Lander, WY
July 26, 2006
I woke today in the campground at a relatively late 8:30am, as opposed to the 6:30-7 I’ve been averaging lately. I was due into work at the Open Door at nine. There was some catching up to do with the dishes from the early morning, but I took care of that right away, so the rest of the day was easy… asking for more prep work to do so I wouldn’t get bored.
It was nice because I had a chance to take pictures of most everybody on my third and last day of work – “I’m taking pictures today!” I’d say. I never liked being the annoying guy with a camera, but it’s the only way to get pictures of people, and those are always the best ones.
The second cook, Chris, cued me in to a good swimming hole along the river through town, so I went there after work and washed up in the river. It was the best bathing I’d done since I’ve been in town. There was a nice quiet pool, and it was fun to wade out where it was waist deep and clean up on a hot sunny day. I even soaked and wrung out my shoes in the water.
Then I stopped at the bike shop to call the store in Jackson and confirm their weekend hours, and say goodbye to Brian… the first of the countless great people I’d met in Lander. Then I went straight to the Lander Bar, where I was to meet Maria for happy hour. She’s a brand new baker at the Open Door, originally from Wisconsin. She’d taken a road trip to see the west, and liked Lander so much that she decided to stay for a little while.
The Lander Bar has the Snake River Brew Pub next door, and I had an Organic Trail Ale, and another I can’t remember… Jack Mormon Ale maybe? …and a pizza as well. Then we went over to where Jim was sitting outside the bookstore, as always, and spent the rest of the evening there listening to his great stories, and finishing off the rest of the Grand Teton Ale. Life is good.
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