MUGGED BY POLICE

Our drive across Kansas was much more enjoyable than I would have expected. The last time I drove across Kansas I was a teenager traveling with my parents. I thought Kansas was Hell then, but as an adult I could really appreciate the natural beauty of the landscape.

We traveled from Indiana to Missouri and passed by Kansas City. From there we traveled across Kansas via I70. We turned off I70 for the back roads when we passed Salina, angling down toward the south-west. We went through Great Bend and then on down to Dodge City. In between we ate at this great Barbecue called "Four Legs Up". I counted 70 ribbons and 30 trophies they had won in competitions. I had a pulled pork sandwich. We angled down 56 and then proceeded due West on 160. Open road and nice midwestern towns.

Everything went well until the moment we crossed the Colorado State line. I cheered when I saw the "Welcome to Colorado" sign. 30 seconds later I was pulled over by the Police for speeding. Up until this point the roads were all 65 miles per hour but at this point the speed limit changed from 65 to 35 in a short distance. I was driving at 55, thinking I was driving slow I was taken by surprise when I was told that I was driving 20 mile per hour over the speed limit. The fine is $250 which is pocket change compared to what my auto insurance company will charge me. I was robbed by a man with a gun and a badge.

We continued in low spirits due West to La Junta where I noticed road 10 that was a short cut. On the map you could tell there was nothing there but open space and I questioned my judgement. But not being one to pass up a rash decision based on no information, I decided to go for it. I'm glad I did, it was beautiful country and proved to be a good choice. We could see the snow covered mountains of the San Juan Mountains off in the distance. I secretly worried about how the Paddy Wagon would perform on the climb to Wolf Creek Pass but Old Blue did just fine.

When we got to the top of the pass we pulled over to stretch our legs. Julie was absolutely in heaven rolling around in the snow. I stopped in Pagosa Springs to reward myself with a latte after and exhausting drive. This is when I realized that I had left my bank card at a gas station at the other side of the pass. It is early spring here and the road crews a repairing the road from winter damage. We passed eight work areas, four of which where closed periodically to alternating one way traffic.

I was tired but alas we drove up to the dirt road that leads to my sister's house. The deer had made themselves quite comfortable over the winter with nobody around this eighty acre parcel. As we pulled up to house, two deer where standing next to the pond and two were laying down. The two that were laying down were casually smoking cigarettes and chatting when Julie leaped from the truck and gave chase. The party was over. Julie could not catch them however. The only way Julie could catch a rabbit is if it were run over by a car first. It's a good thing she is so cute, because she would starve to death otherwise.

We started work the next day, Friday, and we demolished the front and rear porches. I'm not sure if it was the altitude or the fact that I am an out of shape middle aged man who has been sitting at a desk too long, but I was wiped out tired. I tried my best to stay awake when we went to dinner at the Hollywood Bar in Dolores. The food was good. We had oysters and ribs. Good stuff. I went to bed at eight o clock that night.

Today the excavator, dug the holes for the foundations in the front and the back. Next week we are hoping to place the concrete. This will require three different pours, the first is the footings, the second the foundation walls and finally the 8" thick concrete slab. The slab will store the solar heat gain during the day and at night release heat into the existing heating system via six aluminum tubes. My sister Ellen and my niece Karen will be arriving late tonight.