Day: May 23, 2021

I bought a new iPhone 11 a little over a month ago (coming from an Android phone) and have been plagued with numerous issues. A long story, but I am also having phone/bluetooth issues with my car, although my Android phone and my car got along just fine.

I was afraid my aura was getting stronger when I was in Evansville looking for my elusive cream soda (post coming soon). I’ve already related my police car near miss experience in Evansville and just after that occurrence I approached another intersection where the traffic lights seemed to be functioning normally. As I was getting close that light turned red so, safety minded driver that I am, I stopped. Well, the light went dark, showed red again briefly and then went dark for good. We all just sat there until we determined that we should treat it as a four-way stop sign and take turns going through the intersection. Lights at intersections in front of and behind me appeared to be normal so I don’t think it was a power failure.

Well, when I got to the next light, damned if it didn’t do exactly the same thing. I could see numerous lights in the distance (this was a busy street with many stores and fast food restaurants on it). Full stop at the steady red, light goes dark, flashed red for just a brief instant and went dark for good!

Now – full disclosure – earlier in the evening I shopped at a Gabe’s discount store (nee Rugged Wearhouse) and, while there, held a container of these on my hand:

“These” are CBD Gummies. Gabe’s is my favorite discount store (Obsession post coming soon!) and these babies were list price $26 but for sale at Gabe’s for just $ 16.99. I passed. Honest (Officer). Didn’t even try a free sample (which wasn’t even offered, of course).

CBD, for those of you who don’t know, is Cannabidiol (I had to look it up). A major component of it is cannabis (marijuana), an essential ingredient in medical marijuana (Officer). CBD is derived directly from the hemp plant and, in and of itself, does not create a “high”.

So I can’t explain the behavior of the two traffic lights in Evansville, but it had me wondering if I should stop by a mental facility for a quick checkup (though I was afraid I might be a “keeper”).

Well, after my first post of the day a few minutes ago it looks like I need an editor/proofreader! Welsome?? Sheesh. I generally end up tweaking things soon after I post them so y’all may want to look at the blog rather that opening and reading the posts from your e-mail indicating that a new post exists, which will most likely contain errors.

When I entered Wyoming on Thursday I continued on I-80 West through Cheyenne and Laramie to the little town of Rawlins. There I took Hwy 287 northwest to Lander. That road, in the southern part of the state, was pretty much wide open but became a little more hilly (not quite mountainous) as I drove on. This was the view from an overlook which my GPS unit said was 38 miles from my brother’s house:

Pending further research, my guess that one of those mountains in the distance with snow on them is Gannett Peak, which at 13,804 feet is the highest point in Wyoming.

Signage at this, the Beaver Rim Overlook, informed me that I was looking at the Wind River Mountains. The land ahead of you is Fremont County, where my destination of Lander is located, and is nearly the size of the state of Vermont!! And I always thought things were bigger in Texas!

Fremont County alone is home to 70 miles of the Oregon Trail and also hosts 626 lakes and reservoirs. The County is also home to both the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho indigenous American tribes. There is a casino near Lander which I am sure I will stop in at somewhere in my travels. What do you think, put is all on Red or Black????

Finally, the moment you’ve been waiting for. Blog posts with pictures! (what a concept)…

This morning I was finally able to download photos from my new iPhone, with which I am having a VERY rocky relationship. Long story, as most JohnBoy stories are. But enough of that – let’s get this show on the road.

I entered Wyoming on I-80 in the extreme southeast corner (about as far south and east as one can be in the state). I stopped at a Rest Area/Welcome Center just a short ways into the state at Pine Bluffs and I will tell my story about that shortly, but I know you are all starved for more photos.

This Rest Area (photo above), a different one, is located about 2/3 of the way between Cheyenne and Laramie. After I got to Cheyenne I could already start seeing snow on the mountains in the distance:

My guess is that it is Medicine Bow Peak, which tops out at 12,013 feet, located due west of Laramie.

Another unique feature of this particular Rest Area is the towering statue with a bust of Abraham Lincoln, keeping a watchful eye on the highway below:

I say unique but I swear I saw (and posted photos of) a similar statue of Honest Abe somewhere else in the country.

Now that I’ve lightly scratched your photo itch let me tell a quick story about the Welcome Center I stopped at upon entering the state. I parked and went inside, planning to use the men’s room and snag a state map. As I walked in a gentleman who was seated in the lobby “jumped” like I had startled him and started shouting something, like I had woken him up from a nap. I don’t remember exactly what he said but I ignored him and went in the men’s room . There was already a traveler there using a urinal and I used the urinal next to him. I said “that guy’s a piece of work” and the man next to me said “yes he is”. We could hear the man in the lobby shouting travel-related advice to other people and I then said “Gee, he should run for governor”. I thought a moment and said to the man next to me “You aren’t the governor, are you?” and he assured me he was not.

I finished my business and went back out into the lobby. The man, with a long, scruffy white beard and bib-overalls (about whom I had already made a nasty judgement call, dubbing him a “crazy old man”) was now standing and said “You look like you’re here on a big adventure” to me. I assured him he was correct and told him I am from North Carolina and was on my way to Lander.

Turns out he works there, and his banter is his way of welcoming travelers (and he has some great lines in his repertoire). He is retired from having been a professional truck driver and had lots of stories about various areas of the state. I ended up chatting with him for 20 minutes! He was fascinating, and gave me tips about various places I needed to be sure to visit, some of which were on my list but I made notes about the new things. He even gave me two pins – one which says Pine Bluffs (the name of the town/Welcome Center) and the other a small Wyoming state pin. As I drove away I wished I has asked if I could have taken his photo for the blog. Who knows, our paths may cross again…