THE PLAINS

Wow,  I had predicted that the open plains would bore me.  Au contraire, I love it out here!

On the road on the high plains of Colorado



Arid conditions dictate the type of vegetation:  yucca, sage and cactus.



Open country is punctuated every now and again by feedlot.  Hundreds to thousands of cattle crammed into the foulest smelling, unsheltered, muddy corral.



Just one of many corrals.



Drove 5 miles of dirt roads to find Monument Rocks in Kansas.  Magnificent monoliths created by chalk deposits 80 million years ago.  I saw cool fossils in the walls!



I love this kind of stuff!




I played tag with Cole for over an hour.

 It was hot! Cole and I ran 'round and 'round.  Very Saharan feeling...I imagined that at any moment a nomad would walk around a corner with his camel. Instead, a Mennonite couple materialized out of nowhere, causing me to greet them with a loud scream.  Poor people.  They had arrived and parked at the behind the furthest rocks and I had not known of their arrival. 



Swallow or flycatcher nests.




"Hey Ma, are we having fun yet?"



Sagebrush bird nest

 

Kansas wildflower



Another unidentified beauty...geranium family??? Argh, I need my book.



A friend had once promised to go on a camping trip with me, as long as miles of extension cords could be brought for his television.  Ludicrous and impossible...not impossible I have discovered.



Crazy:  miles of extension cords linking oil drilling equipment



A monument honoring a pioneer who didn't make it to Denver.

On this trip, I've covered so many miles and states.  That was the plan, but the unfortunate side effect is that all the drive time doesn't leave me with as much time to run as I had hoped.  But, the bright side is that I now have destinations in mind where I'd want to return, ditch the car and run my little heart out.  I'm calling this trip a recon mission.



top of Scott State Park, KS



I stopped at a state park in Western Kansas.  Hallelujah for the chance to run!!!



high plains trail




7.5 mile run






I stopped at a grocery store in Scott, KS,  a large Mennonite community.  Check out the jumbo cans compared to the regular 14 oz can I set on the 2nd shelf.  Large families need volumes of food...I believed that these cans were only available for the restaurant trade.  The cashier was a Mennonite woman from Saskatchewan...so many friendly folks in the Midwest.

 I should have camped here in Scott SP.  Once again, I opted to go elsewhere.  The park was busy, so I decided to make the most of the evening and try to find another camping park.  Mistake.  At 9:30 PM, I turned off a paved road to find a campground indicated on my map.  No luck,  I followed the moon South, regrouped and headed for another marked park.  Hain's State Lakes had one sign off the paved road, then nothing.  The moon bailed me out again and I gave up on dirt road travel at 11 PM.  I could have plunked my tent down anywhere, I suppose, but I didn't know if trespassing on a wind farm would be considered a serious offense.  Anyway, the hundreds of Terminator eyes gave me the hibby jibbies.  This was my first time seeing the wind turbines at night.  They all have strobbing red lights on their heads...freaky looking.

I'm running behind.  I was to be at friends' farm in SE Kansas last night, but I'm weary of driving.  I've stopped at a cafe to pry my eyes open with massive doses of caffeine. 

Hi Ho Silver and away!