Thoughts from Gillette

I am sitting in my hotel room in Gillette, WY watching football on TV and trying to figure out what I really think about Gillette and eastern Wyoming.  Here are some thoughts in no order.

• There are no trees in eastern Wyoming, at least, not naturally.  It is all rolling plains here and there just aren't any natural trees around here.  That is very strange to me.
• Potentially related to the above, the 50+ mile drive to the mine site every day is pretty boring as there isn't much to look at.  Scrub, more scrub, some grass, more grass, cows, horses, elk, that's pretty much all there is.
• Elk are pretty cool.  They're a bit thinner then deer are, or at least the ones in St. Louis.
• There's no farming around here, all ranching.  And coal mining.  There are a lot of coal mines around here.  In the airport at the baggage claim, literally all of the advertisements are for mining equipment and mining software.
• Speaking of the airport, it is a glorified hallway.  I'm not kidding, it is just one rectangular building with the rental car counter and baggage claim on one end and the gate on the other end.  It is the smallest commercial airport I have ever seen.
• Gillette, WY is the only place I have seen Bundaberg ginger beer for sale in a gas station.  That is coolsville.
• Highway 59 heading towards the coal mines has movable gates like railroad crossing guards that they can drop across the highway when they close it because there is too much snow.  I am glad I am here in August.
• Speaking of August, we have had highs in the upper '70s or lower '80s this week.  That is a nice change of pace from dangerously hot St. Louis.