WYAA: From New Mexico to Wyoming - Snow

Me sittin' on the side of the road with a flat tire.  12 mi west of Santa Fe

Ken had me leave about morning to hopefully get between the storms.  This was a good plan; then I passed Santa Fe, looked at the dash and there was the "low tire" sign that we have been fighting for months.  I called Ken to gripe and he said did you stop to check and make SURE it was a malfunction.    DARNIT!!!  A different tire was going flat.  Called ERS on the insurance.  I told them to send someone from Sante Fe as it was closer.  NO - they sent someone from LAS VEGAS  - true it WAS LV New Mexico but still.  AND he didn't bring a truck so we had to find the tire jack; the donut and crawl back to town.  When I was CRREEEEEPPPINNNGGG back to Santa Fe the WORST smell like grease that is too hot kept assaulting my nose.  Just great I kept thinking - I'm going to destroy something because of the storm.   However the ERS guy had told me exactly where to go spend the night and the tire store is right next door.  Worked just fine.  They fixed the tire for free and sent me on my way.  They never said a word about the grease smell.  Wonder when this is going to pop up and bite us in the butt??

A view of the Rockies from Erick's house in Severance.

It was a trip and a half getting to Wyoming for the Wyoming Arts Alliance Conference.  I managed to miss the storm with just spits and starts through northern NM until I got to Fort Collins, CO when I found out the roads to Cheyenne and to Laramie were shutdown tight.  I stayed at Erick and Vanessa's (they were in North Dakota) and headed to Laramie the next day.  I had some work to do in Cheyenne so wasn't too worried when I saw the hundreds and hundreds of vehicles which were parked and double-parked everywhere.  I had time so did my thing and I did it.  Then, seeing NO vehicles parked anywhere about 12:30 I merrily got on I-80 and toodled along for about 10 miles and then BAM!!!!  Thousands of vehicles for miles of two lane gridlock.  i really pulled an ID 10 T error allright.  However, after spending 3 hours to go 43 miles I managed to get to Laramie and to begin thinking about the conference.

 

This is what it was like on top at the Lincoln thingamajig on I-80.

I DID make it to Laramie and we had us a HOEDOWN!

Some of the artists that came for the showcasing.

WESTAF Rep from Denver

Storyteller Layne Gneiting and Jaymi from CAM-PLEX (my successor)

Jo from Pinedale and Nick from Sheridan

Wonderful artist Colin Ross and board member Carolee Colin does wonderful medical residencies.

Go ahead and grin - you made it!!

And the morning of the first day and ready to rumble for the conference.  THEN up to Casper to see the GBabies!!!!

The VLA and Reserve New Mexico

 Ken wanted to go see Reserve, NM. so we drove there in a circular route doind site seeing on the way.  Hap, Ken's brother, is buried in Reserve having spent several years in that area after leaving Nevada.  We drove BY the VLA - Very Large Arrey - but didn't go in.  If the kids get to come for Christmas we'll save that for then. 

 We did find where Hap is buried.  Being New Mexico there is no perpetual care (keep it green and neat).  The area is worth spending some time in and we shall do that.  Hopefully we can do it some spring before we go home.

The picture doesn't show it but it was "raining" little leaf things.

 We went on through Reserve to Silver City.  It was late so got a room then went to a nice little mexican restaurant ate and hit the hay.

An abandoned coppery mine out of Silver City

We haven't seen too many deer in NM

I just can't seem to get used to seeing these signs.  NM doesn't

 build bridges that may or may not be used every year. 

 Instead they make dips so there is somewhere for the water to go during monsoon season.  Haven't ever seen this phenomenon but AZ does it also.

This little reservoir is on the road to the Gila Petroglyphs

And the view just keeps going on and on and on....

The first dinner of the season and loading a car INTO a truck

 Today it was time for the first potluck of the season.  First though we had to watch a car being loaded.  It is a one of a kind rig from Oregon.  They have a big 5th wheel that they pull with a truck with a "garage" for their car on the back.  I remember seeing this vehicle at The Great North American RV Rally in Gillette in 2000. Here is a video of the photos I took.
 

Randy and Linda are workampers again this winter.

Stephanie and Michael - workampers

Sharon, Clay and Pat.  Pat is the manager this winter.

So glad to see Linda and Newell back for another season.

Estella  sitting with Gary Leo.  They never left this spring.

 So glad we are here earlier this year.  Yeessss!!