That Black Dirt......

Spending time at campsites as we travel westward means that many nights we are unplugged. We don't have television reception, radio is not strong and there is absolutely no internet connection. Not necessarily a bad thing....as we become pretty tied to technology. I won't pretend that I don't miss it....but then again, sometimes it's nice to be unplugged. So much of the news is bad or frightening....so confusing and so depressing that I don't mind not knowing what's going on "out there".

But a few days ago I heard a quick story about four famines threatening millions of people in our world right now. Desperate people living in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen. And the next story described families desperate for food in Venezuela.

All of this after we'd just driven through fertile Iowa farmland. The black earth, freshly plowed, waiting for seeds. Other fields boasting straight lines of tiny green shoots....future corn or soybeans perhaps? Acres and acres of good earth, good for producing food.....food for families. And cattle ranches after that......thousands of pounds of beef on the hoof.

Many fortunate America citizens go into any grocery store and expect to find the huge selection of fresh produce (shipped in from many countries or states way across our continent), ten kinds of peanut butter, dozens of salad dressings, an entire aisle of breakfast cereals, pastas and ethnic cuisine. And meats, and dairy products, and snacks and everything else they might ever want to stock the pantry.

So, why can't we find a way to feed the world? Why can't we find a way to feed those families in the USA who wonder where the next meal is coming from? Oh I know it's complicated and there are trade deals and tariffs and import/export problems. But look at that beautiful black earth that our Country boasts.....and look at the pictures of the families, the children with matchstick arms.

Black earth.....black gold....we have so much....others have so little.....

A Different Vocabulary.....

It's always interesting traveling throuout the United States. Each State has something different of interest....but for us, going West is unlike anything else. It's not just the terrain....it's the terminology. Today we see things as we travel through Wyoming from Buffalo to Cody before going on to Yellowstone that we just don't have in the Midwest. For instance, I have to wonder just how fast a semi-truck is moving downhill if it has to use an emergency exit and run uphill onto a gravel emergency gravel exit ramp? Scarey thought.

And then there are words that don't describe anything I see in Wisconsin. So we wonder about buttes, arroyos, washes and gullies. We see signs for free range cattle and sheep.....unlike roadside warnings about deer crossings in our area. And a gulch? We came down out of the mountains into the basin? Canyons......not so much around Milwaukee.

It's fun.....it's beautiful.......we are so very fortunate to be exploring this United States of America.

From sea to shining sea.......

Unbridaled Optimism......

Staying off the fast routes takes you through a lot of small towns.....and some are REALLY small. In South Dakota we passed many a community with a proud sign at its edge stating it's name and boasting a population of 109 or 1423 or some other very definite number. Towns where everyone knows everyone.....and most of these towns are sadly "closed" for business. They started....but then they stopped.

But the one that really struck me was a very small spot on Route 18 just west of Route 73 and we really were in the middle of "nowhere". Route 18 sped right through the middle of "town" and I can't recall seeing any commercial establishments of any kind. I think there were two cross streets and maybe six houses. The street name that caught my eye was 235th Avenue.

235th? Not Grassland Avenue or Smith Road or Westside Drive.....just 235th Avenue. I'm sure the name was based on state mileage markers or something. If not that then just a huge sense of optimism  on the party of whomever founded the town. 235 Avenue with the supreme confidence that there would be a 236th, 237th and 238th growing on one side and a 234th, 233rd etc. stretching on the other.

Mileage markers or optimism......I choose optimism.

Pondering Pink......Contemplating Congestion.....

Crossing from Iowa into South Dakota and the pavement on Route 18 changes.......we've noticed this before and I understand it has to do with the agregate used in the concrete... but the road is PINK! Green farm fields on both side....but we follow the pink strip down the middle.

And the traffic! There is none. Milwaukee is a nice mid-size city....after growing up outside Chicago and living near Philadelphia..... Milwaukee doesn't know traffic. Oh certainly there are back-ups during rush hour.....but nothing serious. (I remember commuting from Bay View to Wawatosa and listening to the news only to hear that my morning commute would be two minutes longer than normal!)

