Onward into the West

Day 9 Photo Album

September 11, 2009

With every mile west through Nebraska the land grows drier and the trees begin to thin. My friend had explained to me that out in the western part of Nebraska you need to irrigate or you get nothing. That’s why the fields are circular (if you’ve ever looked down from an airplane and seen squares turn into circles). But with every mile I traveled west today, I got closer to black clouds and spent the best part of an hour being thrashed by intense rain. So much at times that the highway was a bit tricky to drive on. It was a spectacular experience and cleaned off my car real good.

So with the intention to stay in a camp site in North Platte hovering in the clouds, I chose to stay in a motel rather than tempt fate. The rain had not pounded North Platte but the temperature had fallen and the clouds weren’t moving away. Since I had my AAA Tourbooks, I could easily find the least expensive one.

My tent was in need of a good drying from two days ago, so I opened it in the motel room and balanced it between the beds. You do what you gotta do.

As I move west, the nature of the towns changes. Perhaps the most significant change happens from Iowa to Nebraska. Suddenly I felt as if the towns were quieter, sadder in some way. Or perhaps it is just the awareness that the focus of a farmer’s life is in the great expanse of the land. There is less intensity, less commotion.

Here in North Platte I felt as if I had been time traveling to my youth in Colorado. I haven’t found the right words to describe it, but I’m working on it. Another day across the country and it may arise.

Tomorrow I’m onward to Laramie, Wyoming.