Learning about boys --

Drivers' Lisa and Avis

Boys' dorm

Sometimes I have sent you travel blogs when I am on the road.  Well, this week is ‘on the road’ but definitely in a different format.  I invited two thirteen year old boys to spend a week with me — my great nephew Evan and his buddy Atticus.  Atticus is my oldest cousin’s grandson. His family moved from California to Cheyenne.  In the process of the two families getting acquainted Evan and Atticus met, are in the same grade at the same school and have gotten to be good friends. And they are third cousins!  I knew Evan would enjoy a week with Atticus and I certainly couldn’t keep up with him by himself.  They are a good match.  Right now they are at Makoshika on a Paleo-Hike.  Guides will show them fossils, discuss them — they will hike and then end up back at the lab in the basement of the visitors’ center.  This afternoon I thought swimming might be in order.
Yesterday I drove to Rapid City.  Atticus’ mom, Lisa, my cousin’s daughter, drove up from Cheyenne with Evan to Outlaw Ranch Bible camp and picked up Atticus and their daughter Ella.  We met at Perkins in Rapid.  Cole had been in Rapid all week for some training, so he dashed over to see Evan and then he headed home to Cheyenne and we came home. About 540 miles round trip.  Anyway, stopped at Heiser’s Bar in Baker for a small pizza. (The food there is highly recommended) Took it with us.  The boys ate that as a snack.  Got into Glendive about 7:30 p.m., unloaded, set up cots they had in my now empty second bedroom.  They watched “Iron Man” on tv and were still up when I went to bed about 10:30.
This morning we ran to Loaf and Jug and got water and a new pair of sun glasses for Evan.  Then out to Visitors’ Center.  I left them there at 10 a.m.  The Park guides will take them from there.  In the meantime I scrubbed off all the bugs on my car windshield and hosed them off, also the front of the car.  I am washing the clothes Atticus had from Bible Camp and some of my own.  Discovering Evan had Kleenex in his pocket so of course I had to clean that out of washer and dryer.  Last week I baked chocolate chip cookies and made a really good macaroni and cheeseburger hot dish.  I will feed them that at noon today.  I think I want them with me when I go grocery shopping because I am not sure what they will eat.  Of course the Gust Hauf will be part of the adventure and I am sure Los Amigos, etc.  Today will be swimming  this p.m., showers for everyone when we get home. 
Next week will be some day trips to Ft. Peck, Ekalaka, etc.  On Saturday I will drive to Wright Wyoming, south of Gillette, and meet Margy, Evan’s mom.  Then I head home and preach in Terry on Sunday.  I am promising myself a quieter week after that.  However, it is fun and they are a good age and good kids and interested in lots of different things.  Part of the trip yesterday I listened to them talk about artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and altered reality.  Needless to say, I learned a lot!!

---

Waiting for the paleo-hike.