Santiago
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3533
Registered: 8-27-2003
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A good one.....
One of MH's good-uns.....
Baja Heart
The old Land Cruiser, white paint fading and brown with more rust than not, gave up at the junction. The driver pulled into the café across from
the sheriff's ranch in the dry dusty desert. He knew they could go no further, a rod had broken or some such and the car would leave them stranded in
the desert away from civilization even at that here. He entered the doorless café-home and looked around the empty table-strewn room. There was an
attached kitchen and living quarters, all peopleless..
"Hola??" He hollered into small echoes off barren walls. Shuffles from the back of the establishment. A small elderly woman appeared.
"My truck is broken." He said in Spanish. "Is it possible to store it here for a week or two?"
"Momento." The Senora said. She called her husband who directed the younger man to put his car in a protected place inside the rancho's cactus
fence.
He moved the chattering truck into the yard and turned the engine off, set the brake. He climbed out of the truck. A woman exited the passenger
side, followed by two dogs, one small, one large and longhaired. The driver and the woman gathered some minimum luggage.
"I'll be back in two weeks." He told the older man. "What time does the bus come?"
"Tomorrow at ten in the morning."
The man and woman picked up their baggage, called to the dogs and crossed the deserted roadway. They sat in the dirt just off the pavement. When a
car or truck came by, every ten minutes or so, he stood and stuck out his thumb, asking symbolically for a ride. Where? one might ask. The border was
350 miles north and there was little between here and there to capture one's attention. Then a camper pulling a boat pulled up to the junction,
crossed into the northbound side of the carreterra and stopped in front of the man with his thumb stuck out. The man walked to the driverside window.
"What's up?" the driver asked.
"Truck threw a rod. My wife and I and our two dogs are headed for an area just north of Los Angeles."
"We're a group of firemen and families from Long Beach. We can take you that far." The driver said.
"Where do you want us?" The group debarked the camper to determine the family's needs and assign positions.
"How 'bout you ride in the boat?" Someone said to the man. "And keep the dogs with you. They invited the woman inside the camper. There was room
there for one more. Soon they were driving north. The man and the dogs were sweltering in the open cabin of the boat, but at least they were making
progress. They continued for an hour or two and stopped for a break. Everyone asked how the man was doing in the back of the boat. "We're fine." He
said.
"Maybe we can find room in the camper." Someone said. And they did.
As the simple desert miles passed they had no other activities except to swap life stories and other simplicities. It turned out the group of
families was leaving La Gringa. They gathered every year there with other firemen for camping.
They drove straight through that afternoon evening and early morning of the following day, the firemen and their passengers, from Bahia de Los
Angeles to Long Beach. They arrived at 3 in the morning.
"Why don't you borrow our car?" One of them asked. "You can drive home and get yours and bring ours back later". These folks had known the man and
woman for 12 hours.
The man took them up on their offer. He drove off with the woman and two dogs with only trust between them and the others. He drove the tired
drive to La Crescenta, got his car and dropped off the dogs. The two of them drove in separate vehicles back to Long Beach, where they returned the
car and levied heavy thanks on the Long Beach firemen.
Thirty something years later it's a wonderful experience to reflect back on, these saviors of the desert that stopped and took on-board strangers,
transported them across deserts and borders knowing nothing about Mary Ann or me, loaning us a car when we could have stolen it never to be seen again
and disappeared over a horizon. with no questions asked they helped us unendingly and with their personal attentions to our needs. We were made
comfortable at their sacrifice that they made while smiling and with a want-to attitude. While this story includes only gringos, we were all inspired
by the people that live along the peninsula we love.
Giving is an essence of life, an aspect we would find it hard to live without. I see it exemplified constantly in Baja California.
From "Baja with Mike", Fred's board.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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Thanks Santiago
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15940
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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Mood: Everchangin'
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i imagine mike and jr are probably keeping each other laughing nonstop....oh, the stories!
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Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
Posts: 2962
Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: Sunset Beach
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Mood: Just dancing through life
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Wonderful to remembe, JR and the chicken coopers...........now two of them together and loving each others caring for 'their' Baja. Different
drummers, different guys................same love!
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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Bob H
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5867
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: San Diego
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Baja Bernie
Wonderful to remembe, JR and the chicken coopers...........now two of them together and loving each others caring for 'their' Baja. Different
drummers, different guys................same love! |
Right ON Bernie!
Bob H
The SAME boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It's about what you are made of NOT the circumstance.
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Bob H
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5867
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: San Diego
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Santiago
One of MH's good-uns.....
Giving is an essence of life, an aspect we would find it hard to live without. I see it exemplified constantly in Baja California.
From "Baja with Mike", Fred's board. |
This is one of Mike's great quotes! And, oh so true.
Thanks for posting this wonderful story.
Bob H
The SAME boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It's about what you are made of NOT the circumstance.
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AmoPescar
Senior Nomad
Posts: 835
Registered: 7-15-2006
Location: North San Diego County
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Mood: Need a Fish Taco and a Pacifico!
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Mike wasn't known...
for having fancy cars that were in great shape or for maintaining them in A-1 condition. It just wasn't a priority with him. After all, he was a
simple, down to earth kinda guy, who wasn't into fancy things.
He and Mary Ann once caravanned to Gonzaga with El Camote, Mermelada and I from San Felipe. He was following El Camote (on his cycle), Mermelada and
I, in his beat-up old pickup (POT...Poor Old Truck). POT had very old and worn regular tires, and not some fancy off-road tires. As he followed, he
was staying well back and out of my dust. Of course, we were keeping an eye on him and his dust trail and making sure he didn't have a problem.
But...if you've ever been to Gonzaga, you know that the last couple of miles is winding and downhill, which made it harder to keep track of them. As
El Camote and I reached Alfonsina's, we waited and waited for Mike and Mary Ann to show up. Well, we waited quite a while and they didn't show up, so
we started back tracking to look for them and found them at the top of the hill, sitting there with a flat tire.
I told Mike, that if he would get out his spare and jack, that I would help him change it. Mike replied... "I don't have a spare and I don't
have a jack, I kept meaning to get one and put it in POT." Well, I was shocked at this and at his boldness in making the drive without these
obvious necessities. But, I dug out my Hi-Lift Jack and we managed to jack POT up to change the tire. We got the tire off and took it down to Rancho
Grande where they were either able to repair it or sell him another used tire and eventually get him going again.
As you can imagine, we all had a good laugh about it as we finally got to Alfonsina's and had some cervezas.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BOY, I sure do miss Mike. I think about him often, sometimes misting up and sometimes chuckling to myself or even out loud.
Amo Pescar 
[Edited on 1-10-2007 by AmoPescar]
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65304
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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I know what you mean Amo!
Mike was great and Baja and he jived!
Photo by Bedman of Mike at BBBB#4, 2002
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