Our wandering cowboy has checked in, this time from New Mexico! In addition to being featured in the local newspaper, he’s been checking out rodeos, working ranches and looking for that perfect pony, putting together his history ranch horses in the US.
Right now, Mark Pendl is in Mountainair, New Mexico, working as a painter, repairing his truck and finishing some winterization on the trailer that carries the Lehman’s logos, and serves as home for him and his two dogs, Toby and Maya.
“The dogs have had a rough summer,” he said in a recent phone conversation. “Toby nearly lost a foot when he was bitten by a copperhead earlier in the summer, you know. And then a couple of nights ago, he was minding his own business, doing his business, and all of a sudden I knew something wasn’t right. When I flipped on the flashlight, I saw a mountain lion about 10 yards away from him! Here’s the poor dog, in no position to defend himself, if you know what I mean…” Mark trails off into a chuckle and finally reveals that the cat took off after he hollered at it, and shook the flashlight beam at it.
His other dog, Maya, had her own adventures this summer–the latest was when she had a close encounter with a porcupine. “I was pulling quills out for quite a while,” he said, “but she was so good about it. It was like she knew I was helping her.”
“I’m learning so much about ranches, horses, and that way of life. It’s slowly disappearing, but doing this work is helping me such great people and learn their stories. And I’m so thankful that Lehman’s is sponsoring me. Everywhere I go, people are asking about the art on the trailer, and I show them some of the cool stuff. People LOVE the blender!”
He’s ready to take some time to write up the interviews he’s done, and that’ll happen as soon as he gets his truck repaired. “Early in the summer, I had some electrical done, but when the truck died here in Mountainair, I found out that the fuse I needed wasn’t replaced–the guy just used a jumper wire over the thing instead of replacing a six dollar fuse! I’m hoping the rest of the wiring is OK, because I’m ready to head up country before the snows come in!”
“It’s getting chilly to be sleeping out at night now, but everything is so beautiful. It’s so dark, because there aren’t any towns close. At night, I can see the entire Milky Way.”
