A Different Life II

[Pagey]

It was good to see you and Lily again, as well.

Sorry about the dusty spot, glad you were able to find one more peaceful in which to hunker down for the 4th. We are filling up here at the KOA and Bob and I both have to work tomorrow, the 4th. Oh well, can't win them all.

Be well and see you down the road!

[Lily&Me]

I do have a nice spot, and we’re even getting some rain as I type.

I’ve been out here almost a month, and I think this is only the second smattering of rain.

It will perhaps settle the dust.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

We’ve been roaming the Tetons and Yellowstone the past few days, without signal to speak of.

Doug and I were here in 2008 or 2009, early in our retirement travels, and I remember it well.

Still as beautiful, still more people and traffic than I would like, but we’ve not experienced the crush of tourists one often hears about here...but that may well be because I am on the move in the mornings before many people are up, and stopped for the day by the time many are just getting to full throttle.

We were lucky to find overnight sites at the park campgrounds...one of the benefits of stopping early ... have used the public showers and just generally been tourists, gawking at the abundant wildflowers, the lakes, the rivers, the occasional wildlife, the snow capped mountains and the waterfalls.

Found this beautiful NF site last night in a little campground south of Jackson. One of the most beautiful areas, along the Snake, Hoback, and Green Rivers.

So many wildflowers, everywhere, including here...they have really been gorgeous.

A bit more Wyoming touristy stuff the next few days.

Next HistoriCorps project starts on Sunday...

[Hittenstiehl]

That is a very Beautiful spot you have there. Sounds like you are reliving a lot of sights from good days past.

On our trip through the Rockies, Canadian Rockies, Yellowstone and the Tetons I found them all to be majestic but I thought I liked the Tetons better. I wasn't really able to articulate why but a ranger explained that the Tetons are more visible from ground up and the Rockies are visible in lots of layers with short mountains leading up to the high peaks. I took that to me what I was trying to articulate.

Enjoy your adventures.

[Lily&Me]

The project starting Sunday is in the Medicine Bow NF in Colorado, and I have plotted a route from where we are now to our meeting spot, that takes me on forest roads in Wyoming.

Because, I’m in Wyoming.

The only directions we’ve been given are out of Denver, but a thorough conversation with the relevant Forest Service office informs me the roads are good for passenger vehicles from here to there, and regularly traveled.

I’m a little concerned about driving into the Wilderness by myself, but have sent my route to our project supervisors so that if I don’t show up by Monday morning they can send help.

We are sitting out the weekend in a full service campground so we can have AC, having gone from cool mountains to the heat of the lower elevations.

Lily is happy to have AC, and to not be driving.

Come Sunday, send good travel karma our way.

Maggie

[Al and Missy]

Maggie,


Given the opportunity, drive the Snowy Range Scenic Highway. "The Snowy Range Scenic Byway crosses the Medicine Bow Mountain Range and includes the 29 miles of the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest portion of Wyoming Highway 130. this Byway is located in southern Wyoming and can be reached by exiting Interstate 80 at Laramie or at Walcott Junction approximately 20 miles east of Rawlins."


We drove it last year on the way to Salem. Quite a climb in places, but beautiful scenery.


Al

[Lily&Me]

I actually will be on that road, and thanks for pointing it out.

Maggie

[Mansderm161]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

The project starting Sunday is in the Medicine Bow NF in Colorado, and I have plotted a route from where we are now to our meeting spot, that takes me on forest roads in Wyoming.

Because, I’m in Wyoming.

The only directions we’ve been given are out of Denver, but a thorough conversation with the relevant Forest Service office informs me the roads are good for passenger vehicles from here to there, and regularly traveled.

I’m a little concerned about driving into the Wilderness by myself, but have sent my route to our project supervisors so that if I don’t show up by Monday morning they can send help. [emoji38][emoji38][emoji38]

We are sitting out the weekend in a full service campground so we can have AC, having gone from cool mountains to the heat of the lower elevations.

Lily is happy to have AC, and to not be driving. [emoji38]

Come Sunday, send good travel karma our way. [emoji38]

Maggie

Safe travels Maggie.

