[a/s] Deadwood & Not Again )c: - June 23, 200

[HHamp5246@xxxxxxx]

Grrr....

I spent all afternoon washing my trailer and my truck.... I was obsessed.  I 
did all 8 wheels, got every bit of tar and all the bug guts off...not to 
mention the cow crap from the cattle drive last week... both look showroom 
new.

As I was putting all the washing stuff back the sky got darker and it got 
windier.. I brought the dogs inside and a rock hit my roof.... I thought it 
was a kid and started out with blood in my eye... but then another hit and 
another... I was being sprayed...by hail!!!  Big hail. Oh hail...not again.

It came down hard for about an hour...okay 10 minutes, but it seemed like an 
hour.  Cody, one of the cats ran for the safety of the covered cat box... I 
ran for a martini. 

Don came over to see if we were okay, we went and surveyed the damage, seems 
I dodged another bullet.  The truck and trailer are still wet, but I don't 
see any dents. Phew.

Yesterday we went to Deadwood.  It's the western town famous for the likes of 
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Calamity Jane.  The most famous 
resident (in the cemetary) is Wild Bill Hickock who was shot in a bar holding 
aces and eights.

The bar is still there, well an exact replica is across the street from where 
it actually happened. There is a restaurant, but one table sits empty of 
customers... the chairs hold dusters and hats... there's four poker hands, 
three face down and one poker hand face up.... the one with aces and eights.  
A shot glass sits full of what appears to be whiskey... 

The town used to be a cute western town... now it's a gambling town.  
Virtually every building, every business has at least slot machines.   Many 
have full tables, Black Jack, Baccarat, Roulette (I think).

The whole town has lost what charm it seems to have once had.  The outside of 
the buildings are lovely, much bigger and more impressive than you would 
expect from a small town.... the glare of chrome and neon... well, ruined it 
for me.

We also went to Lead... its claim to fame seems to be the huge gold mine... 
and "panning for gold" tourist places.  The best thing about the trip was the 
veggie sub I had at Subway.

So, I'm now full of salmon, off the grill, and it's time to take the dogs out 
to play.... tomorrow we have to leave paradise and head north to Bismarck.  
Will stay in Bowman, ND tomorrow night...then the rally.

You may not hear for a few days, I doubt I will have anything to report until 
the rally.

Hunter