Belen was really nice even though I didnt spend much time there. The Valero on the other side of the overpass from the yard was very friendly. Ended up not finding too suitable a spot to sleep that night so we camped on the side of some brush off a main road. Some traffic stopped in the morning and awoke me to wonder what the thing they saw was, and were concerned it was a dead body. Sure enough after assuring them I was fine and getting a couple kickdowns, the ambulance come to investigate a dead body. they see im alright and the accompanying police run my name, and tell me where the yard is. We walk to the yard and see two WBD IM's and by the time we find a suitable spot the first pulls off. We managed to get on the second and after about ten minutes wait, we were ready to roll. The ride was beautiful through the desert. Coming into Beaumont, CA, we were stopped in the yard, after we had commenced moving again, I judged out what I thought to be three miles. I poke my head out of the car at just the wrong time. A BNSF worker/bull was at that intersection. He quickly prompted the train to stop, and went to investigate my car. Ell and I had dipped to the right down a gravel hill and dropped back like 20 cars just in time. We got on a gnarly container. It was yellow with a red 103 in the middle of the suicide well. there was only one beam diagnoally connecting it, so I was a bit worried about our stabability. Somehow before we got a movin, I managed to wedge my guitar and Pack in a corner of the car, and Ell sat on my lap balancing on the beam. after about twenty miles, my pack started to tilt and turn back and forth. Worried it was going to fall, I leaned over to hold it up. I heard a horrid yelp after that and looked to my puppy. I held her to my chest, and her leash had got pulled in on the rails. Then after seeing everything else was alright, we moved to the deck of the car, and hid among the brake mechanisms until we sided again. After arriving to Los Angeles, I got off in Vernon right in the BNSF yard. Thought I was already in L.A., so Ella and I got off, somewhere around this time I broke my guitar but not too sure when. We walked down the small sidestreet from there when we see some workers drive by in a van. They stop and roll down their window, "You appeared from nowhere" they exclaim. I told them I just moseyed in, not sure of their intentions. They turned out being cool and told me of directions towards L.A. My train had left by then, but we were still right beside the tracks. Sure enough, another train came on the same tracks, so we got into yet another train, and rode this one past that overpass about four miles. We arrived to Commerce, where Ell and I considered this would be as good a stop as any to dip because of constant slowing down and siding due to Amtraks. We dipped down the embankment onto a main road, and walked over to Taco Bell. Found a good spot to camp then I got Ella mad beef an bean burritos. L.A. was alright, didnt stay there as much as I would have liked to, spent more time on the board walk in Venice. After a few days without an Instrument, I was feeling weary. Got a ticket in Santa Monica for tying my shoe in the median, and when I rose from that, a police officer had seen me and assumed I was panhandling bc my dog was tied to my pack and i had signs held into my frame. I tried to dispute it, and he said it would be best for my dog's sake to just dispute it in court. what an asshole. Not having a source of income and failed spanging attempts got me worried and considered heading up north. We came across a guy, Don, who was an enthusiastic 30 somethings stoner that approached me at the board walk. We began talking about medical marijuana, and sure enough he had a card. we went to his car to blaze up, when he offered to give me a ride to the dispensary. I went with him, and he came out with 35 bucks (an eighth) worth of Blue Dream. This was astonishing for me, as used to East Coast prices, hadnt experienced this consistency so much. He then told me about the prosperity of Humboldt, and mentioned I still had time to make it north and get some work trimmin. He gave me a ride to Santa Barbara, and from there Ell and I caught a quick ride to Santa Maria. We werent plannin on stoppin for a while until San Fran, but got to San Miguel seeing it was dead as disco. The library was great there, or most likely great timing as it is only open like tuesday wendsday and thursday, and I picked up "The World Without Us" which is an exciting read about life without and before humanity and what would happen to the world. Almost done with that book now. Seeing San Miguel was pretty dead, we slept out on the river bed. El and I wandered the next morning, and found a few really cool stones. Met a couple local