WHO KNEW?

Just a quick reminder to any of you with failing eyesight, no matter what you are doing, always take a pair of readers along, because you never know when some smart ass will install the keypad on the washroom/shower door at a campsite sideways, and even though, with your failing short term memory, you know you can remember the four digit code 2017 all the way from you trailer to the door in question (30yds), and you are convinced the door is broken, but before you call the campground manager and ream their ass, you decide to go back to the trailer, pick up the registration slip with the code on it, and a pair of readers, return to the door, realize you mistake, and say to yourself “Oh silly me”…….F*%#()R#@ (I think that was what they call a run-on sentence)

So a very positive start to the day, feeling fresh and lively after my 120yd walk, lovely hot, spacious shower, and firm plans in place to hit the last target from yesterday when I ran out of time and energy. It is indeed West of me, and on the way to Seattle so no worries. I spent last night just outside of Sundance, South Dakota, the last town before the Wyoming border, who knew?, and had to run through town to get on my route, seeing the welcome to town sign which noted an elevation of 4,750ft……..no wonder I was feeling a little high last night. Leaving town on Hwy 14, I got higher than that in a big hurry as the road seemed to go up endlessly. My target………see if you can guess……..I hope this audio file loads and is playable……….never done one before, but if it works, this blog is going audio all the way baby.

OK you guessed it. Devils Tower. If not already famous, Steven Spielberg immortalized it in Close Encounters of a Third Kind…….great film. The pictures kind of speak for themselves. I didn’t go into the actual park where you can get up really close and go on one of the many hikes, but having already put in my mileage for the day, I opted out, but I did pull out the binoculars and have a really close look……..very cool piece of rock. Apparently around 4,500 people climb to the top of it every year,……..who knew?………and because I wasn’t going to be adding to that statistic, I pulled a U-ey, got back on the 14, and headed for the interstate “West”.

Crossed into Wyoming, and the speed limit remained at 80mph……..I remained at 65mph, and Plan B and I are quite happy at that speed. It started getting pretty windy, even back on 14 going past Keyhole State Park……..some of the biggest fish in the state have been caught there……..who knew?……..but once on the interstate it really started to howl. What is with this wind everywhere……even back home???? I wasn’t really worried, but then I approached one of those big across the road electronic banners that usually say something like “Buckle Up….It’s the law”, or “Buckle up, Phone Down”’ or “100 is the temperature, not the speed limit”………..but this one said “WIND GUSTS 50+MPH”. Well I thought, for once, just for once, could it be blowing from behind and we could solve the gasoline price thing for a day………..but noooooooo……….crosswind all the way……..even when the highway changed direction it was still into the starboard side full on. I have to tell you this Airstream and the hitch system we installed is just the nuts. Made it through no problem……….

Just west of Gillette, WY., is where you get your first glimpse of the rockies…….oh what a beautiful sight. I was planning to stop in Gillette because I am running a little short on razor blades, but apparently there is no connection……who knew?………

I can’t believe I am actually doing this………driving past the exit for Hwy 14 that goes directly into Yellowstone National Park, and right to Old Faithful…….Jutta and I have already agreed that will be another trip, but I was soooooooo tempted.

I stopped in Buffalo for some gas, and decided to put together that last mortadella sandwich I had available in the fridge and cool out for a bit before getting back in the wind tunnel. Look at this baby that pulled in. I need Bewick to tell me what this is. It was very cool, but at this stage of the game I like stepping up into my vehicles, because I know I will always be able to get out without too much trouble………I could get into this one and nobody would ever hear from me again.

There was another target on my route for the day, but I didn’t know if there would be time to squeeze it in. Bozeman was the destination I plugged in the GPS this morning, but it was going to be a haul, and more that one of my campground buddies has told me there is weather on the way, and there will be snow in the mountains………who knew? I’m ahead of schedule, and decided that the target would be worthwhile, and is something that has interested me in the past, so decided to visit where it all happened, and went to the site of The Battle of Little Bighorn. It was really worthwhile, and I ate the full meal deal…….linked the phone, listened to the audio at the designated spots, drove the whole way……a few miles……..away from the welcome centre………really cool for me……..probably so much better because there were hardly any people there……..just can’t imagine doing this in the summer, stuck in traffic jams, with millions of people around. It may sound gruesome, but one of the most interesting things is that they have plotted where the bodies lay after the battle and have placed small headstone at each location where a body was found. You can see how the army was separated, and there are stones way off in the distance where people or soldiers trying to escape were eventually killed. Some people actually survived…..who knew? Might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I loved it.

OK…….decision time…….the weather coming into Bozeman looks like absolute crap…….I decide it will be Billings for the night, or maybe somewhere a little west of that. Tonight I write to you from Columbus, Montana……..Mountainview RV Park. I asked if there was someplace to get a bite to eat, and the owner told me maybe 307 Grill would be the only place open…….who knew?………so I unhooked and went down to check it out (passing a taco truck along the way)………307 was Bar, Grill, Casino, and who knows what else……..probably 100 pick up trucks in the parking lot……no cars…..0 cars…….that was zero nada cars, I wore my Canadian Tuxedo so I would fit in, but opted for the taco truck which was an excellent choice.

Will be checking the weather tomorrow to see how much snow is falling in the mountains before making a run for it……….otherwise, tomorrow will include a comprehensive tour of downtown Columbus………will be a short post. Good Night Y’all.

PS: The lady, who I assume is the co-owner here with her husband Jimmy, has her pet goat behind the counter……..not a pygmy goat……full on, milk me for some cheese size goat……they call “her” Tom……….Brady???????…….who knew?

Oh yeah………I forgot this……..on the way into Devils Tower, there was a sign for “Crazy Woman Realty”…….I thought……how could Mary be running a business all the way down here…….but seriously, this gal is out there……..gun totin’, buckskin wearin’ gal……..and there is a website, check it out…….who knew?……….I think she also might own a liquor store!