The Eeriest Road EVER!

I think that I-90 between SD exit 10 and WY exit whatever Moorcroft is, quite possibly is one of the eeriest roads I have ever traveled!!!

And I have been down the Funk-Odessa where an unknown, barely visible, extra passenger appears in your backseat to cross the bridge over the Platte. Usually, however, visibility is normal and roads are clear on that trek, excluding one Friday the 13^th in 2002 when I drove back from work at Cabela’s. That night was so eerie I decided to call a friend and take the road just to see what would happen but I never seen the fore mentioned fella.

I-90 WY has an awful rutted surface from over travel, short shoulders and varying terrain. It will be flat and windy one minute then mountainous and curvy the next, then back to open barren country. All of this makes the roads treacherous in the winter with constant blowing snow, drifting and icy patches. Now that it is spring and the snow is ceasing a bit and we are in the rainy season, the ruts in the roads from a winter full of constant commuters are full of water. The fun never ends. We hydroplaned every time we used the right lane.

We have yet to travel this road when there has not been one element or another making my neck hair stand attention and my hand favor the "oh shit" handle white knuckled.  It seems there will be thick fog for every start of ever journey, then it will lift in a brilliant cottony skirt over "Dead Buffalo Hill" right outside Sundance. By the time we hit Moorcroft it will be clear skies. This phenomenon occurs no matter the time of day or time of year. It is always impressive to us.

Some pictures from the past year or two of travels to Gillette during daylight hours.

 

An upside down car in the ditch near Pine Haven.

My little OOPS in Jan. right before Andy's bday party when we hit black ice,
slid over the median between two poles, accross oncoming traffic,
nearly t-boned a truck, clipped its mudflap instead,
 then plunged into the ditch full of snow where we rocked up on 2
wheels then settled. Luke was reacing over seat & ended upside down.
By the grace of God we had no injuries & no damage! We were actually
pulled out by neighbors chains and the truck of whom I clipped. SO SCARY!!

I refuse to drive the road after nearly hitting the ditch one night on my way over and seeing the car who just got done passing me landing himself there. Then my little mishap outside of Belle pretty much made me the Grandma-est driver out there for the foreseeable future. All of this and Wayne’s over controlling incapability to ride passenger to any female driver allows me a view from the right side, where I prefer to be anyway. 

      I decided I would never make it as a SoDak-Wyo commuter like so many friends and neighbors do. I am happy with my once every 2 month ride across the border and Mother Nature’s show along the way.

So why do were we traveling this eerie road this weekend? We went to our neice’s 2^nd birthday party as well as the Camplex Sale and visited an old college friend.

Maddie had a Tinkerbell party. Her daddy Mark decorated this adorable cake for her. It was so fun to shop for little girl gifts. She of course got a frilly little dress (I LOVE being able to buy a dress for someone), some dress up stuff and a “Paris Hilton” dog (as Wayne calls it) in a little purse with lots of accessories (Luke of course picked that part of the gift out). Her other friends and family members spoiled her as well.

Maddie plugging her ears while we sing Happy Birthday!

Luke was in heaven with their 2 puppies that were just his size, Zooko and Mae. And I was able to alleviate some baby fever by holding baby Megan who is getting so big! She is only 5lbs lighter than Maddie right now and will soon pass her. It reminds us of Zach and Luke.

Andy and I scored big at the sale on clothes. Being Gillette the price was a bit more than I like to fork over but we ended up getting a really good deal on much needed items. Andy was given his $5 allowance to be able to buy what he wanted with it. He and Daddy walked the whole place and he only spent $1!!!!! He bought an old school toy set with a set of jacks (what he wanted most), a yo-yo, a paddle-ball and a jump rope. He needs some practice with the jacks, but after watching Berenstain Bears play it a couple more times he thinks he will have it.

It was Zach’s weekend with Grandma and Grandpa T. They had fun getting him a new haircut, buying goodies at “the tooth store” and having a picnic in the backyard. We met them at McDonald’s (for Zach’s 2^nd meal as promised, like Andy) in Gillette, actually pulling off the exit right behind them, ironically. Luke SCREAMS "Nonalds, Nonolds!" everytime he sees the big golden arches and is going to carry on demanding his 2 meals there out of G&G as well. We told them we just couldn’t eat there one more time and had our favorite Chinese buffette instead. (It’s a G&G duty to eat at McD’s right? Grandma is also so sick of it she may have to hold out a while on Luke’s weekend just to gear up to the challenge).

Since the other boys both got their hair cut, Luke decided he wanted his done too and came into our bathroom and pointed at the clippers saying, "My hair cut tooo, not hurt me." We took advantage of his willingness and gotter done. They all look so much older with their haircuts. Funny how that works.