Artist Rides, Part 2

"Julia"

36X48

oil

Have you ever had a friend for whom everything just falls into place? It goes something like this...this friend (we'll say it's a he, but it could just as easily be a she) decides to go to the mall. But the mall is very crowded - let's make it the Saturday before Valentine's Day. He casually drives up and down a few rows - all filled with cars. But suddenly he spots a car pulling out of a premier parking spot right in front of the entrance to the mall and proceeds to jauntily pull into the spot to which he feels fully entitled. After all...things fall into place nicely for him. Or her.

Life is not like that for me. Nothing is ever simple. My first experience attending an Artist Ride (the really great one in South Dakota) began with a plane change in Salt Lake City, in which I had a VERY short time in which to change planes. I should add here that my then-13-year-old daughter was reluctantly (and somewhat angrily) traveling with me. Suffice it to say, we barely made our connection to a small commuter plane, which landed in Rapid City, SD very late at night. (I really hate commuter planes...)

I rented a car and we proceeded to Wall, where I had booked us into a bed and breakfast just outside town. I will spare you the details of this sad little journey to the ends of the world, and just condense it into a simple sentence. We wandered around the in the middle of nowhere for at least an hour or more looking for that wretched bed and breakfast. I ultimately had to walk into a bar and ask for directions. As I said...nothing is ever simple. Oh...and I ran into a ditch at one point during this excursion. I realize that was more than one sentence. But I DID condense it. Trust me.

I'm comforted by the fact that many of you are saying to yourselves, "Yeah...that would happen to me". Others might be thinking, "She doesn't seem to plan well". I guess a case could be made for the latter.

Oh, yes...the Artist Ride. We drove even farther out into the middle of nowhere the next morning. I drove over the last hill and as we drove over the top...what a sight to behold. Tepees. Native Americans riding around on horseback. Cavalry. Mountain Men. All in full, authentic-looking costumes. It was awesome. Stupendous. And possibly even worth the fiasco of the previous night. I felt like Paula Deen touring a Land 'O Lakes butter factory. Or Kim Kardashian anyplace where photographers are gathered. You get the idea...literally hundreds of great photo references to be had.

To be continued next time...