Horses and Horned Toads - Coalinga,Ca. and Community Spirit

Mom assigned me the job of  travel writer and  to report on the animals we see on this trip.

The little town of Coalinga, California had been an oil town, but it has its share of animals. First,we stopped to see what was left of the Iron Zoo.

 Jean Dakessian painted the first of these oil drills in the 1970s. At the height of his project over 50  drills were decorated as whimsical creatures. We only found two remaining, the Zebra and the Ram.

Coalinga High School carries on the animal theme and decorated an oil pump jack as a horned toad, their mascot.

 


The sculpture of the horned toad perched on a boulder in front of the school is quite impressive. Mom  told me stories about chasing horned toads when on vacation in the southwest when she was a child. She says she hasn’t come across one in years.

As we headed out of  town we passed this group of youngsters in front of the elementary school.

 I am supposed to be travel writing about animals, but I insisted Judy pull the motorhome over and talk to the kids. In my opinion, these people represented the community spirit of Coalinga . A substitute teacher volunteered his time to assist teaching these teens the responsibilities of community. Have you heard the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child?” Coalinga  is doing that.

As you know I am writing my memoirs from one of my recent nine lives. During one of my adventures I encounter a twelve year old girl who becomes a victim of human trafficking. Through my extensive research  while writing this book I have grown extremely  sensitive  to the perils  our youngsters face in today’s environment. They don’t have nine lives to live , only one. . It is communities like Coalinga who will keep our children safe.

 

Our next stop was to visit my doggie friend Tika at her ranch in Sacramento. I have traveled to Florida and back with her and up and down the coast last summer. I would feel something was missing if she and her mom weren't parked near us on this next adventure.

Oh dear! Who is this? I hope they aren't traveling with us. I stayed clear of these guys. Dog are difficult enough to deal with.

 

I spoke too soon. Tika has a brother named Ranger. Judy was trying out her new RV mobile doggie grooming salon on this dog, because he will be accompanying Tika and her mom on this trip.  Tika told me  he likes to kill all the little creatures on his ten acre ranch. I am going to keep my eye on Ranger. 

 

Remember my friend, Dahlia? Last summer she traveled with us part way up the coast. For the past year she has been busy going to school to become a service dog for the Canine Companions For Independence. And busy growing up!

Below are photos of her practicing her greeting  abilities at a CCI meet and greet event at the Brookdale Cherry Hills Club  in Menifee, Ca.

 

Stay tuned for more adventures on the road.

 

Please don't forget.

  Service dogs save lives.

Every hour a veteran commits suicide.

 

MASADA'S MARINE, The Story of a Service Dog and Her Wounded Marine Warrior