the folks in Wyoming...
... are special. I ran into a fellow at the wayside last night who assured me that if I were to go on my route, I'd be driving "into the heart of Wyoming ranching and mining country... we don't mind tourists on the highways, but there are some folks up there who might not respect your right to the road..."
He went on to assure me that if I were to camp up there, the wolves, rattlesnakes, bears, sheep and wild horses would gang up on me and trample/bite/pummel me to death within fifteen minutes of setting up camp. Then, they'd all hold a dance around me body and take turns taking bites. He had some binoculars with him, and claimed to be watching a wolf, but he wouldn't let me look. (OK, the part about the wolves is exaggerated, but the rest is true.) But he did tell me that nobody would bother me if I camped at the wayside, and that there was nowhere to camp up on the route, both of which were true. So he wasn't entirely a jerk.
Then there was Grandma at Grandma's Cafe, who was a bit surly and sat in a different part of the cafe. And the bartender/shopkeeper/gas station attendant in Jeffrey City, who seemed to have a chip on his shoulder from the minute I walked in. Maybe it's the wind out there -- it whistles in your head like it's trying to make you crazy. Or maybe it's the highway. As soon as I get off the road people seem much friendlier. Or maybe it's natural selection -- you don't go live out in the middle of Wyoming if you like people. Who knows.
They're kicking me off, so I'm out. Next time I post, I might be out of this state.
He went on to assure me that if I were to camp up there, the wolves, rattlesnakes, bears, sheep and wild horses would gang up on me and trample/bite/pummel me to death within fifteen minutes of setting up camp. Then, they'd all hold a dance around me body and take turns taking bites. He had some binoculars with him, and claimed to be watching a wolf, but he wouldn't let me look. (OK, the part about the wolves is exaggerated, but the rest is true.) But he did tell me that nobody would bother me if I camped at the wayside, and that there was nowhere to camp up on the route, both of which were true. So he wasn't entirely a jerk.
Then there was Grandma at Grandma's Cafe, who was a bit surly and sat in a different part of the cafe. And the bartender/shopkeeper/gas station attendant in Jeffrey City, who seemed to have a chip on his shoulder from the minute I walked in. Maybe it's the wind out there -- it whistles in your head like it's trying to make you crazy. Or maybe it's the highway. As soon as I get off the road people seem much friendlier. Or maybe it's natural selection -- you don't go live out in the middle of Wyoming if you like people. Who knows.
They're kicking me off, so I'm out. Next time I post, I might be out of this state.
posted by Mike at 4:10 PM
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