Casper, Wyoming

We had a lovely drive yesterday through the southern tip of the Black Hills and then dropped into Wyoming, using strictly county routes. At intersections of routes there were signs that said, "road closed when flashing" with two huge lights on either side of the sign, huge gates that drop down across both sides of the road. Cameras present to take pictures with a warning that heavy fines levied if disobeyed. Big turn around for people to turn back. Obviously for heavy snows, they close the roads down. Snow fences are abundant. There are very few ranches and one I saw many times over - 4W ranch. This ranch is Wyoming's oldest - since 1878 where it appeared as the only ranch on a map of Wyoming located on the Cheyenne River. Today the 5th generation runs the complex with a dude ranch, cattle, horses, hunting, fishing expeditions.

We stopped in Douglas to tank up and saw in front of us the Laramie Mountains. Got into Casper about 2:30pm. We are in a campground AGAIN with worker-bees who are working on the gas pipe line - same project that we encountered in North Dakota, South Dakota and now here. But - not in the news - a TransCanada pipeline that hooks into North Dakota's pipe line and moves through Montana into Wyoming - had a gas pipe break July 25th in Gillette, WY - about 30 miles from here. No wonder we are having problems finding a site - this campground is totally booked, the two campgrounds I inquired in Gillette literally laughed at me! This campground is waiting on people who have booked 8 sites - and they are from Germany. She said they are biking it here (don't know if it's bicycling or motorbiking). And they are working on the pipe line too.

Our main objective while here is to spend time with Phil and Sandy - two neat people we met last winter while in Texas. They talked us into heading down to McAllen, not that far from Brownsville - had a great time. They are now working at a dude ranch in Buffalo and Dave and I will go to the ranch tomorrow to see them and spend time. We will find out if they have changed their mind about going to Texas for the winter, with all the fires and severe draught.