bums who really enjoyed some Rummy. That morning, we caught a ride back to Paso Robles. Our ride, Tweety, dropped us off at the music shop off of spring street. While waiting for the music shop to open, I started drinking, and came across the resident homebum of this shopping center, Richard. He seemed like an older bo that had quit the trail due to the great conditions of Paso. We played alotta cards and drank some booze. Managed to get a somewhat broken guitar at the guitar shop the next evening. There was a small hole in the back, but it is fixable. That day, the police in Paso stopped Ella and I as we were walking with a kid we met. They said it would be in our best intentions to leave town. I asked why, and he walked up to me and said in my ear, cuz they dont like my fucking kind around here. I got pissed, but he offered a ride outta town south. I had decided on going south, as the 60 mile stretch between San Miguel and King's City didnt seem to appealing. We got to the exit that evening. Ella was walking beside me unleashed, due to her harness breaking earlier. she went out in the street, and i saw a car coming. i ran in front of it, the car saw me and swerved and clipped Ella as she was trying to go back towards the curb. The car didnt even fucking stop. I tried to hold Ella and screamed my fucking lungs out at oncoming traffic, when one car stopped and the occupants rushed out to help us. We went to Atascadero Animal Hospital, where they diagnosed she had a broken femur. they gave me the option of A. signing my rights over to the hospital to give her care, or B. taking her and getting arrested for animal cruelty. I told them to hold on, as I called my parents frantically and applied to credit cards. To no avail. I was becoming increasingly unruly. The police had come, and were getting tired of my drunkenness and profanity. The vet had said it would be a 5000 dollar procedure to help her. I left Ella at the hospital that night, and hoped to panhandle at least some money during the night and following morning for her. I got drunker and fell asleep beside the chevron that night, and in the morning before checking on Ella, Made about thirty bucks without doing much. They had said she would be placed on pain medication and my credit card attempts had been denied. They were going to perform the surgery on Monday(she was hit thursday night), and had to figure out a good home to put her in. They were also considering whether or not to amputate the leg or do extensive reconstruction on it. I left in tears thinking I had just lost my best friend. The next two days, I checked on her a couple times a day, and then got a ride back to Paso Robles Target in hopes of spanging up some help for the vet bills. Flying a sign near the jack 'n the box, I decided on checking out some local churches in hopes of getting a fundraiser going for her. I went to a local church, New Day Center, on Sunday, and walked in during the middle of their service. An usher, David, had welcomed me and talked with me about the ordeal whilst the service went on. At the end of the service I explained to the pastor and everyone what had happend. David and his wife, Joyce, had decided to take me home with them that night, (only a mile or so away) and get a shower and a hot meal. They are an older couple, really involved in their church. Really great people. I stayed there that night and we played alotta cards. I got them intrested in a vege/vegan diet. Joyce was alot more receptive to it. The following morning, we went to check on Ella. David and I went to the vet that evening, and they said she had been already looked upon by another family that was really intrested in helping her out. she would need extensive rehabilitation and couldnt tramp around with me. we walked back to his truck in despair, and a lady from the vet, Kelly, came out. she told me they were strongly considering giving her back to me and to come back the next afternoon. David and I came back tuesday afternoon, when the doctors told us that since I was with the family and had a stable place for Ell to rest, they would let me get her back. When I saw Ella again for the first time after the surgery, it broke my heart. she had a huge scar over almost all of her back right hip, where they had placed two plates, multiple pins and rods. She has six weeks to heal up, five weeks now, and we are staying with David and Joyce until then. They are great people and love the pup, which is awesome. Ive been helping out with their church regardless of my opinions, and i'd have to say its pretty neat. just seeing the emotion these people have with their convictions is great. so this is pretty much how its been since then, been homebummin Paso Robles Target area for about a week. if anyone comes by hit me up.
