Gotta use the video camera on this trip. No other option. We are taking the dream vacation and I want it recorded for reruns again and again.

About a month ago, Dale and Janice Moye from Maryland had a friend call and see if we were going to be home on Saturday. They were in the area and wanted to come by and see us.

About eight years ago, Eddie and I decided we were going to try to find Mr. Ebony’s Shadow, the sire of Eddie’s stud, Ebonys Secret Code. I called the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association in Shelbyville, TN, and got the number for the owner of the horse.

We called the number and Dale Moye answered. He said it was lucky we had found him because he had moved and he was only over at the old house doing some repairs. He still had the stud and he didn’t want to sell him. We made plans to meet and have breakfast at the Tattersall Sale in January.

That year we did meet and Dale gave us a picture of Cody’s Dad. Every year since then we run into Dale at the After Christmas Walking Horse sale in Lexington, Kentucky.

A few years went buy and Dale called us to see if we were still interested in the 22 year old stallion. Since we had so many horses, Eddie told him we probably wouldn’t be interested. A little later Dale called back and said, "If you want this horse, come and get him." We drove to Maryland and picked him up and Dale cried when the old stud he had owned for 16 years left the barn. It took us $300 in gas to drive that old Chevy 454 up there and back.

Eb was then a part of our family. Some friends we rode with for years, thought it was Cody. Another lady said, "Eddie, are you sure that horse is that old? He acts like a 6 year old."

Then Dale appeared in our lives again a month ago and we were shocked to find out that he had sold everything he had, bought a big trailer and was living on the road trail riding full time.

We had read about Janine Wilder and her husband doing that for the last 10 years. Eddie envied their life of all trail riding. Now another friend was doing the same thing and he was sitting in our yard!

Dale and Janice were heading west in mid May and they invited us to go along. Eddie said we might if we could get out hay in before then. We did and we are going!

I had visions of what it should be. I was going to have Alanna record me and Eddie in our new travel cowboy hats. We would pose with the truck and do a comic recording of us loading the horses. But it was not to be. Good creative vision is not a real possibility.

Filming of Eddie coming out the back door began and I gave a scan of the yard and the house. We left for South Dakota about 12:36, three and a half hours later than our proposed departure. But in this trip it doesn’t matter. It is our schedule and we can change it. This is to be played by ear. Deadlines are not anywhere near the top of our priorities.

We had called in for Billie Browning at C B Café in Salt Rock to have us our favorite pizza ready. Onions, hamburger and chicken planks! Eddie crossed the road to pick up our lunch. Ruby lay in the back seat on her Puppy Quilt, complete with pillow. This was her first trip of any distance and she trembled.

"It’s all right, Ruby," I tried to console her. I knew she would settle in eventually.

The air conditioner had been repaired, but there was a little connector that was too worn. Andy had tried to find us a new one, but it had a small part broken off. He got it ready for us to use in case the old one quit, which it did before we traveled the two and a half miles! Eddie raised the hood and wiggled the switch and it cranked out the cold air again.

We settled in to eat Billie’s good pizza and drink the iced tea I had brought. I didn’t offer any to Ruby after she refused the first crust. I knew dogs travel better empty anyway.

Since my year on the Atkins died, I did not eat the crust of the pizza. But since the top is the best part I was very content. I weighed the less I had weighed this morning in a good while and I was not about to throw that away.

We had to stop again at Bloomingdale church and wiggle the switch. As soon as the cold air stopped it became scorching again and sweat began to run. I didn’t see how we could travel a couple thousand miles in these conditions.

"Can’t that thing be taped or tied or something?" I asked Ed.

"I don’t know," he answered as he reached for the black tape. He gave it a few laps of tape and we were on the road again.

On the downhill just before the KY line on I 64 more tape was applied.

As we were someplace after Cannonsburg, we heard a loud pop. Eddie pulled over again and checked to see what had made the noise. Couldn’t see anything wrong, but when we drove down the highway Eddie noticed a dramatic loss of power in the truck.

At the rest stop before Grayson we stopped again to hunt for the problem. I got inside the camper and found a gallon of milk in the floor! I guess I didn’t lock the refrigerator and milk, cheese and cottage cheese were all in the floor. Fortunately it was not spilled. I put all of that back and notice the beautiful geranium had dropped many of the petals. I should have shook it before loading it. Now the floor was stained with the red petals, but I perceived it as a reminder of my Mother’s Day present for travel.

It brought to mind of when my daughter left her child in Day Care when he was small. She would kiss the back of his hand and leave lipstick. Anytime he was lonely, he could see his Mommy Kiss.

So now I have them in flower petals on my linolieum leaving Daughter Kisses.

Back on the road Eddie still knows the lack of power is a problem as we are down to 35 mph climbing the little Grayson hills.

"How are we going to get over the Rocky Mountains if we can’t top a Grayson Hill at more than 35 mph?" I asked my husband.

"We’ll get off down here at Olive Hill at the truck stop."

I called Andy on my new nationwide phone. He suggested maybe a fuel line filter. Eddie went inside and came back saying, "They said there is a Ford dealer back at Grayson. We’ll go back there."

We 35 mph’ed it back to Grayson and pulled into Atkins/Slone. Eddie came back and said we had to go out back and drop the trailer.

I didn’t know if they would allow Ruby in the lounge or not, but I decided to try it. It was too hot in the trailer. I put the leash on Ruby and walked her to potty in the grass out back. Then we headed for the lounge. Nobody stopped us as we went in and took a seat where we would be able to watch tv. It was Dr. Phil time.

Some woman who worked at the desk came by and stopped to pet Ruby. I told her the dog’s name and we talked for a little while. Eventually about 12 people had walked by and just about all of them talked to the dog!

A boy of about 12 came over and sat on a table where he would be low to pet the dog. He told me about his five dogs. Eddie found out the boy knew Charley Rice, a man who had gone on the Smoky Mountain trail ride with him.

After a couple of hours, we were $175 lighter and back on the road for our trip west.

"Since it is so late, why don’t we just go to White Sulpher Horse Camp at Salt Lick, Kentucky, and stay there tonight," I asked Ed.

"That is just what I was thinking."

We got off the Farmers exit and took the narrow roads to the horse camp we had stayed at several years ago. There were no other trailers, so we chose a site and tied the horses in the tie stalls.

We had a good night’s sleep and were on the road early next morning.