And then there were 12

Thankfully, our group did not go out on the circuit the same day L and J hightailed it to the border. We were scheduled to check out Barkersville, a gold rush town that's been preserved from that era. People dress in period clothing and give guided tours as key players from the town's inception. The buildings are original, rebuilt after the fire of 1868, which burned down the whole town.

I was glad to have this diversion; it kept my mind from dwelling on the fact we'd be heading out without an experienced guide. I'd say that all the other adults held similiar opinions. We each experienced moments of trepidation.

All the adults had lunch together, and the restaurant in the China Town portion of Barkersville. This gave us the opportunity to start to gel as a group, and get to know each other. BTW, if you ever visit Barkersville, stop by this restaurant and order the spicy wonton. I can't say enough good things about this dish. Excellent!

Each of us took a turn panning for gold. I think I walked away from that experience a $1.50 richer. It was quite fun, and not as easy as it looks.

About 3:30pm, vicious dust devils started to whip through town. The stage coach ride shut down, because dust was getting into the horses' eyes. At 4:00pm, a torrential downpour hit. We had to sprint to our cars, and we still were drenched. Little did we know this was an omen for our week.