PART SIX
LOVE GOES ON
Rainy, Gypsy, and Amanda are responsible for the life that I live, even now, years past our journey. After our adventure, I was asked to speak and do presentations many times, and every time I got paid for that, I saved the money. Two years after returning to my hometown, I was able to put a down payment on a little piece of land from that savings—acreage with grazing, a stream, and trees for shade. I built a lean-to barn and moved Rainy and Amanda to the land they helped pay for.
A few years after that, I met a guy who asked me, “Aren’t you the girl who rode the horse across the country?” That man became my husband, John. We built a house on the land where my horses lived, and we raised four children together.
Most of what I have and what I love is related to what those three animals did for me. In this way, Rainy, Amanda, Gypsy, and the journey itself keep on giving. I carry the lessons and the memories from that time with me always.
The four of us remained inseparable. Gypsy amused people well into old age, jumping up in the saddle and riding when asked, and posing for cameras until they clicked. She lived to be sixteen years old.
Rainy lived to see the new millennium. We rode out together every day for more than a quarter of a century, so the miles and the moments I cherish with him are beyond measure. I lost him to old age near the twenty-year anniversary of our journey. I think of Rainy and Gypsy all the time and miss them every day. But I find solace in the knowledge of what a gift they were and how blessed I am, having had them in my life for so long.
And Amanda? That little Kansas mule is waiting for me by the gate right now. At almost forty years old, she still puts love and laughter into my life every day. Before I sent out the very last pages of this, our story, to my publisher, I went out and hugged her, and ran my hand along the delicate curve of those long, beautiful ears, just for luck.
When I told people in my life I was writing about the cross-country journey the animals and I took all those years ago, they asked me: “Is it an adventure story? A travel story? A horse story?” It could be any of those, I suppose.
In the end, though, I realized it’s a love story. It’s about the love of this country, especially the back roads and small towns, and the places where the trees grow wild and grasses sway and rain falls and soaks into the earth and into streams that flow onward. It’s about the love that people give when they hand a tired traveler a cold drink on a hot day. It’s about the love of people who welcome you, and the people who let you go. It’s about the love that grows when you open your heart to it. And it’s about the love for three great animals that gave all they had to give in a partnership with a human. That love goes on, always.
Sometimes you hear people refer to outdoor traveling, hiking, and solo adventures as being “out there.” I think often about the days when my animals and I were “out there.” It may be fanciful, but I like to think there is still a little of the spirit of our journey “out there.” Maybe there’s an old fence wire that I unwrapped then rewrapped at a cattle guard. Or a trail with a low spot that started from a hoof print of Rainy’s. Or we might have left some road dust sprinkled along the land we traveled across, like stardust.
I believe that real love stays. And thanks to Rainy, Gypsy, and Amanda, there is a lot of love, and a little piece of “out there,” in me still.
From a poem written by Reid, about me, my animals, and our journey, sent to us on the road:
Someday I’ll return to a normal life,
Have a job, be a mother and wife.
But I’ll always remember in my mind’s eyes,
Those old horizons
And distant skies.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Years ago, when Rainy, Gypsy, and I started out on our journey, I quickly realized that I was in over my head. I felt overwhelmed and very vulnerable. The kindness of the people we met along the way was a big part of what kept me going and helped me grow strong. Although I was able to write about some of my experiences in this book, there were many other times strangers stopped to see if we needed anything, offered meals or lodging or something for the animals, wrote to or called my parents, or offered to keep us in their prayers. I kept extensive journals as we traveled, and they are filled with pages listing every caring person we met and every moment that someone took time out of their day to help us. In this way, many people became part of our journey. So many people helped us and showed us kindness that including a “thank you” to all of them would greatly increase the size of this book. I may not be able to fit them all in these pages, but every person who touched our journey is a special memory to me. I will never forget them.
Over the years, as I lived life and raised my children, I worked on writing down the stories from the journey I made across the country with my animals. While writing is mostly a solitary pursuit, there are always people involved in the process of improving what you wrote and turning your writing into something others may like to read. The following people helped me on the way to turning my tales into the book in your hands, and I’d like to acknowledge them: The members of the Wednesday-night writers’ group at Barnes & Noble in Vestal, New York, who heard many of my stories, and were a lot of fun to hang out with, especially Mark Levy, a writer, friend, and intellectual property lawyer extraordinaire. Audrey Pavia, who started as an editor and became a friend. Becky Smith, who not only proofread but encouraged me greatly, and Kate Karlson, who did a last-minute check of the final manuscript. In addition, I’ve been blessed with more than my fair share of good friends, neighbors, and relatives who believed in me and believed these stories were book-worthy. I thank you all, from my oldest school friends, to friends I’ve made through a shared love of animals, to the people who are dear to me in my family’s community.
I’d like to mention a horseman from way back before the trip, Larry Reed, who did a lot to help send us on our way. Also, Jack and Nadine Betti, for coming to Needles and giving Gypsy and me a “temporary home” in California, and Casey Betti, for driving many hours across the state for us.
An extra thank you to Dr. Reid Scifers for the title Distant Skies.
I could not write this without going back to the time before the book or the trip and acknowledging my parents, John and Marie Priblo. It was my mother who taught me the love of books and my father who knew how to tell a story. I honor them with heartfelt appreciation. It was their love and influence that built the foundation that enabled me to go out in the world with an open mind and an open heart.
To the Priblo clan, my wonderful siblings, my sister, Jan, and my brothers, Jack and Vince—I thank you and your families for your unwavering support, your humor and love, and for believing in me. You all enrich my life.
A big thank you to my husband John who built our barn and helped build the life we have. When a non-horse guy marries a horse girl, I don’t know if he realizes he’ll be doing things like hauling bales of hay and fixing fence for the rest of his life. But you do all that and more. I thank you for your love and for sharing space in my heart with the animals that have been a part of our lives.
A special thank you to my four children, who each in their own way kept me going, helping me continue writing this book at times when I almost gave up. Jack, who was the first to read some stories early on and encouraged me to keep chasing the dream of a book. Maura, the one I called during a time of despair, who said exactly the right words to keep me on the right path. Kellyn, who read a story about Gypsy and said simply, “I really like it,” at a time when I needed to hear that. Sam, who asked many questions about the journey and stayed up late into the night to be there when I wrote the very last word. Thank you. All of you are my everything.
And I would really like to say to you, the reader, that if you’ve ever had a deep connection with a dog or a horse, or if the back roads, small towns, and wide-open spaces call to you, then this book was for you, too. Being able to share stories about Rainy and Gypsy and Amanda, our adventures, and the people that touched our lives helps to keep them alive for me, and for that I thank you.
I also would like to extend a very fond thank you to Rebecca Didier, Martha Cook, and Caroline Robbins at Trafalgar Square Books. From the first time I spoke with Rebecca, every interaction with them has been a pleasure. Rebecca, Martha, and Caroline believed in this story enough to give it a chance, and for that, I am forever grateful.
Lastly, I must acknowledge once again Rainy, Gypsy, and Amanda, who will be always remembered and always loved. Thank you for carrying my dreams.