Wonder Where Ward is Wandering this Week?

27 June - 7 July 2012; My Annual Midwest Auto Tour, First Half --
Wednesday, Day Zero; Seattle to Deerlodge MT: As usual, I got up early and started out. I took a picture of the Eastern sky -- Venus was visible, but I apparently shook the camera too hard [Actually, that is about how my bleary eyes saw things, too!], so it will not be included.

I crested Snoqualmie Pass at about 0500 and was in Montana by noon. I arrived in Deerlodge with the gas-trip Odometer reading 566 miles (yes, as this photo of the "A" odometer -- the one I reset when I get fuel -- taken a ways out of Missoula shows, setting the cruise control at 65 really pays off in high mileage per tankful!)  TOTAL MILES FOR THE DAY: 565.1

Thursday, Day One; Deerlodge to Wyoming: I found my Uncle Leonard Zierlein and his ex-wife, my Aunt Carol, in north-central WY. They live across the County Road (lane 39) from each other and seem to get along pretty well. We went to lunch in Greybull WY, where I had to buy a new tire; also reserved a room for the night.

 Their oldest, son Louis, was at Uncle Leonard's and I was happy to get to see him and Leonard's oldest daughter, Glenda again. [I first met him when he drove his Dad and two sisters to IA for Grandma Nettie's memorial.]

I also got to meet, for the first time, their youngest son August ("Augie" -- named after our Great Grandfather Zierlein). TOTAL MILES FOR DAY: 506.2

FRIDAY, Day Two; Greybull to Big Horn Range in WY: I had wanted to go over Powder River Pass (on the South end of the Big Horns), but I didn't remember its proper name, and wound up going US 14 over Granite Pass (into Sheridan WY) instead. As it turns out, there is a lot of spectacular scenery over this more-Northern pass. One of the most interesting was this, the Shell Creek Falls.

After going over Granite Pass down into Sheridan, I continued on South to Buffalo and then re-ascended the Big Horns toward Powder River Pass. I wanted to get Sunset and Sunrise photos from this area, because I had remembered that it looked easterly with the Black Hills on the horizon in the distance. To get the Sunrise view, I had to sleep up there -- in the cold (45 degr F!) -- and I thought I was going to freeze to death!  TOTAL MILES FOR THE DAY: 188.3

SATURDAY, Day Three; 8500-foot level of Big Horns to Spearfish Creek Cabins: Arising at about 0300 -- mainly because I was cold, but also so I could capture the first glimpse of the Sun as it arose -- I realized that I had not the slightest idea where the Sun would make its appearance! I made an educated guess and turned out to have it in the lower right corner of my view; rather artistic if I do say so myself.

After getting my Sunrise shot, I dropped down out of the altitude, basking in the warmth from the car heater, and drove the short distance into Spearfish for an early breakfast at the Cedar House restaurant. Then I checked into my motel (Spearfish Creek Cabins) where I would headquarter for the next three days.  TOTAL MILES FOR THE DAY: 102.1

SUNDAY, Day Four; In and Around Spearfish: After a "visiting" breakfast with Cousin Joan (Bitsy), I joined her at her church service. Then I dropped in to see Cousin Jimmy Eddy and his wife, Shirley, who still live on the old dairy farm where Uncle John and Aunt Laura brought up about six of the eight Eddy kids. TOTAL MILES FOR THE DAY: 5.9

MONDAY, Day Five; A Pilgrimage back to our Roots:  With Bitsy driving and two more girl cousins (Kay and Lorraine) joining us, we first went down South of Dupree, to the site of my birth where a covey of grouse spooked from the remains of the cellar that was under the frame part of the house. A few pieces of rotted logs from the log cabin part was also in evidence to the East of where the house used to sit.

Then we drove the 2 or 3 miles over to where the Eddy girls grew up. The present owner is the son of the first guy I beat up (a third grader) when I started 2nd grade at Sunnybrook, the little country school.

Next we meandered cross-country up to where our Zimmerman Grandparents lived; also where their graves are. Lorraine (and my sister Donagene) were born in my Grandparents' house, in a room upstairs where that little window is, above Lorraine's head.

