Thunder and Lightning, AKA, Popeye and Wimpy. . . .

I recently learned that Thunder and Lightning, the beloved wild burros that the children of
Panaca loved, cared for, and played with for so many years, were leading a double life.

I have related in my stories of these little burros wandering the hills, canyons, washes, and meadows between Pioche and Panaca where they sought shelter and foraged for food. They often wandered into town and at some point were given the names Thunder and Lightning. The
children watched for them during the cold winters and if they didn't come into town, they would search for them and bring them home where they would have food and shelter.

A few weeks ago, I was talking to my sister, Delores and brother-in-law, Peter Horlacher, about the little burros. Pete grew up in Pioche. He told me that the little burros would also wander into Pioche. The children of Pioche named them Popeye and Wimpy. Like the children of Panaca,
they would catch them, feed them, and ride and play with them.

Pioche's main street was lined with places of business; stores, restaurants, bars, and at least two hotels. The little burros, Popeye and Wimpy, would stroll up and down the street getting into mischief and becoming a nuisance to the proprietors of the businesses. The sheriff would then catch them, load them into a truck, and drive them out of town where he would release them in the hills. Sometimes, it would be months before they again came into town.

I didn't know this as a child. When Pete first told me, the child in me felt sad, then I found myself feeling betrayed and even became angry. I didn't want to share them. How could they do this when the children of Panaca loved them so much and considered them their own?
Didn't they know they had a home in Panaca? But as an adult, I was finally able to remember that these little burros were wild and roamed free. No one owned them. They owed us no allegiance. They willingly accepted our love and care when it was needed, but they belonged to the wild country through which they roamed. Having the children of Pioche loving them,
too, helped keep them safe and made their lives even easier.

Like Pete said, "These little burros, whether called Thunder and Lightning or Popeye and Wimpy, were an important part of the history of our little towns." I want to add that they were "a beloved part of the heritage of both the children of Panaca and the children of Pioche." And so, this story needed to be told.

I do believe, however, that emotionally they were more a part of the landscape of Panaca than that of Pioche. Even though our main street wasn't lined with places of business, it did have several and as far as I know, the little burros were never considered a nuisance. It is also important to know that our sheriff NEVER hauled them out of town.