Weepy night in Wyoming

I kinda knew I was not gonna be OK getting this far West.  Basically crying off and on all day.  Stopped at "our" favorite Rest Stop where we spent an RV-rocking windy night on top of a butte and had visitation by bunnies and coyotes.  I shouldn't have stopped but I guess it is part of my "process" as the grief experts might say.



Now, I am at the Laramie Walmart and have a remote corner spot looking directly at the mountains, a wind turbine and a stormy sky.  There are many lightening strikes and it is a beautiful, wild display of nature.  On the way here, I saw wild mustangs and that made me think of one of our most adventurous trips to a BLM land near Cody to observe wild mustangs.  

There are many memories that I am reliving by being in this place.  There is so much to remember; Frank's and my happiest times were travelling in the RV and I am missing him Big Time today.  

Wyoming-finally No More Nebraska

Cassie finally won!  She just does not like the travel area prepared for her.  She can't sit, stand or even "kneel"--it's lay down or nuthin' and she's not happy about that.  She was really talking about this to me today, so we came to an agreement which I think we can BOTH be excited about (as Dr Phil says).  She now occupies the space between the driver and passenger seats on her foam pad with a big King pillow on top.  Her halter is attached to the lead which is attached to my seat belt.  So, she has limited mobility but enough to reposition herself on the pillow at will.  She gave me such a look of gratitude after I set her up in her new digs--brought little tears to my eyes.  She was very calm today and that made us both happy campers.  I told her I reserve the right to put her back in her Palace if she needs to be contained or if she attempts to move about while I am driving.  I think we have a meeting of human-canine minds.

I have encountered a new scam.  The gas stations advertise a "decent" price for fuel but when you go to fuel up, the actual price is 8-10 cents higher.  Ha-not really!  The low advertised price is for the higher-octane PLUS fuel!  The kneejerk reaction at the pump is to hit the lowest octane gas which, of course, is the higher price!  I overheard a woman "directing" her husband/boyfriend to be sure to pump the Plus because they are "getting" you with the advertised prices.  I looked at my pump price and saw that my 87 octane was 2.62--not 2.54 as advertised!  So, I immediately closed out that sale and reopened the pump with the Plus gas.  Sometimes it pays to eavesdrop on conversations...



This is the Wyoming Welcome Center where I parked and Cassie & I went on a little Nature Hike; that is why you're seeing the perspective up so high.  We are high up on a hill.  I made a lunch of salad and realized that I had not packed any bowls big enough for "my" large salads.  Maybe I should have packed the RV kitchen a little better.

Is there any end to Nebraska? Anyone home?

It seems not.  When I pulled into my Passport Campground, there was no one in the office and no one in the campground!  And, it was right off the interstate!  There were lots of black-eyed Susan flowers around, so I decided to adorn myself with one.

Will Nebraska never end?  It is SO flat and straight; I put the cruise control on and feel like closing my eyes and taking a nap.  But whew--did I become alert in Brule--it had a huge cattle feed lot bordering the road for miles and the stench was like nothing I have ever experienced!

Tomorrow, I will be staying at the Walmart in Laramie,WY.  That will feel like I am "out west"!  Had a bad moment when I realized that Frank was not with me to experience the excitement of seeing our first mountain "out west"; it was always a momentous event on our trips.  There's just nothing like the change from hills/flat terrain to the awe-inspiring majesty of mountains!  

But, life as I knew it is past and I must reinvent my pleasures.  I am beginning to find enjoyment in the driving, which I never imagined would happen.  I always seem to meet pet people in the Pet Exercise end of the Rest Stops.  Today, I met an overweight chihuahua (sp?) named Buddy and his owner who was a truck driver (who cares about HIS name!).  Why are so many dogs named Buddy. 

 The reason I chose that Laramie Walmart location to stay is because it is a great jumping off place for my scenic route "Snowy Range" which takes me off I-80 and over a scenic mountain road (SR130), stopping at Saratoga, WY for a night or two. 


