Hello from cold and windy Wyoming. One look at the rocks out here and one can see how powerful the wind has been in shaping the geography of this area. As I have said before, anyone interested in geology or geophysics at all, really needs to get a load of this place. Here in Rock Springs, the high end department store is JCPenney and the fanciest menu is at Appleby's. The people who live here are real salt of the earth - they work really hard simply to live in this pretty rugged environment. There is lots of land here, and available at really reasonable prices. Once a year, they round up the wild horses and sell them for about $200.00 to those who would want them. Most people who don't live or work here probably never even notice Sweetwater County, which, btw, is the same size as the state of Massachusetts, on their way to Yellowstone or Grand Teton National Parks.

From what I have seen, most roads are considered "open range" which mean that cattle and wild life roam freely on the highways and byways of Wyoming. Even in this big hunting town, people don't want to hit an animal with their cars. I have heard the story of a man who works at a local mine hitting a cow (a black cow sitting on a black road at night). The man nearly died. He was in a coma for quite some time. Since, however, he did live, he had to pay over $3000.00 to the owner of the cow. I was told that if you hit a cow, you have to pay the owner for the cow and the next 2 generations that cow could have produced. The good news is that apparently you can clock any other type of wildlife without having to pay for them. While Robert and I were pretty amazed at this, it is an example of  the regional differences that exist around the country.

My stay here is nearly over and I am looking over the notes and photos of our time. I will continue to post some pictures and tell some stories for a while to come. My advice for the day: don't just jump from resorts to big attractions while on vacation. Take time out to explore the little places. People everywhere have a story to tell, and some of the most amazing sights, known only by locals, can be revealed to you. We have seen so much out here and are extremely grateful to the folks of Sweetwater County. Even for someone like me who does not ride horses or shoot guns, Wyoming has a lot to offer...Tune in tomorrow for the story of Henry from Cody.

All Good Thoughts