GILLETTE - New Yorker Scott LoBaido's introduction to Wyoming was a bit rough.

Driving along Highway 59 on Saturday, he was hit by a downpour and fierce winds that threatened to tear the antlers from his aging 1989 Chevrolet Suburban.

"I swear there was a twister up there," LoBaido said.

LoBaido has had plenty of rough experiences in his ongoing quest to paint an American flag on a roof in each of the 50 states.

The 41-year-old artist started with a Jacksonville, N.C., roof Feb. 24. Just four months later, Country Creations' roof inside Gillette's Clarion Hotel and Convention Center will be LoBaido's 21st roof. He expected to be done by Tuesday.

"I just noticed lately there's a lot of America bashing," LoBaido said. "Artists, photographers, musicians, we have more freedom than anyone in the world because we test the boundaries. Say what you want, do what you, protest what you want, just remember where you got it.

"I'm trying to separate politics and patriotism."

While LoBaido has plotted in which order he'll visit the states, almost all the rest of the one-man project is conducted by the seat of his pants.

He shows up in a town, asks a hotel to put him up for a few nights and then convinces a building owner to let him paint a roof for free. Then he'll go to a paint store and ask the owner to donate paint.

"I ran out of my life savings months ago," LoBaido said. "Now I'm just going on people's patriotism."

In Gillette, Clarion general manager Louise Mahoney let LoBaido stay in the hotel for free after veterans approached her about the project. She also consented to his painting the Country Creations roof.

Mahoney has two grandsons in Baghdad, Iraq, with the U.S Army and was more than willing to take part in the show of patriotism.

"I think we need to express our patriotism more often," Mahoney said.

The trip has brought him into contact with bad weather, poisonous spiders and difficult conditions, but it also brought him face to face with people's patriotism.

He painted a damaged Baptist church just across the street from the broken 17th Street levee in New Orleans in front of a crowd of people. And an 800-foot cargo ship made room for LoBaido and his Suburban so that he could get to Hawaii free of charge.

"It ain't no Princess Cruise, let me tell you," LoBaido said.

He's also met a lot of people along the way whose networking has made it easier to arrange subsequent states.

LoBaido plans to wrap up the trip in December, but he's enjoying his trip along the way, rough weather and all.

"That first roof, I said no way I was going to accomplish this," LoBaido said. "And here I am. No. 21."