Rawlins--Wyoming Territorial Prison

June 10, 2009

On a trip through Wyoming, I stopped at the Territorial Prison. It operated from 1901 to 1981. What a great tour of an aging structure. It is privately owned (I believe it is a non-profit organization) and few funds to fix it up, so it is very much like it was when it closed in 1981 with a bit of disuse over the last 20 years. Paint is peeling off the walls, the same carpet is on the floor, the cells are still the colors of the rainbow and the showers are as dark at night. Hot water wasn't piped in until 1972.

The cafeteria looks ready to sit in. Parts of the buildings are closed off because of unsafe conditions--the chapel, the gym. I visited all three cell blocks, the death house, intake, the yards and grounds. It is a very good haunted "house" in October.


The front of the Wyoming Territorial Prison in Rawlins, Wyoming.


The view from cell blocks B and C.



These are the remains of the factories--making wool cloth and other items. The water tower is a striking feature of the grounds.



Cell Block A, the original and coldest part of the prison. In later years, the inmates could paint the walls of their cells any color they wanted. Each cell held two men.



Looking out at the water tower.



One of the last gas chambers still in existence in the U.S. It was a very scary structure.



Hot water heater grill in the Death House.




The cells on Death Row, four cells (I think it was four) on the same floor as the hanging gallows and the gas chamber.

Elkhead Drive-about

May 16, 2009

We drove to the Elkhead area in Moffat and Routt counties mentioned in the New York Times article (May 2009) that describes the story of Ferry Carpenter who brought two young teachers to the area, not only to teach but because there were an abundance of young men and few women... turn of the century times. Ferry Carpenter was a lawyer and rancher with considerable influence in the area, the state, and the country through his gentle intelligence and agreeable nature.

I knew him when I was quite young and interviewed his daughter, Roz Garcia, when she was in her early nineties. We talked about her experiences as the first white woman in the area to live in a sheepwagon/camp.

The following pictures almost capture the beauty of the area. We saw sharp-tailed grouse on the road beyond Elkhead Reservoir. We saw Bears Ears mountain and the vast undulating hills of fragrant sagebrush. We passed the Elkhead Community Center where I once, when I was in high school, went to a country dance.

Finally, it is spring in this country and the roads can be treacherous when wet; this is how mud dries in the high country.

Massachusetts in April 2009

Terry and I spent seven days in Massachusetts at the end of April 2009. We spent five days on Cape Cod and two in Fairhaven/New Bedford/Fall River. It's taking a while, but I'm starting to get the photos out.

This is my favorite image from the Cape Cod experience: Edward Gorey's Doubtful Guest.

Plimouth, Massachusetts

This is a set of dolls like the dolls that young Wampanoag Indian girls would have played with 300 years ago.

Cape Cod for Carol and Terry

Finally the bulk of the plans for Adam’s wedding on May 3rd have fallen into place.

We will leave Hayden (Yampa Valley Regional Airport) on Saturday April 25th, arrive in Boston, spend Saturday night there, and then drive to Cape Cod on Sunday the 26th, with the whole day to make that drive.

We will stay on Cape Cod (a small bed and breakfast near Hyannis) until Thursday (possibly Friday—depending on how much fun we have). Museums, beaches, whale watching are the things I want to do most—lots of beach walking.

Then, up to or near Somerset, where the lovely bride lives, for pre-wedding events on Friday, Saturday and finally, the wedding on Sunday afternoon.

We’ll fly back to Hayden on Monday, May 4th, arriving at 10:30 p.m.

* * *
Preparing for this event has been an adventure. I hate to fly (if God wanted me to fly, God would have given me wings), so I had a hard time getting to the Internet to look for tickets. Finally, after setting a Sunday night deadline (and missing it), I called a travel agent. She took care of everything in a day with a good price (including airfare, hotel, car rental).

Next was the bed and breakfast. I sent a dozen requests for information and finally found a nice one in Hyannis, across the street from a white sand beach for $50/night (off season rates). GoogleEarth was helpful.

I’m done. I’ll figure out where to stay in Somerset and what to do on Cape Cod once we get there. I just can’t think about any more vacation things till I’m on the plane; there is too much to do here (it’s Poetry Month).

I am excited about going east, really excited. I have books to read on the plane (my favorite/engrossing mystery writers Michael Connelly and Jonathan Kellerman) and a Fodor’s Guide to Cape Code.

Only one thing left: the dress I will wear as the mother-of-the-groom. Eeeck!

Taos--Blue Door

Clouds over Taos

Taos, N.M. U.S. 2008

Thursday, Terry and I drove to Taos, New Mexico, U.S. and back to Craig, to attend a writing conference there. It was sponsored by the University of New Mexico, in Albuquerque; I took a poetry class, mostly focused on the critical analysis of poems, poetic form, etc. and Terry took a memoir class with Rob Wilder, a memoir writer and high school teacher in Santa Fe.



We drove our little Jetta TDI. I think there may be a picture or two of this great little car.
It gets great fuel economy, even though diesel is a higher than gasoline….46+ m/p/g, and she runs great….fast, powerful, handles great, good tires. A fun car to travel in.


We drove through
Meeker,
Rifle,
Grand Junction,
Delta,
Montrose
(overnight on Thursday night),
Ridgeview (
with a side trip to see Dennis Weaver's earthship house),



Ouray,
Silverton (coffee),





Durango (lunch with my brother Arthur),

Bayfield,
Pagosa Springs,
Chama, N.M.,
Tre Piedros, into
Taos.

On the way back, we drove through
Tres Piedros,
ntonita,
Alamosa (where I left my keys),
(not quite) Salida,
Buena Vista,
Leadville (where I discovered my keys were lost and called to have them sent to me), to
Minturn,
Edwards,
State Bridge,
McCoy,
Phippsburg,
Yampa (where we had a chocolate shake) to
Oak Creek, to
Hayde over 20 Mile Road, to
Craig. Hooray


Probably the best part of the Sagebrush Inn was talking to the cook in the kitchen at 5:30 a.m.. He’d worked there 24 years and explained how he’d worked through the Ramada chain and then decided he liked the little town that was Taos and stayed. He smiled; the lines around his mouth were warm and soft, like a man with a sense of humor.

I met, in person, a wonderful woman that I had been corresponding with—Susan Twiet…check out her blog: communityoftheland.blogspot.com.

We had lunch, we talked, bonded. I told her she was beautiful. What a wonderful, gentle soul. Thanks, Susan.