[Cap-N-Red]

Has anyone heard from Maggie ? I guess she is out of cell service or no wi-fi in the area she is in.

[Lily&Me]

There was no signal at the HistoriCorps project, which we arrived at Sunday and left mid day today.

Had a completely uneventful drive in and back out, PocketEarth doing exactly what it always has, and I was the only one of 10 volunteers not to have navigation problems.

It was a great week, in a beautiful setting, on the bank of a river with lots of wildflowers all around us. I believe this was the best group overall that I have worked with thus far. The project supervisor was a man I met last year on a project, and the crew leader and chief chef a very pleasant and energetic young man who was very easy to work with. A really great group.

I both helped with meals and worked the project, got coffee going each morning as the first one up , did skillet bread one night, shared the three bottles of wine Annie sent me off with, etc.

Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds, all skill levels, one Mom there with her 17 year old twins, a boy and a girl, who were absolutely amazing. Flew in from Louisiana, their second HistoriCorps project.

Home schooled their entire lives, and have just finished their first year of college.

Smart, mature, personable, highly motivated little workhorses...I couldn’t have been more impressed, and really enjoyed getting to know this family.

We hauled water from the river, purified it for drinking and filled solar showers for bathing or got in the river directly....umm, I was not one who was in that cold river.

Another dog there, a 10 month old male, with an owner who understands dogs and just let he and Lily “work it out”, which they did. Moving as a pack within 2 days, sharing food, alerting us to animals in the woods, etc.

Bud says “if you treat them like a pack, they will be a pack”, so I treat them all, pet and attend to them all, and it works like a charm. Thank you, Bud.

Lily did have a little adventure yesterday, chasing after something in the woods behind us, and apparently came across our camping area up the hill first, rather than coming back to our work site.

Not sure exactly what happened, but a frantic half hour or so was spent by all of us, looking for her and calling for her, with no response. Scary.

Fearing she had been snatched up by a mountain lion, she was eventually found back at camp, by her water bowl. Yikes.

We drove to Laramie this afternoon, leading out the Mom with her kids who got lost on the way in , and are in a full service campground til morning, when we will hop on I80 and head for home.

It was a great week, and I am now scrubbed and clean and enjoying the comforts of electricity.

Maggie

[Mansderm161]

Glad all went well.

[Lily&Me]

We left Laramie at 7am this morning, first stop the Blue Beacon in Cheyenne, which has an undercarriage wash.

Filthy dirty and bug encrusted rig scrubbed clean and RainX’d, back on 80 for a long day and we have just settled into a campground in Lincoln, NB, for the night.

We are back to the prairie flatlands, and heat with humidity...92 degrees when we pulled in here.

We drove the Snowy Range Scenic Byway to Laramie yesterday, which was incredibly beautiful and dotted with NF campgrounds I hope to visit another time.

It’s been a great trip, but I am looking forward to some time at the little house and seeing my grands...

Monday, if all goes well.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Picked up 34 on Sunday, took it across the Missouri River, the rolling hills of Iowa and the mighty Mississippi before stopping at Delabar SP last night.

Scrubbed everything clean, dumped the tanks this morning and were home and unloaded by 10am.

Most of the fields have crops in, tho some do not, and water along these big rivers continues to be high. One of those years.

All is well at the little house, tho all the beds around the house need attention.

A few pictures from the Hog Park Guard House project...

Twin 1 & Twin 2, us at the camping area, and a group shot....and I cannot take credit for any of these pictures.

[Lily&Me]

Lots and lots of lupine and purple asters in our campground and at the project site...

[Lily&Me]

Rugs, comforter, pillow covers, et al, washed and returned to the Interstate, which goes in tomorrow for service...back to the mechanic of 33 years who serviced it last spring, and to whom I credit this very lengthy trip concluding without mechanical issues.

When I asked that everything be looked at thoroughly, he did exactly that.


Been pulling weeds, small trees and other aberrant growths from the beds around the little house.

Yikes. Lots of stuff in there, some of which had to be cut rather than pulled.


After a heat wave here, we returned home to very moderate temps, thank goodness.

Lily has been catching up on her beauty sleep, and we’re fixin’ to go for a walk here, shortly.


