Memories are made of this.

I'm really sorry for the lack of blogs this week. With travel and tiredness and the fluctuation of connections, it has been somewhat frustrating. Nevertheless, we are all doing well but fast realising that the "Wild West Tour" has become very much an "endurance rally"!

So what shall we remember given all the spectacular scenery, inviting shopping malls, and courteous people we have seen and met along the way?

Well, let me tell you a story. On Wednesday we moved from Lead in South Dakota to Cody Wyoming. Then on Thursday we headed for Yellowstone National Park, arriving there about lunch time. The Park covers a vast area and so we made our way west until we came to "Old Faithful", the famous Geyser. After that we headed north towards our final destination, Paradise Valley Cottage in Montana.

 With the sky looking threatening we stopped off at the town of Gardiner about 34 miles south of our "Cottage". Christine and Pauline went into the little supermarket to get some supplies while I phoned "Diane" the owner of the Cottage to advise of our soon arrival. However, Diane advised me that due to a mud-slide late in the afternoon the highway was closed about 8 miles north of Gardiner and no traffic could get through. Our options were; drive up to where the mud-slide was and hope that the road would be open by midnight; drive around the affected area and come to the cottage from the north, but that would mean a 4 hour drive through the mountains; or try to get accommodation in Gardiner. We chose the latter but with so many people stuck in town because of the slide "there was no room in the inn".  The thought of spending the night in the car if the road was not cleared, did not appeal. So we decided to start driving even though it was about 8pm and we had been driving for most of the day.

 Just as we were about to set off, Diane phoned back to say a friend "Dorothy" had offered us accommodation!  Her husband was stuck north of the slide and so he couldn't get home. To cut a long story somewhat shorter, we got Dorothy's address and this young mum with a young daughter, Lauren, took in three strangers for the night. The home was big enough for us all and the hospitality extended to us was just amazing. Dorothy provided breakfast the next day, and allowed Christine and Pauline to put through a load of washing. She could not do enough for us. We parted as new and good friends. The predicament of the previous evening was in the providence of God a means of great blessing to us, and as such will remain in our memories long after mountains and valleys and rivers and malls fade from our minds.