And I Guess It's Just an Omen...

'Cause I think I've Got Wyomin' on My Mind~

Sons Of The San Joaquin From Whence Came The Cowboy CD

Since 5:30am seems to be the preferred time for at least half the RV camp to fire up their engines and hitch up their tow vehicles, sleep becomes pretty impossible after that. I have to keep reminding myself that I am in the minority and only intend to cover about 150 miles today.






It rained last night and got quite a bit cooler. It's perfect--the gray skies now match the gray earth.

Not many people in this state. The road just goes on and on. It strikes me much the same way as the Mojave Desert does--space and emptiness.

Now this is something the Mojave does NOT have! Out of nowhere there's a lake in the middle of some suken hills. The red colors of the cliffs didn't come out in the picture as brilliantly as they were ITRW.

The dreary sameness of the Rawlins area gradually turned into what I suppose are called the High Plains. The spaces got expansive rather than repressive. Eventually high distant mountains could be seen outlining the horizon and the color of the earth changed from drab to colors.

This part of Wyoming looked exactly like places out by Calico! It could have been the Newberry Mountains in the background.

I wasn't too far along when I pulled over to a place called Pathfinder Refuge. It was magnificent. The day is overcast and cold--not the best day for photos--but the perfect day for taking in this other-planet world of a lake leftover from ancient of days. I was told the white mineral deposits were not salt but something else that just is leeched up through the soil here. Excuse me--in these here parts to use the local lingo. Gray skies, gray water, what looked like a salt rim on a marguerita with stark hills falling away made it seem other-worldly.

I was so excited to come upon the Platte River. There are some rivers that figure so vividly in American Western lore and the Platte conjures up all sorts of stories of pioneers and wagon trains. I was not disappointed. I remember the Pecos in Texas was a little dribble of water last March. Certainly not enough water in it to warrant being mentioned in as many Country/Western songs as it is. But the Platte was big and fast and muddy. I wouldn't even let Byrdie down to the banks I was so afraid she would be swept away.


She had to be content with looking from her passenger seat in the Minnie and making mournful howls while I snapped a few photos.













Yes--the scenery is definitely improving. Loved the red barn, the red outbuildings and the red house!

















Some sunshine began to make it through the clouds cheering me up quite a bit. I'm still struggling to overcome the side effects of this new medication to take the place of the previous Medication #2. This one is no better and nothing takes away the urge to wander too far from home base like nausea, clamminess and other sick experiences. I eventually did call my doctor in La Jolla who wanted me to come in. Caught! I had to explain to her that I was in the middle of Wyoming and an office visit wasn't very practical. The upshot is that I have to tough it out and that NO--GIN AND TONIC IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE SUBSTITUTE FOR GATORADE! Harumph--what do they know!


The scenery got even more green with the occasional oil well tucked away for good measure. It turns out that Wyoming is the biggest supplier of natural gas for the entire Western States. That's odd--I never smelled anything.

Surprise! Oil wells here too! I look at the one little well and wonder if it pumps enough to feed the Minnie on this Big Trip. I guess people make their choices: if you want oil, you either drill for your own, go buy someone else's oil or go take someone else's oil. Pretty simple until someone comes up with a better way of running gasoline engines.

I missed seeing Independence Rock--the one everyone assured me I couldn't possibly miss from the road! I was just so happy to get to this KOA here in Douglas. What a wonderful place it is especially compared to the last two nights. It's off the road, sits up on a little hill, there are antelope and rabbits, corrals for the horses, picnic areas all over. If I'd known it was so nice here I would have pushed harder and then been able to stay here 2 nights. Very restful for the soul and body. Hopefully a good restorative sleep will do wonders and I can finish up Wyoming by tomorrow. I've gotten in the habit of starting out in the morning by getting gas, pushing the next button on the NavSys and just doing what she says!Because some people have asked about the meds I'm including them here. Eventually I'll be taking all 3 meds but right now the body has drawn a line at the 2nd one and I can't seem to get past it. They are: Ethambutol, Azithromycin and Mycobutin. Right--them's dah ones!