West Texas "scavenger hunt" (?)--HELP!
I will refer new Texas-bound residents to the Ozona area forever as a great place to live; they are the nicest folks in the country! Listen to my story:
Last week, I was driving many of my worldly possessions in a horse trailer along I-10 (eastbound), when I was coming over the "cut-out hill" about 27 miles west of Ozona and caught a gust of wind that fishtailed my trailer off the hitch and slid it on its side into the guard rail (just short of a posted green "weather sign" that gives the radio frequency and warning of, among other items, wind gusts--a bit late in my case!). The "crash" peeled the top off my trailer and spilled my (and my wife's) belongings along 500 feet of highway, median and shoulder. I spent 15 minutes trying desparately to find all of the coins, jewelry, photos and papers that were strewn about, but missed a lot, apparently, as my wife is missing several memorabilia items worth her crying over--understandably. Among the most-missed items are some small green-stone earrings that were her mother's. They would definitely be in the median, where I found several items, but certainly not all.
Do you know "Surveyor Larry," who owns a great little 4-wheel drive all-terrain vehicle he keeps on a trailer? He and his buddy, "Little Man Lee," were a lot of help when they stopped to see if I were hurt or needed aid. I did need aid, obviously and they were able to get a hold of Gene Cooper of Ozona, who came out with a wrecker and helped right and tow my trailer to an Ozona yard, where we eventually tarped and duct-taped a make-shift top on the trailer. I was able to get back on the road in about 3 hours after the accident, thanks to those great folks. Ozona folks rule, and I will thank them all forever. Mike, the Trooper, was helpful too. If you know any of those guys, they can pinpoint the area--at about the 266 mile marker (plus or minus)--a bit east of the Pecos River, I believe. Once again, about 27 miles west of town. You'd definitely see the green weather sign along the guard rail at the bottom of the hill if you were eastbound. Pull off across the road if westbound.
So, if you had the time and inclination to comb the median back there and find some of our items, there would be a reward--depending on what you found--especially the earrings. They'd be in that median grass--hopefully found before the next mowing, though they'd be deeper in the grass, near the soil, I'd imagine. Perhaps a flashlight or some kind of high intensity lamp would spot things much better. You'll probably find lots of papers still around, though many were blown eastword, as the wind was "up," to say the least. I was a 35-year airline pilot and many papers had to do with old checkrides and evaluations by the FAA, etc. There were old deeds and car registrations that I'll probably never see again; lots of old notes and files, but who knows where they are now? Specifically, I would imagine you will see the tire skid marks where I veered the SUV off the highway and into the grass ahead of the guard rail toward the very bottom of the hill. Most of the jewelry and coins that I found were just short of that area where the trailer "unhitched," but most items were found in the median grass, where the trailer was first upset and started skidding. I was busy directing traffic into the only lane I could clear at first and simply didn't have the time to find everything. If you find any items that I probably can't live without, there's that reward I'm offering as well as paying for the gas you used to get there when and if anything is returned. Thanks for even considering the help. Scavenger hunts can be fun. Take a lunch and help a "foreigner." My wife and I will give undying thanks and hopefully make it worth your while.
Jim McGivern
I can be notified at 415-271-6298 (a cellphone) or at home: 352-249-4484.