Tonight, I crossed into Mountain Zone time and picked up an extra hour of activity time.  I am at my planned Passport America stop in Big Springs, NE--$10 for full hookup--AND it has a clean, reasonably-priced laundry.  Had my choice of sites since noone was there...  Hung the "delicates" and Hard-to-Dry laundry in the clothesline rigged up for me by my handyman, Steve.  This is how you do "white trash laundry" in an RV.

Even Cassie got a bath.  I set up a bath station on the HitchHaul where I have about an extra 12" of space that is not used by the carrier.  And, I don't have to bend over down to the ground or the shower basin to wash her!  I cut some foam to fit so Cassie had a comfy surface, hooked the hose nozzle up to the "rainfall" setting and gave Cassie a good hosing-down!  She has been wiggling in grass at every Rest Stop so she really needed some grooming!

Later, a couple pulled in with a shitzu and I went over and chatted with them with Cassie and my glass of wine.  We let the dogs play together "off leash" and traded tall tales of the road.

A Hiccough and a Burp in Nebraska

For some reason, it was a very long day on the road and took me forever to get stopped and stay on my route schedule.  One reason might be my little peppy companion pup--Cassie raises a major fuss when she is tired of being cooped  up in her Palace.  She will not shut her yap, so I find myself stopping more often... One of the stops was outside of Omaha--a "Hiccough in the road" called Crete, NE.  No services.  Not even any pavement in the road further than 100 yds from the highway exit.  Nothing but a mobile home park and a very strange rundown building brilliantly painted in bright, day-glow colors with the words "Peace to the World".  





Didn't stay long there and finally came up on this super little Rest Stop in York, NE.  York NE is a "Burp in the road".  You can see the scene out my door.  I just could help it--I wanted to stay there rather than the Walmart!  So, because it was patrolled with security, was a Visitor Center and seemed "safe", I decided to stop.  Was I glad!  I popped my wine bottle, tuned in to find some TV signal and slept like a baby!  



Satellite signal compliments of Sapp Bros Truck Stop in York, NE.  Headed for a campground in Big Springs, NE where they hopefully have a laundry.

A Corny Salute to the Heartland

I am in a gorgeous area of Iowa.  Lots of cornfields so you are looking at my corny salute...


There are also a bazillion windmills-an impressive sight slowing turning with the wind chugging out those amps!  Wish I had one of those things on the RV!


I am in the final Iowa Rest Area so this is IT for internet for awhile.  The campground I picked out for tonight is FULL so I don't have a place.  My most likely options are either WalMart in York, NE or Motel Inn & RV in York, NE.  Depends on weather if I need electric or not...  Imagine a business just calling itself by it's function---Motel!

I found another thing to like about this state, aside from its basic RV Friendliness.  Whilst eating my hot dog with my RV entry door open, I saw a sign saying NO SMOKING anywhere but in your personal vehicle.  I noticed that there was NO Latin version of this rule printed anywhere on the sign.  And then I realized that I had not seen a single Latin sign anywhere for the last 5 days! 

I am here in the Heartland of AMERICA!

Terrible's Lakeside Casino-Not So Terrible!

It was a good driving day in Iowa where hundreds of hay bales resembling beige marshmallows line the highway along with old tractors.  There must a lot of farmers going out of business or buying new tractors.  I noticed a lot of tractors for sale in Missouri, too.  Did you know that there was a shortage of hay due to dry climactic conditions in the midwest?  And, that it is much more costly to transport round bales than square bales due to DOT restrictions on wide loads etc? 


Anyway, I digress.  Stayed last night at Walmart and spent some time trying to lure a little kitten out of a weed mound next to the RV.  She was crying pitiful little mews in this high-pitched little baby meow "I am a scared little pusseeeee" so I took my flashlight and a paper bowl with some Half & Half and tried to find her.  My RV windows were open and her mewings were heartbreaking and driving me nuts.  She would not come out so I left the bowl and moved the RV to another part of the lot.  I returned this morning to see if she had drank the H & H but it was still there and Cassie slurped it up.