Son and his have been on vacation, return home today, and tomorrow the Amazing Miss Emma turns 12...and Grandma will be baking her birthday cake.

She requested chocolate, and chocolate ice cream.

Grandma is happy to oblige, and baking will commence in the morning.

[Al and Missy]

Glad you enjoyed the Snowy Range. We just drove through but I would like to spend a day or two there just enjoying the scenery.


Al

[Lily&Me]

I agree, Al, the Snowy Range really begs for a longer stay.

Maggie

[Lily&Me]

Interstate has been serviced and is tucked into storage for a bit, and I was stunned at the low cost of this at the independent garage vs. Peterbilt....a fraction of what has been routinely paid these past 13 years.

Service done by an experienced mechanic who actually looks at and checks out everything when you ask them to. I am cautiously optimistic.

Cake baked and consumed, birthday celebrated for the girl-child, my son and his move into a new-to-them house next week.

While we were at Bodie, they listed their house of 18 years and sold it the same day, then had their offer accepted on the house they wanted. Wow.

Meant to be, it seems to me, and I am excited for them.

“A nice little upgrade”, as my son says...not a whole lot more square feet, but still here in town, a bedroom for each of the kids, and a better overall layout for them with more usable space. What a deal.

They are excited, Grandma will bake cookies and bring food, and they will be all settled in before school starts in a few weeks.


Been puttering and tidying, etc., restoring my Netflix account which was hacked during my last out of signal experience , and baking a loaf of bread today.

Nice to be home for a bit.


This picture of us passing thru the Snowy Range was posted for HistoriCorps by the Mom/her kids who followed us to Laramie last week...nicely edited by Hittenstiehl after I posted it on another thread.

[Lily&Me]

As much as I love Jack Reacher and Walt Longmire novels, I also love the Travis McGee series.

Is there a theme here?

This one I have nearly finished is one of the best of his I’ve read.

https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Shade-...a-622570584167

Travis is also a kind, clever, good hearted, rather crusted-exterior man, whose understanding of human behavior and the underpinning emotions borders on uncanny.

I have become an almost omnivorous reader in recent years...particularly enjoying reading at night, in my jammies, a candle lit and big reading pillow propping me up in bed.

I don’t get out much when I’m home, and I like that just fine.


Son and his are all moved into their new-to-them house, and Grandma took cookies, banana bread and dinner for the first night, did some scrubbing and cleaning and a few like chores. Moving in chores.

We are readying to leave again on Monday...

[Lily&Me]

Met up Friday with my friend who visited me at Edisto last March, and she is spending the month of February next year in Paris.

She’s been a couple of times, has a deep desire to spend more time there, got four weeks of vacation approved...and the blessing and encouragement of her husband to go and get it out of her system.

She wants me to come over while she’s there...so, I’m going!

Not for a month, but maybe a week.

I could do a week, and why not? I’m not getting any younger, ya know, and seriously need to be thinking about a bucket list.

I will forego winter travel until I get home, making sure to do my Edisto time.


We are mostly packed and ready to leave in the morning, after a Dr.’s appointment.

Much easier than when we left in June, when I needed winter and work clothing, as well as warm weather things for the trip out and back. We were loaded to the gills, but much less so for this trip of only a month or so.

I have a great-niece having major surgery in Chicago in early October, I have promised to be in the home area for that and will probably train up to see her.

Not my usual travel this year.


My daughter and SIL are on their way home from a long weekend in Maine, where they swung by my cousin’s and picked up Nana’s trunk she brought from Copenhagen and some other items that were theirs that my cousin wants me to have...including a large framed photo of my father and his two older sisters when they were perhaps 4-7 years of age.

It would be over 100 years old, from the looks of those children, was a studio portrait and would I think have been a rather expensive item for these young parents living on a carpenters income during that time.

It’s going to hang at my daughters house, the trunk is going to go to my son, and I will have to look thru the other things she sent to decide how to distribute.

More important they have designated homes now, than sit somewhere here, at this point in my life, methinks.

There has been something about turning 70 , tho I would like to think there is still a lot of life left in my years.

Maggie