indiana
illinois
iowa
nebraska
corn
soy beans
highways
paper maps
with lines
and creases
going the wrong way
there is no folding
no holding on
no one
truly belongs
on this chartered land
ripe with souls
going their own way

Heading west
With peach butter
To slather onto
Biscuits
Warm from
The oven
And your
Love
Prayers
Warming
My heart
Beating with
The rhythm
Of the Midwest
Roads
I think of you
Where you are

Visiting faces
Visiting eyes
Listening ears
Patient minds
Sharing hearts
Pondering
Questions
Decisions
Lightning
Thunder
Rain
Blue sky
And birds
Thirsty fields of corn
Soy beans green
Dirty laundry

I drove many hours yesterday, from Tulsa to southern Illinois. I decided to pull into Carbondale. That’s where I lived while I got my degree in graphic art. I lived in Neely tower, on seventh heaven. Anyway, it was late, CJ was asleep, and as I drove into town it was sad at first. The place has changed a lot since 1975. I think I kept the place in a time bubble in my head. It reinforced the idea that it’s good to have memories, as well, dreams, but our life is best lived in the present.

We are aiming in the general direction of Zionsville, Indiana today. The hot weather in the 100’s has been following us since Wyoming. Back home in Newberg it has been in the 60’s and now in the 70’s.

I’m way behind on what’s going on in the world at large, but I’m pretty up on highways, exits, and the change of landscape across America.

Love

Going with the flow. Not too much traffic on I-80 in Nebraska. Headed to see a friend of Casey’s near Tulsa. Ok…okay. The flat open apace makes me feel a lonesome heartache. I don’t know why, it feels like I’m in love with something untouchable. The waves of golden wheat against a blue sky…schew. Love nance

We are at applebees in larmie Wyoming, and they have wifi. Headed to Cheyenne and then we will take a detour north to see my sister. She lives near lingle, which is a three hour drive from Cheyenne. She has no computer service right now, so I will be off line for a couple of days. It,s supposed to be 105 degrees there tomthoughts going across Wyoming has been big blue sky and a lot of angus and some horses. The angus were cute because there were a lot of small calfs. I can write a book on the rest stops of the northwest. I am getting better at pumping my own gasoline. To busy driving to get any photos. I am gonna give cj a go at driving on her permit whe we get off the highway. Hopefully we will stay out of the ditch.

I have lived in Oregon since the late seventies and I remember the first time I saw the Columbia gorge. I had never seen anything like it. Today was beautiful, the wide blue green river had some choppy white waves, the douglas fir trees had the company of other trees with their green leaves. High cliffs on the Oregon side faced off with the cliffs on the Washington side. As we headed east the cliffs turned into hills and the trees became smaller and less dense. There was a time of flatness which was an illusion as we were continually climbing since we left Portland. After Pendleton Oregon there was a very steep climb with a grand view point. We have stopped for the night in Baker City, Oregon. Not too bad for the fist day. Today reminded me just how beautiful some of the saved areas are in this state. Tomorrow we will be headed for Idaho and a new time zone. No longer pacific, but mountain time.