After a long day, we returned to Spearfish. TOTAL MILES FOR THE DAY: None for me!

TUESDAY, Day Six; Visiting Cousins and Old Friends:  My first stop in Rapid City was to have coffee with my Cousin Ann and her husband Jack. I presented him with the usual "Care Package" brought from Seattle; but also, I had found a delicacy along the road called "Moose Drool", which I gingerly passed over to him, telling him that my curiosity had led me to want to share a taste of it with him. We split a bottle, both declaring it "not bad" for something put together in Missoula, Montana originally as a joke! [Kind of reminded me of a certain "Zeta Brew" cooked up by none other than two of my Grandsons.]

I met Cousin Ethel for lunch, as Mother and I had done the year before. However, this time Ethel insisted that she buy me lunch and to enjoy it with her son and his wife who would be there visiting soon. [And, of course, I can't remember the son's name!! Or his lovely wife's either!]

On the way back for the night in Spearfish, I met my old school classmate, Roy, in Sturgis. He and I had played basketball in Dupree as teammates, then when I was a Senior at Philip, we were adversaries in a non-league game played in Dupree. Roy took me to a "biker's bar and grill" where we both ordered the "Kiddie's Sirloin Bits", a filling meal for each of us! TOTAL MILES FOR THE DAY: 117.5

WEDNESDAY, Day Seven; Fourth of July Backyard Barbecue and Water Fight:  Last year, when Mother and I attended this event-to-end-all-events, a young Great Nephew named Brandon "somehow" got me wet during the afternoon's "wet"-stive goings-on. As I left that day, I committed to Brandon that "next year" I would bring a "machine water gun".

But when I arrived this year and Brandon asked to see my "machine water gun", I explained that "as long as (he) didn't cause any trouble, I would not bring it out." Well, he found where I had stashed it and later challenged me to a water gun duel. Of course I had to accept [didn't I??!], so at twenty paces, we turned and "watered" our weapons. Since mine was capable of short, repeated blasts of water and his emitted a single, long [and with great volume!], my water gun outlasted his and he began to run. These kinds of things are half the fun of going to this event each year.

Gary and Cindy put this on mostly by themselves, but other relatives and friends pitch in with some of the goodies. Larry was ill this day and did not make it this year; Kay and Bob stayed in Colorado in case their home was endangered by the forest fires. Aunt Frances was the Belle of the Ball as usual; she will be 92 this December [if I am not mistaken]. TOTAL MILES FOR THE DAY: 68.4

THURSDAY, Day Eight; Travel to Aunt Hazel's:  Arising from my bed before dark, and after an earlier than usual complimentary breakfast with my complimentary Day's Inn room, I ventured forth toward Iowa; the Sunrise occurred as I was speeding [at 65 miles per hour, thank you!] over the flat country of Eastern South Dakota.

In the "Olden Days", this would have been a push-over for me. But this day I wisely took a couple of respites along the way, spending half hour or so each, at the Chamberlain rest-stop, and at the Sgt Floyd Memorial rest-stop in Iowa. Even then, I was exhausted by the time I got to my reserved motel in Indianola. TOTAL MILES FOR THE DAY: 649.5

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, Days Nine & Ten; Visiting Aunt Hazel:  Hazel and I had spent a few days together in late March, witnessing the spectacle of the Sandhill Cranes in their annual migration to the Platte River valley in Central NE. We had previously confirmed that we are still of opposite politics and religious beliefs, so we were able to get serious about visiting -- and picking peaches.

Ex-brother-in-law, Tom, has a peach tree that tempted even this Old Man to stand on the top of the six-foot step ladder to try to reach the most luscious looking peaches that had benefited the most and longest in the Iowa sunshine. TOTAL MILES FOR THESE TWO DAYS: 21.9
TOTAL MILES FOR THIS HALF OF THE TRIP: 2,222.3

Stay tuned, after I pick up Cousin Bill, for the last half of this Auto Tour; the return trip West.