November 8-10: On the Way to Laramie

dieppalaurie
Nov 12, 2021
5 min read

"Travel is as much a passion as ambition or love." - Letitia Elizabeth Landon

"You will never be completely at home again because part of your heart always will be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place." - Miriam Adeney

"A girl [woman] who travels has relationships that are based not on security, but on sincerity." -

Lauren Klarfeld

I don't know if you are aware or not that I've been looking to rehome my female Berger Picard dog, Cosette. She's always been very needy and a bit high strung, but I love her and I've adopted her for her life. I take this commitment very seriously. Having said that - you may have read my post, "Five Dogs In a Condo!" When Ben passed away, we had four dogs. The Picards, Cosette and Jean-Luc, Bobby D, and Billie. I was fortunate that Aaron and his family fell in love with Billie and adopted her. Since then I've been searchig for the perfect placement for Cosette. After talking to a shepherd rescue, a Berger Picard rescue, and talking to Marce - Cosette's breeder in Laramie, Wyoming, I made the decision to take her back to Marce in Wyoming. Since Bob will be a two day drive away from Laramie in Minnesota on his hunting trip, I've decided to drive there so we can drive back home together.

Day 1) Monday, November 8:

I barely slept at all last night - super bad foot and leg cramps, so I just got up and got shit done! Finished the laundry, emptied the dishwasher, and completed packing. When I awoke at 7 AM I put all the bags, boxes, baskets, and such in the living room to check off my list. Then I began the ten trips down and up the stairs from condo to truck. Finally I got the dogs in the back seat, cleaned off the deck, locked the doors and took off for my house to hitch up. I had been waiting for the tool to hitch the stabilizing bars. It was finally delivered yesterday, but they sent the wrong tool! F this, I'm going to muscle the f-ing bars into place and take off. I need to get on the road for my own sanity. I know I'm not going to change how my sons feel about Bob, (not specifically, Bob, but any Tom, Dick, John, or Harry) I'm not going to change what I'm doing or how I feel about Bob, but I am going to give them their space to do whatever they need to do to grieve for their father and make the adjustment to a world without him in it. It's what I've been doing since February when I entered therapy and what I did while I was on the road this summer working to put a life of my own back together after it fell to pieces.

So Alec helped me hitch up. I said and hugged he, Steph, and Nora goodbye. First stop, Vegas. It took me approximately four hours to get there. We went straight to the dog park. My army friends were not there, but Benny and his dog were. I stayed at the Sam's Town RV KOA that I stayed at in September. Familiar is good.

Day 2) Tuesday, November 9:

Today I drove from Las Vegas, Nevada to Fillmore, Utah. Fillmore is cold, windy, and beautiful. This is where the Great Mackaroni emerged. Mack has an alter-ego. He is able to open the camper screen door. So, I have to keep the actual door closed. I was hooking up electric, water, and drains. When I cam back around to the front side of the camper all five dogs were sniffing around the grassy area outside the camper. I think that I not have closed the screen door properly, but once I get them all back in the camper and close the door properly, I watch Mack open it. What a funny, smart dog. Of course he was being cheered on by the others. Fillmore is where I learned what the term, cluster f**k means. It happened as I tried to get just two dogs out of the tiny trailer door and leave three dogs in while in my nightgown, a jacket, and not panties. I actually bruised up my legs in this attempt. Lesson learned: Put on panties before you try to take the dogs out!

Day 3) Wednesday, November 10:

It was pretty cold in Fillmore, but not so bad. But, my camper heater is not working. So, I stopped at WalMart to buy a coffee maker, Lesson learned: Don't camp without caffeine! and two more blankets and some Ugg knock offs. So I head for Fort Bridger, Wyoming. I get there at approximately 3:00 in the afternoon, but it looks and feels like 6:00 in the evening - no sunshine, extreme cold, and abandoned - except for the gas station. I let the dogs out in a fenced wooded area. Mack and Ollie are ready to go pretty quickly - it's cold, but Jean-Luc, Cosette, and Bobby close behind take off toward the sound of a dog barking. I followed them but not quickly. I see that they can't go far - they met a Border Collie (they like Border Collies) and after about ten minutes they come back to get in the car. I go to the gas station equipped with pumps from the 1950s. I fill up on gas and because they also sell liquor, I stock up on liquor tool. The very kind local lady told me, "Darlin' be safe on the 80. Those cross winds can knock over a semi. If you see one swaying, floor it and get around 'em quick as you can." I decide to drive all the way to Laramie KOA. I'll arrive at around 6:30-7. When I get to Laramie it is pitch black out and it is 6:30. I took the dogs straight to the dog run. I put the littles in the dog run first. As I went to get the biggies - I see the Great Mackaroni at work. He is actually opening the dog run gate. AFter everyone does their duty, I head to our RV site. It is 28 degrees and the winds are 60+ mph. I decide to hook up electric and water - no drainage. My heater is still not working - I eat dinner, put on my Ugg knock offs along with another pair of socks. I decide to sleep in my clothes, my beanie, and a hooded jacket. I put all the dogs on the bed, under the covers with the extra two new blankets. It is now 23 degrees. My feet and hands are cramping so badly I actually cry. I had a very tearful talk with Jean-Luc this night regarding taking him to live with Marce as well. He understands everything I say. I explain that I love him and that I am grateful that he has been by my side through so many of the trials of my life, but he's only got a few good years left and I want him to have room to run, sheep to chase, and plenty of wind to bark at. I told him that saying goodbye is going to be one of the hardest things I've done or will do. He makes his Scooby-Doo noise and puts his head on my shoulder. He slept next to me all night.