NOLS HQ

Just a few pictures of the NOLS International Headquarters!

Nobody really knows what the odd metal thing is on the roof - supposedly it is 2 falling aspen leaves, but from certain angles it looks like the tail of a whale.

A warm welcome on my first day of work.

View of my office. I have 2 windows, which is great for monitoring the comings and goings of other NOLS employees!

More Lander pictures

I keep getting conflicting reports on the exact population of Lander. The below sign says 6,867, but I've heard as low at 4,000. So I don't know what to believe, but what I do know is the town doesn't feel small to me yet. Plus there are not one, but TWO grocery stores. And FOUR gas stations! Woo-hoo!!! Big time!!!!

What exactly are Jake Brakes? Does anyone know??

Shot of Main Street.

Long Lines? Ha!

I went to the DMV yesterday during my lunch hour to get my Wyoming driver's license. I was in and out in less than 30 minutes. It made me chuckle remembering the chaos of the Atlanta DMV and how folks could literally wait all day. Once again it made me grateful for the size of my town and the "convenience" that it offers. Maybe I was a small-town girl this whole time and just never knew it!

Notice the hours of the Lander DMV....they are only open Tuesday and Wednesday!

That's it, folks. That's the Lander DMV!

Frostbitten Peach

It snowed last night! I haven't seen snow in a couple of years, so I got a pretty big kick out it. There was about an inch of accumulation, but it was completely melted by lunchtime today. Since this posting is about snow, it is appropriate that I add pictures of the infamous pellet stove. It is similar to a wood burning stove, but it uses these small wood pellets. The stove is attached to the thermostat, so it is very similar to a normal furnace and I've gotten over my fear of the thing. The only difference is that you have to make sure to feed enough of the pellets into the stove. And boy does it blast out hot air! Cozy!

The pellet stove!
The pellets remind me of what we use to feed our hamsters.
40 lbs. bag of pellets. A bag lasts about 4-5 days and costs about $4.

The commute home

I've been told I live in a desirable section of Lander, but what do I know? I'm not in the town proper, but slightly outside (by a mile) of town. Every time I drive home from work, I'm greeted by an amazing sunset framed by the Wind River Mountains.

I live exactly 3 miles door to door from home to work. And let me tell you, the drive is fantastic. Traffic? What traffic? I have about 3 stop signs and 1 stop light and it takes me approximately 5-6 minutes to make the drive. I keep telling myself that I'm going to ride my bike to work soon, but haven't quite gotten up the courage to do it yet, especially since the morning temps have been in the upper 20's. My car has been iced over 3 days out of 5 this week. This transplanted peach needs a bit more time to acclimate to the cooler weather.

P.S. I'll post pictures of my house soon! Promise!

Look closely and you can see the snow-capped peaks of the Winds.

This is my road. 4 wheel-drive will be necessary soon!

Lander scenery

October has been beautiful in Lander in the short week and a half that I've been here. Although yesterday the wind was blowing something fierce, so many of the leaves are off the trees. It was so windy that I was literally being blown sideways as I walked to lunch. A co-worker claims he saw a squirrel rolling down the street like a piece of tumbleweed. Not sure if he is pulling my leg or not, but it was windy enough that I could believe him.

We made it!

We arrived in Lander Wednesday evening after a fairly uneventful trip, although the 15 hour drive through Kansas about killed us. The redeeming part of Kansas was the incredible sunset that went on forever and reminded us that there truly was a light at the end of that long tunnel! Lander is perfectly gorgeous right now - I've been told that this week is the peak time for fall color and I believe it! Thanks for everyone's prayers for a safe journey. I appreciate it!

The never-ending Kansas sunset

Finally, Wyoming!

We had views like this the entire drive through Wyoming.My backyard. Really, I promise!

Sweet sister...you are a trooper, Elise!

Peach Pits on the Road!

After giving my sister a quick tutorial on the intricacies of the tow-dolly, we finally hit the road at the crack of 11. Pulling my car behind the truck made the trip slow-going, especially since everything shakes if we go faster than 65, so you can only imagine. It took us 3 hours just to reach Birmingham! There was a bad accident right outside Birmingham and the highway was completely shut down, but thankfully a sweet couple with a GPS offered to show us an alternate route to the next exit. Road Angels! We had grandiose plans to make it to St. Louis tonight, but a major rain storm put a stop to that, so we are now bunkered down at the Best Western somewhere close to Paducah, Kentucky. More to come!