We Interrupt this blog for a quick trip to the Emergency Room!

Well Mt. Rushmore was awesome - crazy busy and again, no dogs allowed, so we didn't stay long to hike and stuff (whew!) but it was so cool!  A perfect day and not too crowded.

Next stop along, what I thought was going to be boring, South Dakota was the Wall Drug!  I'm thinking a version "knockoff" of Walgreens but no, not this Wall Drug.  This is a drugstore in Wall, South Dakota!  Started off by a sweet little pharmacist and his wife in the 1920's who, to bring people over to their little store, offered "free ice water!"  Go figure.  

It's turned into this huge tourist plaza with all kinds of fun stuff, including a great burger and fries (which we tried) and homemade fudge (which we tried) and a frisbee that looks like a giant cow pie (which we bought for our crazy dogs back home!)  The list goes on of cool stuff but I'll stop there because I don't want you to think I bought one of everything (which I'm afraid I did).  

Continued on our way and tried to get all the way to Devil's Tower but it was a long drive.  Doug needed me to keep him company so I started reading something funny on facebook and laughed out loud.  Doug said "what's so funny?"  So I started reading these to him.  

10 fun facts:

1.  You can't wash your eyes with soap.

2.  You can't count your hair.

3.  You can't breath through your nose with your tongue out.  at this point, I looked over to see him doing this . . . I start laughing as he starts to say "hey . . . I can too"  I said, let me finish . . .

4.  You just tried No. 3  he starts laughing

6.  When you tried #3, you realized it's possible, only you look like a dog.   we are both laughing hysterically now!

7.  You're smiling right now, because you were fooled.

8.  You skipped no. 5

9.  You just checked to see if there is a number 5

10.  I just love these things!

So we had a good laugh for a while and that got us on our way a few more miles!  

I took lots of pictures and we had a few funny discussions about "good light and bad light" still working on recognizing what he sees as good light and bad light.  sigh . . .

Devil's Tower peaked around the corner as we started up toward it.  Talk about spectacular.  The campground was one of the funnest we stayed in the whole time!  They had a central bon fire they started each night and Doug and Max walked over to check it out.  I was having fun uploading pictures and checking out my amazing light!!  He texted me "Come over!!"  So I went over to find a sweet little guy playing his gee-tar and singing about as far off key as I'd heard in a while but it was very endearing!  We tapped our feet along and enjoyed the evening.  At 9:00 sharp, they showed "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" which was filmed at Devil's Tower (a fun fact, yes indeed!)  They show it each and every night!!  What fun!

Doug was going to get up the next morning and paint the tower but it was raining like cats and dogs so we had to pass on that - sad day.

We decide to "pack 'em up" and get on the road.  See if it might be possible to make a 600 mile trek home.  Not sure but we'll give it a try.  We got to Rawlins and we were spent.  The traffic and going through the small towns made the trek slow and averaging about 40 mph.  It took us 8 hours to get to Rawlins!  We decided to move on to Rock Springs and call it a night.  Being only 250 miles from home would make that manageable for tomorrow.

The campground in Rock Springs had a fenced-in doggie area so Max got to play "chuck it" and was in doggie heaven!  Quick video clip of Max and the chuck it!

Shortly after the "chuck-it-chase" we were getting some grub fixed up and I was excited to get my blog finished when I felt an uncomfortable but NOT unfamiliar pain in my back.  I looked at Doug and said "My back sure does hurt."  He gave me that look like "oh oh, not the kidney stones backache, is it?"  I said I was afraid to say it out loud but it sure felt like it.  Within an hour, I was throwing up and in so much pain, Doug had to take me to Rock Springs Memorial Hospital.  The first round of pain killer didn't touch it so they brought in the big gun of Morphine and that did the trick but not without whirling me into outer space.  OMG that was horrible!  Made it back to the trailer at 2:00 a.m. and we both collapsed.  

Doug made me a bed in the back seat of the truck and headed home.  I was about as much help as a bucket of hair but he was sweet and patient with making me comfortable and getting me home.  About noon, Doug leans back and says "Hon, where do we turn once we get to Cheyenne?"  I sat up in a hurry, still blurred by where I was and where we'd been.  "Just I-80 all the way home, hon."  He said "Well, which way do I turn in Cheyenne?"  I'm still in a daze and pulled out the map - "Cheyenne?? We're not in Cheyenne are we????  That's like the OTHER side of Wyoming!"  He couldn't contain his laughter any longer and busted a gut laughing. Maybe a bit of payback for the sticking-out-your-tongue-and-looking-like-a-dog trick!   If I'd have had the strength, I'd have jumped over the seat and choked him!  It's funny now, but it wasn't so much then!  I looked up and saw the sign that said "Ogden 25 miles."  Whew.  Funny.  Whatev.  

Was great to get home - kids were here to help Doug unpack and I collapsed on the couch.  I'm on the mend and have had lots of TLC from family, friends and neighbors.  Thanks one and all for your support and following our trip.  Was such fun to share it with you!!  

I think we're heading to Helper in a couple of weeks for the Art's Festival and possibly Spring City the end of the month.  He's doing a three-day weekend workshop in the Huntsville area in September so if you, or someone you know, might like to jump in, let me know asap!  It will be a spectacular class with amazing colors!!  Go to our website to register: www.dougbraithwaite.com.  

Talk soon everyone!