Here's a Story You Won't Forget!!

It's not often that I get to see something fabulous, something heartwarming that will put a smile on your face.  Almost all RV'ers at one time or another have been to Oatman Arizona.  It's a little almost ghost town with a few people still living there, along with most of the original buildings.

Oatman was named for a young girl from Indiana named Olive Oatman who was captured by an Indian tribe in 1851 as she and her family made their way across the mountains in a covered wagon.  She was later traded to a Mojave tribe who adopted her into their family.  Olive received the traditional tattoo of stripes down her chin.  She was released back to her family in 1856.

There was a lot more that happened over the years, but the last five days have seen more drama than the little town is used to.  You may have heard of the Oatman Burros.  They are a rag tag band of beauties left over from the mining days and roam wild around the town.  The locals love them like their children.

Tragedy struck the little town recently when Wyatt the burro was shot and killed.  Who does that??  To make matters worse, baby Tinkerbell disappeared five days ago.  Momma Annabelle stood at the fence where Tink was last seen and brayed at the top of her lungs for two days.

It happened I saw the post that she was missing on the first day.  Call the Sheriff I said!!  The response was "they don't care".  Call the State came with the same response, "they don't care either".  Come to find out, someone actually took a picture of a truck and horse trailer parked close to town where the burros were hanging out.

Call the BLM Horse and Burro Rescue Organization.  Those kids are government property and SOMEONE has to care!!  In the meantime, I got ahold of the picture with the license plate.  I called my detective friend and hit the internet to find the owner.    Here's Miss Annabelle waiting for her baby.

Twenty four hours later someone DID care, the thieves were located about four hours away and arrested for theft.  Details will be released when the investigation is complete.  Tinkerbell was loaded up and brought back to Oatman last night.  Here's part of the crew waiting for her return.  

And here she is!!!  Safe and sound back in Oatman after a long grueling ride.  One of the locals videoed the entire rescue return as it happened and I got screen shots.  Never has a stolen burro been returned to Oatman.  The town turned out in droves to welcome her home.

Here she is back with her Momma (the darker of the two).  Once reunited, the entire group of about ten took off up the hill to their 5:00 feeding spot.  I'm a happy camper!!!  Welcome home Tink!!

My trip so far was uneventful, except for my exclamation of WHAT?? a couple of times.  I'll show you pictures tomorrow.  It's going to be a LONG day of driving!