Happy Birthday...Mabel

Kids,

With only 2 days left
to make it from Laramie to Rawlins,
I had to get cracking.

I hung around Laramie long enough
to read the Sunday Paper.

The Headline read,
"Curator travels the Lincoln Highway"

Not a bad article,
plus the "Way Cool" photos at Ames Monument.

They even included an inset
with me and Mr. Lincoln at the top.

In any event,
it was time to hit the road.

On Saturday the weather was warm and sunny,
but on Sunday it turned cold with sleet and snow.

Oh Boy...now for the real fun.

Twelve miles to the North is Bosler,
once a thriving community,
now almost a ghost town.

I think you get the picture...

Here's the local Library,
or should I say,
was the local Library.

There's really only One business in Bosler
and that's "Doc's" Business,
or should I say Businesses...

Although he's in the process of
liquidating for his retirement,
he pretty much runs the town,
well actually he is the town

For starters,

he ownes a Bar,

a Furniture Store,

a Salvage Yard and a Used Car lot.

And those are the one I know about...

Then in his spare time,
he runs a Limo Service.

Although I haven't quite figured out
who he actually drives around
out in the middle of nowhere.

I guess you could say he's a real live Entropuer.

This is his Office...

Like I said,
he's winding down after years
of many happy and satisfied customers.

Speaking of which,
here he is with several at the salvage yard.

I think they bought a mattress and a couch. See their smiling faces???

What can I say??? Well, now it's off to Cooper Lake...

That's it in the background.

Not much here except this nice shot.

Then it was on to Lookout Station,
an old stop on the Union Pacific Railroad.

That's it in the background.

Not much here but a rail siding,
some railroad ties and the abandon station.

But wait,

there are a few people left in town.

Here they are with the Three Flags.

Lovely couple,
decided they wanted to live out by themselves.

Well, they sure got that right.

So Long, farewell, it's time to say Good-Bye...

Oops, wrong movie...

Then it was on to Harper...

Same story here,
an old railroad stop
on the Union Pacific.

But then there's always room for a surprise...

See the headlights off in the distance??

This was June and bill Evans from Montana.

Just happened to be driving by,
they stopped to sign the guest book
and give me $8.00 for gas.

Hard to believe...but 100% true.

Then it was on to Como Bluffs

and the Fosseul Museum.

Just beyond the sign on the bluffs
is one of the larest dinosaur grave yards in the world.

Believe it or not,

the museum

and house

is made entirely of dinosaur fossels.

Both times I've been to Como Bluffs
the Museum and House have been closed.

Then it was on to Rock River,
a nice little community 45 miles from Laramie.

I stopped in the local general store
and met Bob the Propietor.

Here he is behind the counter.

Check this out,
kinda reminds you of days gone by.

Hard to believe,
but they actually had
Stewarts Orange Cream Soda,
my first in I don't know how many miles.

In any event,
He called the Fire Chief
and minutes later
we assumed the position.

One of the nicest group of Firemen on the Trip...

A nice parting shot,
don't you think???

Several miles down the road

was the Heward Ranch
and a touch of the old West.

Note the hay stacked like loaves of bread.

Pretty Neat...

Just sitting here on that sack of seeds...

Then finally,

I reached Medicine Bow,
home of The Virginian.

Note the Ice on the windshield...

It was almost dark,
so I had to act fast.

I went right to The Virginian
and called the Mayor and Fire Chief.

Linda was very kind and let me use the phone.

Medicine Bow was another
Millennium Community
that sent a wreath.
After some juggling,
we finally decided a,
"Bird in the Hand ,
is Worth Two in the Bush."

Here is the Mayor and the Fire Chief
with their wreath and "Labor of Love" plaque.

That accomplished,
I called the director
of the Medicine Bow Museum
on advise of my friend at the
Union Pacific Steam Shop.

In the mean time,
we took a trip around the block

with a former Firefighter.

Then Barb and her husband
kindly opened the Museum
for a "Special Tour".

The Museum is located
in the old Union Pacific Station.

Here they are with Mr. Lincoln.

Suddenly,
Barb pulled out a document and said,
"Have you seen this...?"

A several hundred page
Geneological History of the Lincoln Family
written in longhand.

Boom!!

Then it hit me.

I'd seen this writing before.

It was the work of Mabel Keddy,
a decendant of Mr. Lincoln himself.

She'd written me at the Museuem
a year or so ago about Mr. Lincoln.

I sent along various materials
per her request and said I'd stop
by and see her when in Medicine Bow.

Well, things being what they are,
I forgot all about it until then.

Good thing my friend was on his toes...

Arrangments were made and I swung by for a visit.

Here she is with the "Old Boy" himself.

After a lovely visit,
it was back to the Virginian
for some shut eye.

I called Scotty,
the owner and asked if he'd comp a room.

I specifically wanted to stay in
the Owen Wister Suite.

Owen was the author of,
The Virginian,
which made the hotel famous.

"When you call me that, Smile."

Scotty said,

"No I'd rather you stay in one of the other rooms."

Ah, Man..I had my heart set.

You see three years ago,
I'd stayed in the Wister Suite
on my first trip across the Continent.

So it was going to be like old times.

He said, "Well I guess you can if you want,
but there's no heat...something I would later
get very used to.

So it was off Beddy Bye..

I was going to write,
but it was too cold...burrr!!

So, I guess I'll just hop in the tube for a hot bath.

Next morning,
I took a few shots
for the folks back home.

Here's the Bar...

and the Dining Room.

Pretty Neat...

Don't know too many dining rooms
that look like this anymore.

Then it was time for a parting shot

of Scotty in front of the Hotel,

a trip to the Gas Pumps

coutesty of the Medicine Bow Museum,
and one last stop to put up the Flags for Mabel.

Just happend to be her 62nd Birthday...

Imagine That...

Happy Birthday Mabel!!!

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