The Bad Lands

Tuesday 7/31  We woke up early and took a loop hike at 7:30.  Scenery is beautiful--a "wall" of snaggle-toothed, striped geological formations that look like giant drip sand castles.  Vegetation is either cactus or sharp browned grass.  The sun comes up early in these here parts, and it does not mess around....you need sunglasses by about 6:30am.  There are rattlesnake warning signs everywhere and Nils actually almost stepped on a little one crossing the path.

We definitely heard its dry rattle as it slithered away.  Then we had to drive to Wall (next town over) to get a Lube-oil-filter for the truck and to see what all the fuss was about with Wall Drug (for which there were signs all along I-90, even while we were still in Minnesota!).  Turned out to be a glorified series of strip malls with all kins of shops---leather, hats, jewelry, doodads, food, 5 cent cups of "regular coffee" and the usual junk made in China.  It was a hoot.  Also, the people here are a stitch.  Overheard this conversation in the parking lot:

Old woman in her car:   "What are you up to?"
Old man on golf cart:  "None of yer damned bidness!!"
Old woman: "well, just watch me  MAKE it my bidness!"
Old man:  "oh all right, I'm leavin' soon on a trip........."

The old geezer=ish mechanic who changed our oil was not at all shy about declaring that working on our Tundra was a "G-D pain in the ass".   Gee, let your true feelings out, why don't you?!

On the way back from Wall we completed the Bad Lands Loop, stopping at several gorgeous lookout spots.  Also checked out the Sage Creek campground which is quiet, remote and free.  Oh, and did I mention that it's also 105 degs in the shade.  And no electricity.  We saw a young woman sitting at a shaded picnic area with her head resting on the table.   Nils said, "I wonder what's up with her?" to which I replied that she was probably dead in the heat.   Nils certainly would have been.  The two of us keep having conversations where he says "it's so HOT" and I say, "I think it's pretty comfortable!".  Sigh.  Right now the a/c is on and I'm wearing long pants and a long sleeved shirt, and my nose is cold.  Nils is lying on the bed with no covers and sweating.