Anyway.....here we are moving west on Route 18 in South Dakota and we can drive for 15-20 minutes before passing or even seeing another car. In any direction. And we see no people.....just vast fields of crops or grazing cattle.

It makes it difficult to imagine over population....as we ponder the pink and contemplate congestion.

My Eternal Rest....

Every time we begin an RV exploration some kind of "theme" develops. The very first time we headed West we began to keep count of roadkill and texted the grandsons with totals. They were at an age where they thought that was kind of "funny". Another trip had us writing down the hometown slogans for the towns we passed along the way....."Buckle of the Cornbelt" etc.

This trip, as we went west on Route 18 through Iowa we began to notice just how many cemeteries we passed along the way.....big and small. This was a nice two lane road and not a super highway so we had time to enjoy the scenery.

We passed Prairie, Heritage and Union cemeteries. Later on we found Windsor Cemetery with a nicely kept fence surrounding it. There was Grand Fields....yes, in the middle of fields in Iowa. Later we found Saint Boniface and Saint John's, followed by Calvary and then Roseland Cemetary.

Some were very small....others stretched for acres toward the horizon. We'd glimpse a variety of headstones.....big and impressive, small or broken and lying on the grass. Some graves boasted flowers or American flags....most just the headstone.

This "theme" got me thinking about the great forever......eternity. While these cemeteries all seemed to be peaceful and quiet......and probably provide comfort for families who visit loved ones lying beneath....I don't want to be buried anywhere.

I choose cremation.....and I want my ashes scattered in a field of coneflowers when they bloom in June. Dave and the kids know.....and they also know that if they miss the bloom they have to keep me in a box somewhere and go the next year!

Not too much to ask.....and it will save on the expense of a headstone. Eternity amidst the blooms.....ashes to ashes.....fertilizer for flowers. I like that image.

I think I'll change themes now.

Holding You In Our Hearts.....

For some reason this is a tough one. It's been years since Dave and I said goodbye to our moms. So why is this year a little harder.....I don't know. My age maybe....just whatever....

But we hold them in our hearts.....and think of the mothering they did. I thank them both for the unconditional love....the support....the smiles....the laughter....the memories. I wouldn't be who I am without both of you.

I wish I could say it again in person.....Happy Mother's Day.

I miss you both.

Parental Moments....

Dave and I are very fortunate....we have a son and a daughter and both provided us with many moments of parental pride. They were both good kids, good students and gave us very few moments of real parental worry. They gave us many more moments of feeling really good about who they were.

Watching our son in the high school band, knowing he excelled at debate and was on the honor roll. Seeing him face challenges, get first jobs (delivering newspapers and working at a fast food restaurant).....seeing his choice of friends. Seeing him move through the college years and into marriage and parenthood on his own. Todd set a high standard.....and his sister followed in his footsteps.

Watching our daughter grow into the woman she is today....a wife, mother, artist.

Where did the years go?? How could they fly by so quickly?

Today we drove over to Cedarburg to visit our daughter. Megan was working at the Pink Llama Gallery. She and two other artists were demonstrating their methods.....talking with people who stopped in, to describe how they got from A to Z in the creative process. And for us, it was interesting....and much more. It was another hour where we saw our "child" as so much more.....an accomplished adult who knew who she was and where she was going.

I couldn't help but remember the pre-school years when crayons would "drift" off the paper and up onto painted walls. I remember enrolling her in evening art classes and driving her to the weekly class so she could develop and explore her talent. It meant seeing her grow during high school with two art classes each day....and taking her to a special summer program at Trenton State College in New Jersey. Students from across the state following their muse.....art in its many forms. Supporting her as she studied graphic design in college.

Today we again saw our Megan as an artist.....and listened to her talk about her inspiration, her thoughts, her methods. Her work revolves around shelters......a theme that has been consistent yet changing ever since college.

It was fascinating, it was our special daughter and her special creativity. Shelters....special places in the world....in your life....in your heart.

She holds a special place in ours. So proud.