Great Western Corgi Tour

This is just a quick story about my trip west. More details will be posted later.

Just returned from the West on Monday 7/5. Fly and I left home on June 18 around 6AM. We drive all day to Lincoln NE and stayed with another Corgi friend, her husband and her Pems. Digby is Fly's half brother. From Lincoln we headed west again. As we drove I started to feel puny. We only missed 1 rest stop in NE. Speaking of rest stops at the last rest stop in NE I got Fly out to walk. I took him to the pet exercise are where I stepped off the sidewalk to the grassy area and I saw an orange sign. The sign said that rattlesnakes were native to the area and to be aware. Back on the sidewalk and back in the car! We drove on to Rock Springs Wy. I stopped about 7:30 and slept off and on most of the night. I felt a little better the next AM. Rock Springs is a neat little town. The motel was clean, but no place to walk Fly. I stopped at a local WalMart and got an anti diarrehal (TMI) and a sweatshirt.

In UT we got a good stretch at a rest stop. It had a hill with a cross honoring a state trooper who was killed near there. I saw my first real magpie there too. They are beautiful, but evidently a pest. No rattlesnake signs. The hill was very steep. Fly was too interested in sniffing to see the gopher on the path and the bunny next to the path. I stopped for ice cream later in the day hoping it would settle my stomach and got a shock, actually 2. One was the cost of gas and the other was the baby rattlers. I wasn't going to look at all, but the clerk convinced me. She was right they were really cute, real baby rattlers. They were real baby rattlers in pink, blue and yellow. We drove on and eventually saw part of the Great Salt Lake. Through out this western part of the trip I was struck by the highway closed signs, gates and huge snow fences. This is not an area I want to visit in the winter.

Arrived at Judy's Sunday evening early. Still felt bad. Slept like a rock that night. Judy put me to work the next day getting ready for the the trial the next weekend. Judy's friend, Debby, came on Monday night and Judy worked us both to death the rest of the week. Later in the week I noticed that Fly was limping. He had gotten sore feet from either the pea gravel or chain link in the kennel. Judy's daughter -in-law gave me an ointment to put on it. Fly was allergic! The day of the trial he came out of his crate, where he had been moved to help his feet, he couldn't even put his right foot on the ground. Off to the vet. Debby was nice enough to drive us in her truck. Antibiotics and Better Apple helped. Fly got to run on Sunday, but I pulled him on Saturday. Oh yeah, during the week Debby and I discovered a new store that we really love, Winn Co. Almost like a Sam's Club, but no membership required. Anyway, we ran on Sunday. He really tried, but the sheep knew where the gate was. We did get through the Y and almost to the Z. I was actually pleased. This was our first time in Started.

The weather in ID is good. It is hot, but the humidity is low. I drank a lot of water and iced tea. The scenery was boring. We left on Wednesday heading for WA to see my brother and his family.

In OR the shocks started again. Of course, the gas prices were high, but there were no self service stations. In WA we saw lots of orchards and wineries. I wish I had had more of an inclination to stop. I did buy 2 bottles of wine at a gas stations. It was called Mad Housewife. The merlot was okay, but the chardonnay was really good. They were only $7.99 per bottle. Reasonable.

Arrived at my brother's early evening on the 30th. Met many of his step-children and their children on the 1st. Great family. Fly loved the kids. Tied a yellow ribbon on a tree in the front in honor of his son in Afghanistan. Left on the 3rd. Middle WA is creepy in a Twins Peaks kind of way. It is dark and wet. I did see the most beautiful rainbows. They were huge. The full spectrum was almost visible. You could almost touch them. I think I drove through one. The rain drops on my wind shields all turned to rainbows. It was cool.

East WA was pretty boring again. More rattlesnake signs. Saw the National Wild Horse Monument. Tried to climb up,but it was too steep for me and Fly. Also the trail was loose rock and sand. I didn't have on hiking shoes. Decided to vist Grand Coulee dam. HA HA! I got off the highway thinking it wasn't too far based on other signs I saw. Finally, I saw and sign that said 52 miles. Nope, too far. Turned back. Stayed over night in St. Regis MT. Will never ever stay in a Super 8 again. It was over $100 and no fridge or microwave. Montana is a huge state! One we drove. I noticed that my left turn signal was out. Stopped in a small town, Clinton, I think. The auto parts place repaired it. Just charged for the bulb.

Visited the Little Big Horn Battlefield. More rattlesnake signs. What I was struck by was the silence. No wind noise, no cars, no voices, just a bird once in a while and a slight rustling of the grass. No rattlesnake noises. Did hear that someone had seen one on a trail that I was going to take. Didn't take the trail. I don't think the battlefield is haunted. Isn't that weird. I did not feel uncomfortable there at all alone except for that snake thing. STayed the night hear Buffalo WY. Stayed at Motel 6. Did some laundry, used the microwave and even opened the merlot and had 1 glass. Nice lady at the desk and her husband stayed there with her during the night.

Visited Devil's Tower in the AM and missed Mt. Rushmore. It was pouring rain, but what better day to visit than the 4th. Oh well, I'll go again someday. Stopped in Wall SD at the world famous Wall Drugs. It was okay. I wasn't impressed. Stayed overnight near Sioux City at a Motel 6. Again very nice desk clerk. Microwave didn't work so she used the employees' microwave. On Monday the big push home started. Big cheer when I crossed the Missouri River at Ocama SD. Stopped at a park just across the river to take a couple pics and walk Fly. Again, those darn rattlesnake signs. Back in the car! Oops, we crossed the MO River before Sioux City. Things were running together by then.

In IA we stopped in Winterset to see John Wayne's birthplace and take pics for my brother in Wa, who is a huge fan. I had heard after we were in WY that he had fallen an broken his hip very badly. I called to tell him about the Winterset stop just as he was getting ready to go into surgery. He was thrilled. It was very early in the AM and the house and gift shop were not open yet. I didn't want to wait around. I was on the big push.

The rest of the trip is a blur. I kind of wish I had not argued with the GPS. It had me arriving home 3 hours earlier than I did. I took a different route. I thought the "lady in the box" was going to put me on toll roads near Chicago. I wanted to be on I70. I70 seemed to be a straight shot. Of course, I ran into a lot of contruction getting to I70 on I25. Maybe, I should stop arguing with her so much. On the way out from NE to ID she got put on the floor.

Anyway, we are home. Tilly, Toby and Jerry Garcia are home. I am still tired. I will post some the the details at a later time.