(ONLY IN RENO is an irregular mailing from stalwart NEWSgrist pal and correspondent Marjorie Vecchio)
Only In Reno, May 20, 2007:
Yet again another Sunday, twelve o'clock, but this time noon not midnight. It's today in fact!
I hear helicopters and follow the sound to my porch. Sure enough two helicopters with red crosses on them (via the army, not Switzerland) are docked on the mountainside where many of you know I take walks almost daily. I love the sage-and-snake infested mountain so much; I refer to it as “my mountain.” There is also a SUV angled on the road higher up on the mountain, as if blocking it. But this is kind of funny because of course any “off-road” vehicle - as most of “them” are - could easily just go around.) Anyway, there is a woman and her carry-able child walking up from one house, up to the trailhead entrance parking lot, near where one of the helicopters is lounging. Some officially-clothed men are running or walking between the two helicopters, while a group of locals are gathering at the entrance, teenagers are standing on rocks, looking, some other official types are going over a couple areas over and over again, looking at the road and brush. Cars come and go as people try and find out what happens. The feds go often to talk to the woman with the child, who at one point, points to the mountain. They also go talk to the teenagers at the entrance.
The helicopters leave within about 10 minutes of each other, and soon
after I hear them again, this time they are circling the valley next to
mountain where I usually hike. I see them between the trees.
(Binoculars don't see through trees very well). I decide this is too
much excitement and have lunch instead. Sure enough right after I
finish lunch and go back to cleaning, I hear the helicopter returning,
I go take a peek and can't believe my luck! The helicopter is carrying
a CAR (uh, light green, looks new but all crashed up) and dumps it off
at previously mentioned parking lot. Got a photo of this for you all.
Then, as I am writing this Only Awesome in Reno, yet another helicopter
swings by with another car. However, this one looks like it has been
wherever it was for a very long time…burnt out, graffiti, etc. Then I
come back to writing you and yet another one comes 5 minutes later. Car
number three, this must be “Unjunk the Peavine Foothills Day.”
The medics are rescuing not people, but cars! Since this could go on all day, I won't bore you with every car coming in, but I will include a photo of my nice new summer flowers! (And the photo includes the fabulous binoculars my parents gave me!)
ONLY IN AWESOME RENO!
Love, Marji
++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++
