Kevin - Friday. It’s been an exciting day here Gentle Readers – not for you or for anything remotely related to the trail, but Denny is returning. And, along with her will be our friends, Becky and Mark Woodbury. Mark was my next-to-last missionary companion in Michigan circa fall 1975.
While the RV hasn’t been in bad shape, it won’t do to have it anything less than in great shape for my wife. It’s a couple of hours to clean things top to bottom inside.
At 1 PM, I make sure to head over to the Historic Trails Center for the newspaper interview I missed yesterday. Arriving early, I meet Kathleen, one of the docents/interpreters for the National Park Service which administers the Center. We spend a few minutes coordinating for the Saturday presentation and discussing our efforts to promote the trails.
Calla, the reporter from the Casper Star-Tribune newspaper arrives at 2 and we discuss the trek and trail efforts. Extending the Period of Significance for the Oregon and Mormon Trails is an important opportunity to expand the stories we can tell. We look forward to what she comes up with as an article.
Also at the Center today (June 6) and tomorrow is a Civil War living history group. The Platte Bridge Company has two Sibley tents up, two wall tents like officers would use, a small cannon and a number of other activities they do to demonstrate Civil War soldiering and life styles. They have a number of young men and women participating in their group. Reminds me of our work in Michigan with our Scouts at River of Time.
Then, I’m off to the grocery store to stock up on a few items I know we will need. Denny has given notice that she and Becky will go shopping after they examine what food is left in the RV’s fridge but I need a few things in the meanwhile.
Dinner is another round of spaghetti, so that jar is gone and the noodles too. After cleaning up, I work on the presentation for tomorrow. The original version just wasn’t gelling, so I’m hard at work trying to tighten up the various treads that seem important to share. How does one connect Col Kearny’s 1845 South Pass Expedition to the Mexican War and the Mormon Battalion detachments? I almost backed myself into a corner, but finally there seems to be a way to pull this together.
At 8:30 PM, Mark, Becky and Denny arrive and it’s a nice time this evening. More tomorrow.
