So heres the story....

I made it to California, about 6200mi of wandering our amazing country in such places like Pitsburg, NYC, Columbus and Cleveland (OH), camped in Ann Arbor (MI), saw the Sox get slammed by the Tigers in Comerica Park in Detroit (!!!! GO YANKS!!), has amazing looks at downtown Chicago from my motel window, including the Sears tower, Fargo (ND, Lewis & Clark SP (Williston, ND), Deadwood (SD), Mt. Rushmore, explored the black hills and picked up boreal species such as Mountain Chickadee and Gray Jay... as well as my first 'Audubon's butter-butt.

From Rapid City (after exploring AMAZING crystal caverns) I chugged south down the entire WY east side into Colorado... a rainbow awaited me. I stayed in a motel in Boulder (by far my favorite spot, with the Ann Arbor camping, and overall town a close second... L&P was hard to beat too!) I took a drive to Denver to see if the Rockies were playing, they weren't, though thats one more major city I visited for the first time.

During this western drive I saw hundreds of Pronghorns, wild Buffalo (not a ranch), Bighorn Sheep, several Golden Eagles, Prarie dogs, coyotes, ground squirrels, some sort of weasel, bull snakes, a prarie rattler (stayed my distance!!). For those of you who know me, and know Boulder.... I could see myself living there forever. Hopefully my job interview for the CO Dep. NFS will pan out.

After dreading leaving a town that, juxtaposed to CT.... fails with a F---. Prices, people, healthy aspect, freindly... as I plan to relocate sooner than late, Boulder sits a top, again with Ann Arbor right there. So... got off track... I chugged to Las Vegas...

..,.THE MOST OVER-RATED PLACE IN OUR COUNTRY! I put $200 aside to gamble, made $15 on Star Wars slots... then realized I might as well just hand the floor guys $500 bux then ask for a dollar change. So, I got a tattoo instead. One what would cost upwards of $300 here in CT.... $140 plus tip.

One great thing about vegas... other than the drunks, hobos, crime and dispair.... I got to see George Clinton w. P-Funk for the 6th time in my life. The show lasted until late-late night, so I didn't sleep and got out around 5:00a(pst) to head for Frisco.**

** Now here is where GPS fails... about 75% of the passes through Yosemete NP were closed due to a 12" snow blast the night before. So, I navigated using my atlas, compass, and locals to find a away around. I made it to the Caliornia (Walker, to be exact...border od CA/NE in the Sierra Nevadas), still on icey roads, and I swerve for a Jack Rabbit, 4x4 off, turned to the driver side and my baby (my green Colorado) flipped 6 times and wound up in a 6' ditch in the mountainous dessert.

Would list... broken left arm in 2 spots, 2 broken ribs, cartlidge torn between 4-5 ribs, one of the ribs pokes my lung (no better time to quit smoking, huh??, lol), a grade 2 concussion, 5 staples in the skull, and various raspberrys and deep cuts. Thank whoever is to thank that I had my seatbelt on.

I lost about 2 days due to brain trauma, only remembering someone asking if this driven over laptop was mine, off-duty parameds telling to lay down because of my head bleeding, someone asking if a globe of pure (100%, not .999%) Silver flakes taken from the Black Hills... next memory is getting stabbed in the skull 5-6 times with novacaine, and feeling every bit of each staple being inserted.

Unfortunately, my photos end at Mt. Rushmore (until I figure out how to get some from the droid), and I have many yet to upload from the Sierra Nevadas/Reno/Vegas.etc...


Let me say this right now, to anyone who reads this.... WEAR YOUR SAFETY BELT!! Mine, 100% saved my life. And I had a friend who sits in a hospice going on 4 years as a veggie.... due to lack of seat-belts. PLEASE wear them.


I will do a bit of a break down in a day or so, as it kinda hurts to type with a broken arm and stupid cast!!! Someone, whoever it may be in whoever's eyes, thought I had more time on this planet.

More soon,

-MoJo-