Old and New Architecture; Lawn Ornaments; Pershing’s House; Expensive Crackers; Interstate Stats; A Cute Little Number

Out for a quick 3 mile run Monday morning before breakfast; we had a long drive ahead of us to somewhere in Nebraska. Then Suzanne is off in the car to get some photos, while I take The Bus to refuel. Most of the officers’ quarters here date to 1890-1905. Duplexes like these are occupied by Lieutenants, Captains and Majors (O-1/2/3/4); at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, similar houses are occupied by Navy Captains (O-6).  

Back in 1905, a Major on the Western Frontier in command of cavalry was a big deal. I guess part of the fringe benefits of living on an isolated post in Wyoming was a grand house. Since the houses are on the National Historic Register, they are still lovingly maintained. Some even have living lawn ornaments! 

General John J. Pershing, US Army, known to his men as “Black Jack”, occupied this house as a 1^st Lieutenant in 1912. He later went on to lead US forces in France in World War I. 

I’m thinking that maybe our house in The Villages could be enlarged a bit, perhaps even redesigned to look like this general’s house (presently unoccupied)... 

Compare the 1900-era houses with this new state-of-the-art fitness center. Today’s service men and women don’t have to ride horses or fight Indians, but their challenges are equally as difficult, particularly considering the demanding Middle East deployment requirements of the Global War on Terror. Cheyenne may not be as remote as it once was, but there are not many creature comforts and diversions here, either. 

Diesel on I-80 is over $4.00 per gallon; on base it’s $3.839, 4 cents a gallon more expensive than at Sam’s Club, but we saved time by not driving into town. A fringe benefit is the offer noted on the base gas station price sign. 

Here I am displaying the pack of peanut butter crackers earned by purchasing 72 gallons of diesel for $296. It works out to $49.33 per cracker! 

Even if you’ve never driven I-80 in western Nebraska, you might be aware that this part of the country is relatively flat. After all, these are the Great Plains. There are huge farms and ranches, the occasional enormous stockyard with 20,000 head of cattle waiting to become your next ribeye or hamburger, hardly any houses, and lots of vacant space between towns. I needed something to keep my mind occupied while driving, so I counted the vehicles heading in the opposite direction. In 15 minutes of counting, there were 45 semis, 19 pickups, 35 automobiles, and 7 RV’s. Contrast that with what you’re used to seeing on I-95 between New York and DC, or I-5 between Los Angeles and San Diego. About half of the traffic out here is commercial, and there were often gaps of a half mile between vehicles. For some reason Suzanne was amazed that I could keep this running tally of four types of vehicles in my head.  Maybe that’s why she talks to spirits and I count cars.  We each have our own skills!

We arrived in North Platte, Nebraska, and are staying at a commercial campground with decent Wi-Fi, except after 6:00 PM. It was heavily loaded with other users, so we decided to “recon the ville” and check out downtown. Like Cheyenne, the city center is a bit depressed: lots of storefronts closed/for rent, and very few people in sight; hardly any cars around, except at the keno parlor. Suzanne did find one shop, however, that had a nice selection of prom dresses and tutus. I’m thinking that she might look pretty good in that little red number...