On Tour in the USA

[ZenGum]

Awesome pictures, they make me want to go there.

And they make me want to swim in that lovely colourful mineral pool. I acknowledge this would probably be more stupid than hugging a polar bear, but I want to do that, too.

[diminished]

No problem Pie,which one(s) would you like?

[diminished]

Its bad form to reply to my own posts,I know,but well,some things are worth mentioning.

We visited the Big Dog B&B yesterday http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/385 . (Cottonwood,Idaho)

We thought it would be a simple 'stop and shoot' job,and then we'd move along.

Whilst I was sneaking about trying to line up a decent pic, the owner, Dennis, came across and had a bit of a chat with us. A bit of a chat turned into a major chin-wag and breeze-shoot, and we departed 3 hours later.

But what a pleasant, intelligent and wise guy he is. If you should ever be in the area, I'd definately encourage you to go and spend a bit of time chatting with the fella. I can honestly say, I've not met a person who is happier doing what they're doing. Our envy of his happiness was only tempered by the pleasure of his conversation, he's an absolute mine of information on every topic we broached with him, and surpassingly wise.

And we were even allowed inside the Big Dog for a look around.(Its a pretty damned nice place to stay in too, by the look of it.).He's planning to make 'The World's smallest Coffee-Pot Museum', and 'something involving a giant wooden toaster'.

As we were Brits, he asked us if we knew of the comedian/writer Dave Gorman, who had stayed there on a trip he'd taken across the 'States as the basis for a book he wrote. When we replied that we'd seen the documentary that resulted from that trip, we spent quite a while chatting about that too.

I cant recall spending such a pleasurable waste of time with someone I'd never met before. Here's to you, Dennis, may you continue those things you do for a long, long time.

Other highlights of the last couple of days included visiting a damned fine shoe-tree in the very northwest of Idaho (we left a hat there as we couldnt spare any shoes,we hurriedly scribbled cellar.org onto it before pinning it up), dancing with a dust-devil, and tonight we're staying in a motel hosting a Creationist Conference. Why is it that we can never find a 'Darwin Rules!' t-shirt when we need one? :p

Oh yes,I knew there was something else.I've recently been noticing that Motels have been cutting off my net access for the duration of my stay,as soon as I fire up my torrent client.Its damned frustrating!(But understandable I guess <grumble>)

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by diminished

Its bad form to reply to my own posts,I know,but well,some things are worth mentioning.

Just pretend you're replying to my post.

[diminished]

Thanks Bruce

It was on your recommendation we went there anyway

[diminished]

11.30pm,5 beers and I've went outside for a smoke.

Unsurprising,but then I witnessed some behaviour I just cant fathom.

There was a chap,about 20 yards or so away,acting very strangely.

He appeared to be trying to stamp at a bush,whilst using his mobile phone to attempt to record what he was trying to do.

He stamped 2-3 times,shouted 'Shoot' a couple of times,stooped to pickup a handful of dirt twice,threw them at whatever he was trying to stamp on,and then ran away and ducked behind some other bushes when he noticed I was watching him.

Now I'm thinking a couple of things.One of those is 'Meth-Just say No.'.

Thats probably my preferred option.

The other is that he was attempting to film himself stamping a snake to death,and possibly failing.

Either way,I wasn't going over to check to see if there was a pissed off,possibly hurt snake,or a meth-head hiding in those bushes.

I quietly finished up my cigarette and came back indoors.