Arrived at Terrible's Casino around 9:30 after first stopping at the first Iowa Rest Stop to use the internet.  Little did I know that I would have full-signal internet right here at the casino RV park!  As you can see, I have all the comforts of home, with my laptop, phone for Magic Jack & TV.  And, of course my perky companion pup!

 
I got a lakeside spot with a nearby grassy area for Cassie to wiggle in.  Called for the shuttle and was given a $2 credit.  

Snagged a video poker machine and walked away with $15.  Theresa-- they didn't have "Deal or No Deal" there.  That paid for my seafood buffet this evening, which had shrimp, snow crab legs, mussels & clams, not to mention wonderful prime rib.  Have you ever tried to crack crab legs and claws with only one hand?  I would have eaten more but my left hand just got too tuckered!  I tied on the feedbag and ate meat like there was no tomorrow.  Everything else on the buffet was so-so and not worth chewing.


Tomorrow takes me to Waco, NE UNLESS the Camping World in Sioux City can give me some service.  I now have two issues; the backup camera issue and a leaky connection at my water inlet connection.  It is beyond leaky and pissing me off.   At first I thought it was my lack of hand strength what with my bum wrist but it's not.  I wish I had had a bit more time to do a shakedown trip with the RV before leaving but that's life.

MoHo No Go: Towed from MO

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As I left the city limits of Kansas City (thankfully!), I had a sudden loss of power ascending an exit ramp off the expressway. I almost did not get through the lighted intersection but by flooring the accelerator, was able to limp to the downhill entrance into Walmart. Couldn't have found a nicer place to park; right at a grassy place under a shade tree. The weather was sunny and mid-70's--gorgeous. Cassie got out for a walkie and did her cutsie wiggle/scratch on her back in the grass. I said "Self--we have been down this road before and I'm still here". So, no panic.

Though surrounded by mall-type businesses, including 3 motels, I had no internet connection so I called my Supreme Warranty PooBah who said "Call me back when you can talk $". NO HELP at all in getting assistance for a tow or whatever. They only want to talk to the mechanic who can give them an $estimate$.

Called Theresa who located the nearest Ford dealership and gave me a phone #. They were actually located about 1/8 mi from where I was stranded in Liberty, MO. However, the moho would not start so I needed to be towed. The dealer gave me the tow people's number and they arrived about 30 minutes later. Meanwhile, I had myself a nice picnic of frypan meatloaf and chugalugged the jug of red juice. (When one is being towed, one does not want purple/red pomegranite juice to leak out into the refigerator.) I still don't know how to work my microwave/convection oven. I downloaded the manual but have not read it yet. Hey--I'm a busy woman!

The tow truck guy came and hooked me up in about 1 1/2 minutes and took me to the Ford dealer 30 seconds away. I am now sitting on a public wifi connection in the middle of the Ford Dealer showroom. Cassie is sitting very patiently on the stool next to me people-watchng. Or she was... she just spied a dog--a Yorkshire Terror.

My moho is not up on a lift so I hope that means they think the problem can be identified on the ground and I can be outta here soon! Like maybe a gunklidyte got stuck in the thingamajig... If I have to stay overnight, I hope they will let me stay in the moho as the temps are going down to 60 tonight and it should be very pleasant and quiet. This is a very nice part of town, I am told.

All is well; I left the dealer $123 poorer but the whooziwhatzit came loose from a doololly and all that was needed was to reconnect the two things back together. No one knows why..its just fate that things come loose (Hey it happens to our bodies too!) I am back on the road and have a wifi connection Compliments of the Comfort Inn in Bethany MO. I am almost in Iowa where all the rest stops have wifi.