HOWDEE!!!

Greetings from Cody, Wyoming! It took all day to travel from Mount Rushmore to Cody. We got into Cody in the evening and checked into our second camp site. Here we each had a cabin and the boys and I also had a teepee. I needed to do laundry, and Hubby was definitely full swing into the cold, so we asked the inlaws to take the boys to the rodeo. They were happy to oblige and had a great time. The clown was evidently a hit as I have been hearing jokes ever since. There was a female rider that night for the first time, and she fell so hard she said she couldn't remember the ride. By the time the boys got back from the rodeo, it was very cold and windy. They told me they wanted to sleep in the cabin, and I didn't argue one minute. It was obvious that we had changed weather/climate zones on the drive to Cody. It rained and blew all night long. We didn't have a lot of rain the next day, but it was definitely colder. We spent the day at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. There are five sections to the museum. It is actually five museums in one. First we went to the weapons museum and saw a LOT of guns. There were ones there from the 1600s! The wide ended ones that make you think of Pilgrims were made that way so you could load it on an undulating ship or galloping horse. I actually learned quite a bit.

I managed to bag this moose while we were there. #2 took the shot of these other animals. We discovered that Teddy Roosevelt was instrumental in the conservation of animals and started a group to stop the endless hunting of certain species. He was a founder of one of the first hunting conservation groups.

The second museum was about Western Art and was very interesting. It showed how statues are put together, different mediums, historical art, and a replica of Remington's studio. It was probably the best art museum I have ever been to.

The third museum is about the Native Americans. #1 wanted to go there so badly that I just sent him along before the rest of us. By the time I got there he was only halfway done and we finished about the same time. He has loved indians for many years. My favorite sight here was seeing the tools that indians made with what they had. The ladle from a buffalo horn was stunning and so very practical.

The next museum was about Buffalo Bill and his Wild West act. There was a lot of personal history here. The exhibit I found stunning was this carriage robe from a Russian Czar. Buffalo Bill also gave "tours" of the Yellowstone area, and he gave a tour to a Russian Czar. In appreciation he was given this robe made of animal furs. It looks like a quilt that we would make in our country, but it is all fur. I stood in amazement for many minutes. Click on the picture to see it in more detail.

The fifth museum was about the natural history and environment of the area. By then I was so exhausted I didn't do it justice. There was a section on Lewis and Clark's Expedition, oil and it's controversies, stuffed wildlife and their habitats, and a neat section on wolves. I had to leave before I could finish it all.

Then we drove to Cooke City, Montana. I can't tell you how beautiful and astonishing that drive was. We used the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway, and My, Oh, My! My pictures of it are on the video camera, so I can't show them yet, but WOW! The mountains are the biggest I have ever driven, and very, very beautiful. We stopped at the top of one to look out, and tiny gophers were climbing all over the hillside. The sun was shining, but it was probably 60 degrees with a cold wind. We first saw snow here. We also saw pronghorns, and cattle loose on the road. There are signs saying, "Open Range, Loose Stock."

We were very tired, but exhilirated by it all. We managed to head into Yellowstone for a quick look around before turning in for the night. I will cover that day by day.

Today we managed to get through Hannibal, Missouri, and are spending the night here. Tomorrow is St. Louis. Good Night.