Rev. Erudite Redneck, B.S., B.S., M.A., M.Div.

The Ames Monument is about 15 miles east of Laramie, Wyo. The bottom layer of stone comes up to about my neck.

Took Dr. ER's still-new Ford 500 down a muddy dirt road to get to it. She was aghast. Pbhthth.

Ha, I kept it off the snow- and ice-covered trail up to the thing! Took some cool far-off-silhouettes, with dark clouds -- but forgot to take some with my phone. So, enjoy this stock photo until I get to where I can put my own pic up.

Ghost towns rule, BTW. In addition to Sherman, Wyo., where the Ames Monument is, I blew through Tie Siding, Wyo., and Virginia Dale, Colo., each of which have colorful tales to tell.

DrLobo, you will perhaps be amused that I learned some Oklahoma history today while reading a historical marker on U.S. 287 near Virgnia Dale. Here is something about it.

Now, I knew that some Cherokees had gotten up a train and headed to the California gold fields in 1849-1850, 'cause those years are at the center of my expertise in Indian Territory history, and the trek was big news at the time. I did not, however, know that it helped establish a trail -- the Cherokee Trail -- that was used for years and years.

It's as if I had known that Charlie Goodnight and Oliver Loving had run some cattle from Texas up to Colorado, but I'd never heard of the Goodnight-Loving Trail!

--ER