Passing the Hat

When we awoke, the view of the mountains was even more beautiful. The morning sun lit them in a warming light. We decided to stay for the morning services. It was something that we all enjoyed. The music and the sermon allowed us to stretch the hospitality of this church even more. There was a surprise though. When it came time to take up the collection, the ushers walked to the front of the church and picked up two white Stetsons from the altar table and literally began to pass the hat. It was time for us to head out. Over each door, there hung a huge mounted head of an elk. Elk is the English word the word wapiti in the Shawnee or Cree language.

We were on the road to the Devil’s Tower National Monument. The towns of Cody, Grey Bull, Ten Sleep, and Buffalo quickly rolled by. It worked on the imagination how they were named.

Because of the late start, we set up camp in the dark. The drivers became the cooks and the campers set up tents and spread out the sleeping bags. As we sat at the picnic tables, we could see the silhouette of the monolith, even in the darkness. We had our showers after the clean-up and then bedtime. The exploration of the massive tower would have to wait until the morning.