Hills and Dales and Rin Tin Tin

There is nothing as invigorating as an early morning hike. Probably should have done one yesterday. Instead, we got off about mid-morning after long chats over several cups of coffee. The Sierras and other ranges were still beautiful as we climbed some minor foothills to get a panorama view of the Carson Valley.

We had a purpose for this particular hike. My brother-in-law built and positioned a bench dedicated to his father at the top of a hill. Recently, his mother also passed. She was a wonderful person, a great mother, and an ideal mother-in-law. He had a new brass plaque engraved and we hiked up to the top of the hill to add it to the bench. It was a quiet and perfect moment.

In the afternoon we drove out to Fort Churchill. The flies beat us to this historic site. After a few minutes of insects buzzing around my eyes, I was eager to get inside the small museum to escape the pesky pests. I can only imagine how crazy-making it must have been when there were hundreds of cavalry horses around. The life of a frontier soldier was not easy.

The fort is now a ruin, but still an interesting side trip. It was situated to protect the Carson Trail, which was used by the Pony Express and pioneers on their way to California. The fort looked nothing like the one in Rin Tin Tin, my favorite television show as a child. Instead of a log stockade, the white adobe buildings were not protected by a wall. The purpose of the fort was not to be an oasis of safety as much as a central point to send out patrols.

Next, the Reno gun show.