Day 86 - Medicine Lodge, KS - September 23, 2011

                                       A slow day today.  Time to mess with those infernal steps.

                                                     Got them installed, still don't work.

                                                      We went out to the Gypsum Hills.

                                       This is the type of place where they make cowboy movies.

                                                                     Pretty country.

                                           Makes you want to get on a horse and ride, almost.

                      We went across this bridge from town.  Couldn't bring our rigs this way, 3 ton limit.

Don came back from the parade and pageant.  He offered anyone who wanted to, to ride his horses.  No longer his birthday he didn't have to wear the silly hat.

                                         Arla gave proper horse riding tips and instruction.

                                                                    Some rode horses,

                                                                some just petted them,

                                                 some had nothing at all to do with them.

             Meanwhile, Heidi finally got some competition for affection from a little dog named, Pete.

                                          Barb made everyone a scrumptious lasagna dinner.

                                   Then we watched the sun sink into the west Kansas landscape.

                                 Tomorrow we're going to the Peace Treaty parade and pageant.

Day 85 - Medicine Lodge, KS - September 22, 2011

Kansas is a lot like Alaska in one respect.  The internet connectivity is awful slow.  Thus,
 the late posting.  So this is Don's birthday.  He turned 59 today and people started showing up from all over, South Dakota, Michigan, Minnesota, etc.  Don was pleased.  No one told him they were here for Peace Treaty.

Barb set out a fantastic spread of smoked turkey, slow smoked beef brisket and potato salad for everyone to feast on.  And we did.

                                                              Some even had seconds.

                                        A little later came the presents and the singing.  Some sang,

                                                                       some didn't.

Don's friend Earl, who owns the tire store here in town, showed up and explained the finer points of "noodilin".

                                      Then the band started up.  Small Town Anthem is their name.

           They let Don play with them, but since he was the birthday boy they made him where this silly hat.

                      This is Kris Ransom, Don's son, playing his Grandpappy's sax.  It's his band.

                Barb is a true stage mom.  She wants to work her way up to be the bands manager.

                                                    We enjoyed the music and interaction.

                                          Heidi wandered the crowd for free pets and cookies.

                                             Barb moved up to official band photographer.

                                            Rex and Don tried to turn it into a Hoot'n'anny.

                                                 We laughed at Don still wearing the silly hat.

                                             Lawana took the mike to sing about roller skates?

                          The band tried to take the stage back but Rex and Don refused to yield.

Meanwhile Barb and Earl discussed contract terms for Small Town Anthem's possible gig at the Medicine Lodge Noodilin Festival sponsored by Earl's Fine Tires.

                                          We just enjoyed the music no matter who was playing.

                                                       Heidi didn't and wanted to go to bed.

                                                                   So we did.  Tomorrow?????

Day 84 - Lamar, CO to Medicine Lodge, KS - September 21, 2011

We got on the road out of Lamar around 10 am. There were many, many, grain silos along the way.

                                                                    A few Antelope.

    As soon as we crossed the state line into Kansas the wind began to blow.  Which would explain these.

There are a whole lot of feed lots.  The cattle are brought here when they're about a year old, for 6 months or so to bulk up before being shipped off to the slaughter house.

                                                            "Beef - it's what's for dinner."

                                                     These railroad cars lost their way.

We rolled into Dodge City.  Jerry led us around looking for James Arness and Dennis Weaver.  No one told him they were dead.  So we went to the Walmart and provisioned.

                               We saw a lot of farms.  Where you have farms, you have this issue.

                                                                   Plenty of oil wells.

                                                        Not sure what this was all about.

                                          We finally made it to Medicine Lodge around 4 pm.

      Turned on to Don's washboard road (it made us all glad about the ball joints and tire replacements).

                                               The Ransom's lovely home came into sight.

                                                                    We pulled in and

                                                                             set up.

                          Barb and Don prepared us a delicious steak dinner  (remember the feed lots).

                                                                   Barb cleaned  up.

                                                            We told stories of the past

                                                              and shared many laughs.

                                           Tomorrow, it's Don's birthday.  Oh boy, this'll be fun!!