Miles of Smiles

 Hello Everyone,

I'm home!  We left Winnemucca, NV fairly early and headed for home in Arnold, CA.  We stopped in Gardnerville, NV to have lunch with a friend that Gail hasn't seen in 55 years. Then the car headed over Ebbetts Pass on autopilot.  The eastern side of the Sierras are so beautiful in Gardnerville.  

This sign was riddled with stickers......no bullet holes, but stickers.

 

Home is over the mountains in the distance which we had to drive over.

As we entered the pass, the fall colors were in full display.

This is the cow camp along the route.

The last 20 miles to the cabin were the longest 20 miles of the trip.

It was heaven sleeping in my own bed next to my snoring husband and dog.

I don't know how to begin a summary of the last 11 days.  Gail and I met the nicest quilters at the Badlands Quilters Retreat.  The women are strong, self-sufficient, caring, and so creative.  We were accepted with open arms.  We listened to the most interesting conversations about their lives as wives of farmers and ranchers.  We learned about running cattle and the harvest.  The women work side by side with their husbands' driving combines and rescuing cows stuck in bogs.  We learned about ice fishing and ice palaces.  We ate Walleye for the first time and loved every bite.  We learned what it is like to live in an area where temperatures drop to 40 degrees below zero.  Some of the quilters had not one but four freezers full to sustain them through the winter. During the long winter months, they quilt.  They make gorgeous quilts.  They look out for their neighbors, and their families.  We learned there are only two seasons in this area, winter and construction season.

This was a road trip Gail, and I will always remember.  We want to thank the Badlands Quilters for this incredible opportunity to spend time with you and drive halfway across this amazing country making memories mile by mile.  

If any of you head out west, you will always have a room in our homes and in our hearts. 

Soon,

Lynn