Nomad Life - Day 140

First day of a Nomad Life week in Cheyenne!  For some reason, I again woke up before my alarm (0500) but I started teleworking immediately.  Other than a short break for breakfast in the lobby of the Super 8 (Cheyenne) at 0715, I worked continuously until 1330.  Powering through lunch time might not have been the best idea because I was quite hungry by the time I shut off my computer.  As a result, I was very motivated to reach a restaurant when I left the hotel at 1400.  As it had been the day before, the temps were good again (55 F) and the weather was clear and sunny.  There was a pretty stiff wind but it didn't affect my driving very much.  Hoping to use the rest of the gift card that Erin and Austin had given me for Christmas, I made my way to Jersey Mike's (on I-25 and surface streets).  On the way, I passed Frontier Park and remembered my pleasant visit with Mollie in 2017.  At high points along the drive, I was able to clearly see the golden Wyoming State Capitol dome.  After reaching Jersey Mike's, I ordered a nice lunch (1415) and enjoyed my sandwich and chips (same combo as last time but I added a frosted cake for my dessert) in the dining area.  The staff there (all very young) were very friendly and it was interesting to watch them interact with each other and the younger guests who visited (I'd noticed the same thing in Syracuse, UT).  When I was finished eating (1445), I decided to check out the nearby Air Force Base I'd noticed nearby.  It seemed to be a missile base and I thought the access requirements might be more stringent (this was confirmed online).  However, when I arrived at Francis E. Warren AFB (which appears to once have been named Fort F. E. Warren), I was able to just drive on base (like I had all week at Hill AFB).  After passing through the main gate, I did some exploring and found a lot of the base infrastructure quite easily.  Farther afield, I located the horse stables (on north side of Base) - I had been wondering if they allowed regular people to ride their horses but it turned out that they were all privately owned.  Backtracking through the middle of the base, I located the BX and Commissary, housing, etc.  By this point (1515), I decided that I'd like to walk on the paved track (1.333 miles per loop) that encircled the Argonne Parade Grounds.  After parking, I made three  counterclockwise circuits of the trail,  Along the way, I encountered several pronghorns; at first, they were grazing in a field nearby but, later, they started walking (with me) on the track itself!  In other wildlife viewing news, I enjoyed watching a group of cheeky magpies trying to scavenge some roadkill during the Base's "rush hour".  At one point, I also got to watch two UH-1 "Hueys" fly over my head.  At 1600, I joined my Knights of Columbus Monthly Council Meeting (I listened, via Zoom on my phone).  The sun hadn't completely set yet, so I was startled (at 1635) when the Base played "Tattoo" and the "National Anthem".  Of course, I paused in my walk and paid my respects...  After that, I had about 10 more minutes of walking.  At about this same time, though, the KofC Meeting abruptly ended for me (because the free Zoom account cut me off).  I ultimately finished my (four mile) walk at 1645.  Getting in the walk, despite the limited daylight and high winds (at times), felt good!  As I departed the Base, I hoped to visit the Missile Static Display/Memorial (near the entrance) but was unsuccessful because of force protection setup.  Perhaps I can park at the Visitor Center and walk next time?  This little detour wasn't all bad, though, because I discovered the Class VI (Exchange) and was able to purchase some nips of Captain Morgan (1650).  At the gas station, I noticed free air (for tires) - I'll need to remember that on Friday...  When I actually departed the Base a bit after this, I noticed that the sun had finally dropped below the horizon.  From that point, I drove back to the Super 8 (I-25 and US-80 Business Loop) without Google Maps.  I was back in my room by 1710 and spent the rest of my day working on my blog, transcribing 2025 paper records into digital, completing surveys, reading, etc.  Still feeling full from my late lunch at Jersey Mike's, I skipped dinner.  In the end, I got to bed early (2215). Today was a great, Cheyenne Day - I'm looking forward to several more!