Dr. Steph's Wedding

Joe and I were invited to attend the wedding of his doctor. The wedding was taking place at the home of her parents who live on a ranch about 75 miles from our home. We were very excited to have been invited to the wedding as this was our first "ranch" wedding.

We had been told it was very casual dress so we both wore jeans and I wore a nice blouse and tennis shoes. Joe wore a casual shirt, tennis shoes and his cowboy hat.

As we were driving north towards our destination, we became a bit concerned as we kept running into rain and ominous looking clouds.


Because the wedding was so far out in the middle of who knows where, signs and balloons had been placed periodically along the road. Thank goodness for that!


This is some of the scenery we encountered on our drive further away from civilization...


We finally arrived and there was the ranch in the distance...

This is the groom and the best men arriving by wagon to the ceremony...


These little colts came behind the wagon and were following their mothers...



These guys were the ushers...


Our car is parked somewhere way over there...

That's Joe in his cowboy hat on the left-hand side of the picture. The tent in the background was for dining and dancing...

Here comes Stephanie the bride...

Jesse (an up and coming recording cowboy) sang during the ceremony...

Just some scenery pictures around the ranch...

Then it was time to eat and drink...

The grooms cake...Did I mention his name was Roberto?

Joe found his young lady...

Some extra seating...

One last look as we left the ranch before the sunset. We left when the dancing began. Too many animals on the road after dark and we had a long drive home.

Barnum - Hole-In-The-Wall Area

The first place we headed to yesterday was "The Hole-In-The-Wall". You can read about it below. This is located in a spectacular area that makes you feel like you are in the bottom a very grassy Grand Canyon. However, we faced bitter, yes I said bitter, disappointment about being at the actual spot when we hit a road that was only suitable for a 4-wheel drive vehicle. Alas, we could go no further. Bummer!!!

After being here, I can see why these gangs were able to evade the law.

These are some of the former tenants - The Hole-In-The-Wall Gang...

Hole-in-the-Wall Gang, was the name given to a gang in the American West, which took its name from the Hole-in-the-Wall Pass in Johnson County, Wyoming, where several outlaw gangs had their hideouts.

The Gang was actually made up of several separate gangs, operating out of the Hole-in-the-Wall Pass, using it as their base. The gangs formed a coalition, each planning and carrying out its own robberies with very little interaction with the other gangs. At times, members of one gang would ride along with other gangs, but usually the gangs would operate separately, meeting up only when they were all at the hideout at the same time.The hideout had the advantages needed for a gang attempting to evade the authorities. It was easily defended and impossible for lawmen to access without detection by the outlaws hiding there. It contained an infrastructure, with each gang supplying its own food and livestock supply, as well as its own horses. A corral, stable, and numerous cabins were constructed, one or two for each gang. Anyone operating out of there had certain rules of the camp, including a certain way in handling disputes with other gang members, and never stealing from another gang's supplies.

Additionally, there was no leader. Each gang had its own chain of command. The hideout was also used for shelter and a place for the outlaws to lay up during the harsh winters.Members included such infamous outlaws as Butch Cassidy, Sundance Kid, Curry Brothers (Kid and Lonny), "Laughing" Sam Carey, Black Jack Ketchum, Elzy Lay, and George "Flat Nose" Curry, along with several lesser known outlaw gangs of the Old West.

Several posses trailed outlaws to the location and there were several shootouts as posses attempted to enter the camp. The posses were repulsed, and forced to withdraw. No lawmen ever successfully entered it to capture outlaws during its more than fifty years of active existence, nor were any lawmen attempting to infiltrate it by use of undercover techniques successful. The encampment operated with a steady stream of gangs rotating in and out from the late 1860s to the early 20th century.

However by 1910, very few outlaws used the hideout, and it eventually faded into history. One of the cabins used by Butch Cassidy still exists today, and was relocated to Cody, Wyoming, where it is on display to the public.

335 Miles - 8/29/09

You know you sometimes travel in the "wilderness" when Rand-McNally can't even map your day trip on their map. Case in point, after #3 we went through some very mountainous area once again in the middle of nowhere and the map couldn't even find us. Thank goodness we were relying on a county map.

We actually took a "day trip" on Saturday and were home before dark!!! We stayed "local" this time even though we put a lot of miles in on one day.

Our aim was to go to Barnum to see the Hole-In-The Wall where Butch Cassidy and his gang hid out from the law, pass through Mayoworth and over the mountains back through the Bighorns and then into Buffalo. Depending upon what time that was would determine our next destination. We ran out of time, so we've got more to look forward to another weekend.

For several weeks now, Joe and I have an established routine before leaving Casper:

1. Always have a full tank of gas
2. Have a prepared picnic lunch consisting of sandwiches, water, soft drinks, pudding, spoons, some type of snack cookie/cake, can of Pringles, some kind of fruit like a banana or apple, frozen containers of water, old dishtowels (for napkins) and Joe's medicine for the day. (After almost getting stuck and stranded last weekend, he's now decided that my advice of taking two days worth of meds is probably a good idea).
3. Have some cash money, get "Barking Bob" (our friendly? GPS dude), both of our charged cellphones, the cameras and accessories and an empty bladder.
4. And, lastly before leaving town, we stop by one of our friendly Loaf 'N Jugs (convenience store) and purchase two cheesewursters and polish sausages. plus a very large Diet Pepsi for $6.00 and some change for our breakfast.

And that's the way we started out yesterday.