Are We Going To End Up In Pony?

Today for some reason I have been flooded with memories of all different time periods in our journey together. Some of them I have no fricking idea why, but I will say the journey has been mostly fun. Lots of tears but mostly happy ones this morning.

For some reason I remembered the time that Jennifer and Jonel Condra (Spear at the time) were coming to Helena. Jennifer for a visit and Jonel to come to school. At the time the interstate highway thru the canyon between Elk Park and Bernice was being constructed and the road was shut down. So traffic had to go a couple of different ways to get to Helena. Jennifer had a life long history of being directionally challenged.

Well the way Jennifer and Jonel chose was to go to Three Forks MT. and they should have turned left when they got off the interstate, but they turned right and before they knew it they were lost. Keep in mind this was in the mid-1980's, so long before Google. Anyway they finally stopped in Pony, MT and Jennifer called her folks to try to find out how to get to Helena. Her dad about blew a gasket when she told him where she was. I gave her grief about that little trip for 34 years. Many a time when she was navigating for us I would ask "Were not going to end up in Pony are we". That was usually followed up with the 1 finger salute or a simple FU

I think this directionally challenged thing came from her Mothers side of the family. The summer we got engaged, her and her Aunt Helen took a girls trip to Jackpot, NV. Now they got there with no problem it was the trip home that they took a wrong turn somewhere and damn near ended up in Oregon before they realized it. Her Aunt Helen was a very special person in Jennifer's life and she talked about that trip fondly and often. They had a good time in Jackpot.

I had lots of memories of her visits to Carroll. She would stay with her brother and sister-in-law (Dave and Pat), wink wink. They were always good sports and did not ask a lot of questions, when she rolled in at the butt crack of dawn.

Her travels to Helena were another one of those times that Jennifer had her Dad wrapped around her little finger. I don't think any of the other kids would have gotten to do what she did. Since her little Pinto did not have reverse, Mick and Rose would let her take their little Renault car "Frenchy" to drive over. Mick would always tell her that if it started to make noise or break down. To put her foot to the floor and to take the plates with her when she got stopped. Which her reply was Ok Daddy as she bounced out the door.

Anyway, I will sure miss asking her if we are going to end up in Pony.