YCGL - Monday, June 19th, 2023 - Day 2b - Uhhh, This isn't what I Planned on and the Rugs

 So, I got home from my Nebraska swing on Saturday, June 17, as planned.  It went really well, I had a good time, but I missed a lot of things I wanted to do, so I was happy to go back on Sunday.  After I got home, I collected all the stuff I needed but didn't have (not much really, mainly food) and the things I knew I needed for this coming trip to Minnesota, which ended up being a little more than I thought.  But, mostly done by Saturday evening...my time.  

Church Sunday morning, finish loading and filling water tanks and diesel tanks and dumping black and grey tanks, I was getting ready to head out about 1:30 in the afternoon.  I wanted to be back in Scottsbluff by 4:00 which is when the host had asked me to get there, and that would just make it..... until.....

I got a phone call from my cousin Bob in Fertile, MN (100 miles south of the Canadian border) who I was going to stay with for a couple of days at the end of the trip, somewhere around July 5-9th or so.  I have some flexibility built into the schedule.  There is a city campground about a block from Bob's house and last year, there was one other vehicle there while I was.  No problem.  

And then Bob dumps the big news.  The Polk County Fair is held in Fertile July 5-12th.  Uhhh, that changes everything.  There are still some work arounds.  I don't need to have full services while I'm there.  

    Maybe I could park on the street in front of Bob's house.  That's common in a lot of rural communities. No, no trailers on the street after midnight.  

    I could park in Bob's back yard.  He's brought that up several times.  Except my trailer is really heavy.  He doesn't think this would be a problem, except I know how soft the lawn is and how deep my ruts would be.  Otherwise, maybe, but not my first choice.  Or second or third...

    I could park out at cousin Joel's farm.  Bob doesn't think this is a good idea because he doesn't want to disturb Joel.  I don't think Joel would mind and he's not that far out of town.  

The truth is, I'm not that excited about being there for the fair.  Maybe for a day, but several days around the fair would be a bit much.  I've called the city to ask when several days of space would be available before and after the fair.  The one city clerk didn't answer so I left a message.  Maybe I'll hear tomorrow after Juneteenth.  Maybe I'll know then.  

But the overall thing is that it changes most of the reservations I've made after leaving Windom.  I'm flexible, we'll see where this goes.... It also meant that I ended up leaving at about 4:00, which got me there about 7:00.  I called and explained what happened and she was good with it.  No time to talk when I get there because her parents just showed up for Father's Day but we could meet in the morning.  

When I got there, she showed me the preferred place to park, and it was great.  Up on a high spot in a close pasture with the sunset to the west and a view of Scott's Bluff to the east. 

It was very quiet, except there was a pheasant cock outside my door while I was eating.  I tried to get a picture of him, he was beautiful and very proud, but he walked off into the deep grass on the side of the driveway so I missed him.  

The next morning, I drove to my first destination, the Legends of the Plains Museum, located at the base of the Scott's Bluff National Monument.  This is a county museum which combined two local museums about 10 years ago.  I wasn't expecting much, but was I wrong!  It is probably the finest county museum I've been in.  Excellent displays, in first class condition, well maintained (two volunteers were dusting while I was there on a holiday!), interesting and informative.  

I guess I just took one picture from the general exhibit, but I had never seen a Ford Model A Snow Cat before. Or any car modification like this.

Apparently, there were a number of kit manufacturers selling similar modifications by 1915, with the first in 1906. You had sled runners on the front axle and multi-wheel supported tracks on the back.  

But, the neatest thing (i.e., the thing that was the most unusual from a county museum point of view) was a hook rug exhibition.  OK, there is a Rug Hooking Guild.  I've never heard of it, which isn't a big surprise.  During the pandemic, a group of  people who are members of the "McGowen Teacher's Workshop" made hooked rug based on illustrations from old children's books.  The exhibit is traveling the country The Golden Age of Illustrated Fair Tales.  

 

 

 

 

 

Likely the best known illustration is the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland.  The colors here are bold and obvious.  

Many of the others are really subtle and require some study due to the gradation of colors they achieved.  

I don't know the story, but the rug stood out from nearly 20 feet away.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Check out the Whirlwind that is holding her.  Really incredible work. 

 

 

There were 50 plus of these rugs exhibited.  The lady that is currating the show and that wrote the catalog was there and gave me a demonstration.  Very interesting.  Sadly, I didn't get her name or a picture of the catalog.  

Next stop was North Platte, NE, about four hours away.  I pulled out of the parking lot and noticed that the truck had some difficulty pulling.  Hmmm.  I drove about twenty miles and realized that the mileage was not very good, about 30% less than I should have on flat ground.  As I hit some of the rolling hills, I was having problems going up and down, and the engine started to overheat.  I pulled off at the next town, fixed a sandwich for lunch, and then opened the hood.  The radiator reservoir was down about 2-1/2".  The temperature had cooled enough that there was minimal pressure when I opened the cap and poured about 2" of water in.  I finally decided that it was overheating because the diesel mixture was so rich that it had excess to burn.  I ended up adjusting my speed as a function of the radiator temperature.  

I called the RAM dealer in North Platte and explained my situation.  He said to bring it in tomorrow morning and they would look at it.  

So... That's where I am right now.  Waiting for a call from Fertile and a determination from the dealer here.  Tap, tap, tap.... but I'm flexible..... kinda.....