From Columbus we went to Laurel where we sat and made some money. I put some of that in the tank. I had no head for sitting around as I had found out via facebook that a friend had died. I’m still sad, but I don’t want to get into that on here right now. Before leaving, Atreyu had made a video in which he noted the impending storm, which I was trying to stay ahead of.
I purchased propane hose set up for the heater to run simultaneously as the stove, but the lady at that store didn’t have a drill. We drove into Wyoming stopping in Sheridan for a drill, but failing and stayed the night at a rest area above casper. I woke up feeling warm, though it was still cold outside. I turned on an audiobook (The blue tattoo) and assisted the kids in waking up while cleaning (juice and breakfast, bathroom routine.) I was just putting on my fleece lined leggings when there was a tap on the door. The guy knocking identified himself as David and he wanted to help us out with some fuel! What a hero! Bugus started up nicely and we followed him over to the gas station. David’s an oilfield worker who lives in his truck to avoid gauged hotel prices. He’s got a handsome face and a kind heart, offering his heater up and giving us some lunch money, too!
And so we headed on. I made a couple quick stops on the side of the highway for pee breaks and throwing some snacks at the kids, but I was freezing. We drove until the gray clouds ended and the sun brightened the road intermittently. We pulled off in Wheatland, which I recognized as a stop we took last spring where a wonderful guy helped us, also filling our tank. We didn’t need fuel at this stop though, but piloted towards Lewis Park for some leg stretching.
I bundled the kids up in a couple layers and unleashed my hored on the large grassy area. There were some bomb equipments. The kids played a while, then we took a short walk before they played some more. As I was giving the dogs water, a lovely lady stopped and asked if she could take a picture for the newspaper. So we may be in a paper. I really wanna explore the town more (3 days free camping with plug-ins at the park!) but the cold was looming.
Cheyenne at least promises to stay right above freezing and some happier day time temp, so we drove that leg. Here we are at the Walmart. The kids watched some Studio Ghibli movie, Atreyu played on the tablet he received this summer. We ate some Extreme Holiday Mashed Potatos for dinner, and now they are tucked up in bed. I’ve reached out to Denver people to establish some visits. It’s supposed to be mid 70’s for a couple days, so I figure it will be nice to hang out for a little before the cold front hits them at the end of the week.
I’m really pleased to be on the move. It makes me wonder how I could be so sluggish this summer. I guess, the truthiest truth is in a statement I made to my mom “I just follow the flow of energy.” Not that I understand what I’m doing, but I definitely felt the push and pull. So, a lot of delay was dog related. Boo. I had those fleas and they just like bam! ruined my life. Just kidding… but not. I mean, if you’ve ever had bugs in your house, you know what I mean… Also, my favorite lovey, Rhea first needed tons of teeth pulled, then she came down with a uterus infection that required her immediate sterilization or face death. After that was sorted through the good help of my loving mom. Then, I realized the leak I was experiencing on Bugus was a tad more serious than I had thought, I had a mechanic look at it (so many shops were booked until thanksgiving, but a mobile mechanic named David, david’s the angels, came and diagnosed and estimated and wrenched for pay my dad provided. I just realized I wrote this before, but it’s relevant because I’m grateful for how it panned out. The weather was nice for the days I put my own return hose back on, and I surely felt the pull being forceful. Kicking me, like “you’re gonna get caught in cold weather!!”
I’m currently SO stoked to go crawl up into my bed. Rhea decided to sleep up with me last night and it seems like she’ll be coming with me again. She is the best cuddle buddy every and I’m so happy to still have her.
On that note, I hope you’re warm and got someone you’re grateful for close by. I hope you had a chance to share a smile today.
Loving you!
Matilda the Bugus 