Reno, Nevada

Welcome to the page  for Reno’s A vigil on December 15.  Please sign in by placing a comment if you plan to join us.

We have the honor of holding our candlelight vigil at Velma Johnston’s ( Wild Horse Annie’s) grave site.   Join singer songwriter, Lacy J Dalton, in honoring Wild Horse Annie and the horses and burros she fought so hard to protect.  We will be lighting 148 candles, one for each horse that died due to the Calico Complex roundup of 2010 and to protest the newest roundup taking place as we speak.

    WHERE:   Mountain View cemetery at 435 Stoker Ave. just north of 4th st. in Reno.    MAP  Be sure to use the main entrance.  The road will take you to the main office, look south toward the giant white cross.  We should be the only party in the cemetery at that time ( they are keeping the gates open just for us )

     WHEN:  Thursday December 15, 2011 – 4:00pm until 6:30;pm. For those who need to come later                          than 4:00, don’t worry, we won’t  light our candles until sundown.

NOTE:  Hot chocolate and coffee will be provided.  You might want to bring a lawn chair and a blanket.  Though we will have 148 flameless tea lights, please bring your own candle to hold.

Note: we will be asking for a very small donation to cover the cost of  overtime pay for a maintenance crew to keep the gate open , hot drinks & cups, and tea lights.

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“I SAT DOWN WITH WILD HORSE ANNIE TODAY”

     I sat down with Wild Horse Annie today.  We had quite the conversation.  I complained of how convoluted her law had become, how  it  was now a life sentence for  the very animals it was intended to protect.  She listened quietly, never uttering a word.  “ We really need your help.” I told her.  She offered  no reply.

The grass surrounding us was cool & refreshing, the day warm & clear.  I closed my eyes and  imagined a band of wild horses grazing  peacefully nearby.  How fitting it would have been.  But alas ! Imaginings are nothing more than imaginings.  There were no wild horses and Wild Horse Annie was not going to answer.

Beside me was a small and unassuming  grave marker.  In that, it was much like the woman buried there.  Beneath the name Velma B. Johnston, Wild Horse Annie, and the dates March 5, 1912 – June 27, 1977 were three mustangs, running wild and free.   As I ran my fingers across the relief and looked closer at the image, I realized there was something  unexpectedly ominous portrayed there.

The  running mustang trio had reached  the edge of a  dangerous precipice with no choice left but to jump.  The last of the three is rearing and looking over his shoulder as if deciding  whether to fight or flee.  Tears started flowing  when I put  the scene in the context of the battle we’re waging today. I started sobbing like a crazy fool and blurted out, “ Help me! I don’t know what else to do.”

It was then that a voice came to me,  a strong but gentle whisper in my ear.

  “FIGHT”    it said,    “ FIGHT LIKE A WILD STALLION.”

photo and story by Carrol Abel