Last week I attended a reunion of my Air Force pilot graduating class in Colorado Springs. After the festivities, some of us flew home while others went on to explore the western states. Bill and Pat Doerler, who drove out to Colorado from Princeton, New Jersey, were one couple who did just that. Lee and Gloria Hill of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina also took that route.

It's a vacation extension they will remember for a long time. Here is The Doerlers' story. Dear all, We stopped in Wheatland ,WY to see Susan Boughn's ranch!! 6 miles off I25 in the high desert. We left the blacktop and turned toward the ranch on a dirt road with the mountains on our left. As we approached the Y in the road we saw there a sign to the ranch on our right. I stopped the car in front of it. I got out of the car leaving my keys in the ignition and Pat sitting in the car.

Ignition was off. I got my cowboy hat out and put it on asking Pat to take my picture. She got out of the car closing the car door and took my picture. As she did so the VON FORRELL curse hit (Susan Boughn's maiden name is Von Forrell). It got colder and the wind started blowing more than it had been!!! THE CAR WAS LOCKED! We were stuck in the desert and the cell phone would not bring up 911! I was less than pleased and freezing.

So, I picked up a big rock and broke the passenger window behind where the driver sits resulting in glass particles all over the back seat and luggage. Then we could not reach in far enough to unlock the door. More angst. Then to our rescue along came 3 truck loads of locals hauling their ATV's for a day of Mt. riding. They leaped out and I explained how 2 people from NJ ended up in this desolate spot stricken by the Von Forrell curse!! They empathized and leapt into action.

The skinniest longest armed man could not reach the lock but he then got a broom from the truck and hit the unlock button on the other side. We thanked them and they went on their way. We then drove back to the highway and drove north 100 miles at 70 miles per hour in a windy cold Buick. We checked in to a Holiday Inn and after many phone calls connected with an emergency auto glass man.

After driving around Casper for a while we found his shop and he vacuumed out the glass pieces. He has ordered a new piece of glass which he says will arrive Tues AM. WE will then get the window replaced and we will continue on our way with a snow storm hitting Yellowstone later in the week. However not to worry we will be snuggled up in our log cabin on the Hatchett ranch east of the Tetons.

Last night we had dinner and a nice visit with Gloria and Lee Hill who were following us north from our Air Force reunion in Colorado Springs. They stopped to see if they could help us in any way. Today we will visit Fort Casper and probably have lunch with Dick Cheney!! More to follow.

Dad Bill and Pat