B & W Challenge #4 Ponies or Phones?

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pony express ponies

Is it difficult to picture these lovely guys as the precursor to your smart phone?

For just 18 months in 1860/61 ponies like these (and their plucky riders) were the only means of communication between the eastern and western United States. Their legendary feat of carrying mail 1700 miles – across the Great Plains, over the Rocky Mountains – lives on in the hearts of Americans. When the Pony Express came to town in Fountain Hills AZ a great lump of unexpected national pride welled up in my chest.

Jude of Travel Words and the earth laughs in flowers has invited me to join in with this challenge. Jude is an accomplished photographer/traveler/garden enthusiast so while out and about stays grounded and records everything with wonderfully entertaining results.

There are only two rules for this challenge:

  1. On 5 consecutive days, create a post using either a past or recent photo in B&W.
  2. Each day invite another blog friend to join in the fun.

Today I would like to nominate Joanne Sisco at My Life Lived Full to take up the challenge. She likes to live her life ‘on the edge’ and has posted some startling photos to prove it. A favourite post of mine is A Winter Day at the Falls. Recently she shut herself in a sensory deprivation tank. Good grief! What’s next, Joanne?

22 thoughts on “B & W Challenge #4 Ponies or Phones?”

  1. Thank you Carol for such kind words! … at least I think you were being kind … that’s how I choose to interpret it 😉
    I really appreciate the nomination, but I would like to decline. I’ve got my hands a little bit full right now and I don’t think I could do the challenge justice.

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          1. I updated my spreadsheet yesterday and I’m now at 33 completed on a list that currently sits at 73.

            Bored is probably not a good word to describe the mood I get into … restless is probably a better choice 🙂

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  2. Of course I love this photo – horses were key to so many parts of our history. I guess our children and Grandchildren will never know those quieter, more private times before social media.

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  4. Beutiful B&W shot of the horses. I liked your post showing the commemoration of the Pony Express. My grandfather was always fascinated by it. No…he was not around back then, but he probably knew people who were. It is a great part of our history.

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  5. Exciting times – I’d have loved to have lived then, despite the hardships. I was fascinated by the Wells Fargo coaches too. And like Sylvia when I lived overseas it took a good three or four weeks to send and receive a letter. I’m not convinced all this informatics is good for our health. Love the ponies ❤

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  6. I can remember when we emigrated to South Africa in the 1970’s, it would take weeks to get a letter from overseas. It was an exciting occasion to receive news from the family. As Nancy commented, these days we are constantly inundated with news and photos via social media. I sometimes wonder if we are better or worse off. Love your gorgeous pony pic. 🙂

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  7. Can you even imagine… back in the day it would take weeks sometimes to hear from loved ones. Now we know more then we want to know through social media. Amazing photo!
    I was going to challenge you and YOU already have been! Darn!

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  8. I really like the way you gave the backstory to smartphones with this pic. A very good merge of the old and new…something much forgotten these days.

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