I'm going to do something different with this post. For a couple of weeks we circled the western seaboard and traversed the sublime Pacific Coast Highway. There aren't a whole lot of things that can compare. I mean, if you can say this is your job? Well....you're a pretty lucky duckling. What I do is take pictures and notes and MORE pictures to solidify the details in my oft addled brain, and have a terrific record of our trips.   In this post I'm simply going to copy & paste my notes from these carousel rides, along with my favorite photos. Ready for a peek inside my head? 😬 

When I say Kansas, what comes to mind?  I think immediately of open spaces & unpredictable weather.  I've already written a few times about the Heartland of this wonderful country. It's not just a geographical center of the nation, but 'Heartland' is a description of the heart of most lovers of the good old USA: valuing traditions, family and a good work ethic, indeed working the land itself. Take a drive through Kansas and you'll see farms and crops that we all depend on. 

We enjoy pretty much all of our travels, but sometimes it's nice to go back to more familiar territory. On this next delivery we would be going up into Missouri and then taking a deep breath to dive into the Deep South. 

Our very next load took us down a path through Nebraska where we hadn't been before. I'll call it rugged serenity. I could feel a sense of calm out on some of those highways surrounded by jagged mountains, towering pines, and low clouds that were bringing in a storm. This was a very different feeling from O Street in Lincoln where we'd begun this trip. 

I descend from the Adams family, not to be confused with the Addams Family. My grandparents were not Gomez and Morticia Addams. 😂 

Getting back to the Rocky Mountain West opened the door to head towards the Midwest. We love the mountains, but with our poor truck having issue after issue, we needed to stop putting so much strain on the motor, and find ourselves back at home sooner rather than later. That's what our intentions were after a couple more hauls. Pulling into Denver one mid morning, we had a load to pick up from the Department of Transportation that would go to Arkansas.  First we made a pit stop for us & for Jax.  As soon as we turned through a gas station we aimed for a vacant field next door.  We were greeted by the cutest little colony of prairie dogs.  Mound after mound in the open field was occupied by the little critters, who started barking to us that we were interrupting their morning.  Jax really didn't know what to do. Should he go investigate or just keep his distance?  After one sniff inside a hole in the ground, at which time he was scolded loudly by the prairie dogs across the way, he opted to keep his distance. 

With our last trip dragging out for so long, it felt good pulling into Kansas City, Missouri, being optimistic about this next railroad load going....wait for it....back to Washington! I do love the drive out there and we'd hope for the best where the truck was concerned. 

After 2 weeks of downtime, we were needing to get back on the road. Our opportunity came with a load we'd have to deadhead for 3 hours to receive. Ellensburg, MT, to Caldwell, Idaho. We had some interesting things happen on the drive, but more than anything else, the views were jaw dropping. I think I'll let them tell most of the story. 

It all began one sleepy morning when we jumped from bed in obedience to the alarm clock. Thankfully the coffee pot did the same. Little did we know that the journey we were about to begin would keep us away from home for the next couple of months. 

The road ahead would prove to be quite long. First of all we had to dead head about 7 hours to get to Russellville, Arkansas. 

The drive from North Platte, Nebraska, into Scottsville, Kansas, is less than 4 hours. We struck out on the highway getting some showers and enjoyed the drive. The cool weather was pleasant, and the scenery was great. 

When I last posted, we knew we were headed to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Such a gorgeous place to visit, Wyoming is the home of national treasures, cowboys, rodeos, breweries & adventure. A true spirit of the frontier and pioneers lives there.