire tracks and began following, although they were having a difficult time keeping the tracks as the desert would swallow them occasionally. Finally, after 9 days on Red Mountain, a rescuer heard that S-O-S coming from the Kia and Aunt Bev was finally safe.
Bev didn’t go into details of how she felt when she saw her rescuers. She said that they asked her what she needed and she instantly said “Water!” They asked if she needed food and amazingly after 9 days with nothing to eat she told them that she really wasn’t hungry.
She never mentioned weeping for her loss, I’m not sure she had the water to even form tears at that moment. She didn’t mention fighting anything that was happening around them. It was like they were ok with how it could end.
My friends…….that is everything she told me that I can recall. I was due to record an interview with my evening reporter Scott Swan so I think I staggered from my edit bay and he was the first person I saw so I told him I had just talked to Bev. We were already supposed to record an interview, so with Beverly’s blessing I talked to Scott and told him what I just told you all.
I will post that interview later this evening for you to hear. I still have questions…. where were they trying to get to? When did the gas run out? Bev mentioned that it had 3/4 of a tank when they started down the mountain. Did they ever come close to rescue? Did they see any search aircraft? Minor details that really don’t matter at this point.
The story has been told to me, and me to you….A miracle took place on Red Mountain. There’s no physical way that Bev would have been able to make it to get snow time after time without the Lord carrying her up to that ridge. The story Bev told, while heartbreaking, was uplifting as well. There was way more talk about how they were at peace with the fate that was closing in on them. There were more words of love and kindness to each other than pain and suffering. It truly was a religious experience.
I often tell people that my favorite church is when I’m alone in the woods or out on a creek or lake. It’s real…and there’s nothing fake about my church. Ron and Bev spent 9 days in my favorite church and in a way I’m very jealous of the spot that the Lord chose to bring Uncle Ronnie home.
We told Bev of all the prayers that you all were sending out. We told her of people from England and Australia that reached out to us. All of those dropped what they were doing and went looking for them in that Nevada high desert. She thanks all of you from the bottom of her heart. Thank you all….
The following words are the “official” statement we are now releasing to members of the media. We thank them all for their coverage of this harrowing story, and we ask that they continue to follow us as we try to get things changed so that no family has to struggle for the help we were seeking. Ronnie Barker passed away on Monday 4/4. Beverly was rescued roughly 21 hours later. Had proper steps been taken from the moment they were reported as missing, my Uncle would be alive today. Your inability to deal with this situation cost my uncle his life. I hope that haunts you for the rest of yours.
PLEASE, Law Enforcement — #LISTENTOTHEFAMILY.
You can hear Beverly tell her own story. Google her name. It’s a beautiful interview. A true testament to the faith she shared with her husband.
Whatever you do today, don’t just follow your GPS without looking out the window. Know a little about your destination before you head out the door. Don’t drive an RV up an unpaved, gravel road. But most importantly, keep a Bible handy under the front seat.
It’s been 3 years since VST lost his battle with Cancer. Some days it seems like 3 decades ago, while others days it seems like yesterday. During the next few days, I plan to take time to celebrate VST with family and friends as we approach April 8th. After Easter, I plan to enjoy some much needed time to reflect and work on great garden plans for Winterpast 2023!
Please enjoy these precious days before Easter Sunday. VST loved this time of year, while taking care of the fragile new growth in the vineyard. He celebrated his very first Easter in Heaven just days after leaving his beautiful home on Earth.
Whatever you do in the next days of spring 2023, make them count. Create something beautiful! A plant? A place for nesting birds? A new friendship? Reflect in this season of renewal.
