And one more thing

Gasoline for our trip cost as much as thirty cents a gallon less than it does in Lincoln. The most expensive per gallon price we paid was fifteen cents per gallon less than here. Hmm.

A tale of two weeks

Last week seems like a whirlwind. This week seems overwhelming.

The Louisiana trip, which began Thursday, went well and included notable events.

First, I hope we have no reason for another trip to Kansas City until Interstate 29 is open. The Highway 75/36 detour between Nebraska City and St. Joseph, Missouri is a mess. Monday was particularly bad with the backup consisting of more than 50 cars in each direction.) 

Friday morning, after spending the night in Russellville, Arkansas, brought the first of two accidents we would happen upon during the trip. Rounding a curve along a twisty section of Highway 7 – previously rated one of the ten best drives in America – we stopped for a motorcyclist who had failed to negotiate the curve on his Harley. The result was a motorcycle on its side and a rider with at least a dislocated shoulder. Our efforts to assist were resisted. The rider insisted he was okay and his buddy would be back once he was missed. We believe the rider was quite lucky. He was not wearing a helmet. Arkansas law does not require the use of one.

We arrived at the tree farm Friday afternoon to find much grown trees since the last time we were there two years ago. Until this year we were able to see over the trees. Not anymore. Our two stands are thick with loblolly pines, many between 15 and 20 feet in height. We were relieved at what we saw as where the trees are located has been experiencing drought conditions as I have mentioned in prior posts. Three years ago; the tree farm received over 70 inches of rain. This year’s total through eight months is just over 20 inches. Thankfully, tropical storm Lee brought 1.41 inches of rain to the tree farm while we were in Louisiana. Much more is needed.

The primary reason for our trip was the other reunion (see the previous entry for an explanation) and it too went well. My “classmates” were welcoming and made Sharleen and me feel very much at home at the Friday night reception and dinner and Sunday’s informal gathering. Reconnecting was a lot of fun and a group of us have pledged to get together on our, hopefully annual, tree farm inspection trips.

We returned to Russellville Sunday night and got off on the last leg of our trip early Monday morning in anticipation of the detour mentioned above. 558 miles and many hours later we were home to wonderful, moderate weather conditions and the need to accomplish much.

That is because the Wednesday night before leaving we finalized a purchase agreement for a town house in South Lincoln. The tentative closing date is November 18 but our realtor wants us to have our house emptied and on the market “in a week or so.” Huh?

Can you imagine how much we have accumulated in our current house since purchasing it in 1975? Well, I’ll tell you.  A lot. Nevertheless, our efforts are underway and we have put fun aside until the “for sale” sign goes up or we go to the Niobrara the end of the month.

Looking ahead

Since our afternoon trip to Bone Creek little of note has occurred except for a very enjoyable lunch with seven current and former work associates. Every one seemed to have a good time. I certainly did and hope similar opportunities arise in the future.

The recent dearth of activity is, I think, about to change.

Early next week I have meetings in Omaha and two days later we leave for Louisiana for my “other” reunion (with the class I would have graduated with had my family not moved to Nebraska) and checking on our tree farm that is suffering from drought conditions. In fact, Lincoln has had more rain this year than there. Normally, the tree farm receives twice to three times as much rain as Lincoln. Sharleen and I do not relish being in Louisiana over Labor Day because of the extreme heat and humidity but we look forward to making the trip.

As for the reunion, while I have regular contact with a few guys I grew up with, I am a bit apprehensive about not being able to recognize others I have not seen since my freshman and sophomore years of high school. But once past that, we’ll have a good time and, hopefully, stories to share when we return.

Bone Creek

Sharleen’s afternoon off yesterday presented the opportunity for our first non-routine activity together since my retirement. We took advantage of it with a trip to David City, about 50 miles away, for a visit to the Bone Creek Museum of Agrarian Art.

Our route took us through rolling hills and valleys filled with corn and soybean fields and, occasionally, grassland and prairies made lush by irrigation and rain. We passed through or near towns, villages and “wide places in the road.” The names of those places include Touhy, Raymond, Agnew, Valparaiso and Brainard.

The last was our stop for lunch. We need not have worried about whether the only place to eat would be open since many small town restaurants and cafés close after the noon rush. Despite the sign saying its hours were 8:00 until 1:00, the door to the Brainard Café was open and a voice invited us to “come on in.” Too late for the daily special, hamburger steak, we selected pork tenderloin sandwiches. They and the curly and French fries were delicious. The two sandwiches, each with fries, and a 24-ounce Diet Coke cost $12.68.

As good as the drive and food were, the highlight of the afternoon was to find, tucked away in a town of 2,500 people, a small, intimate building displaying an exhibition of paintings, owned by galleries and private collections all across the country, done by David City native, Dale Nichols. My words are inadequate to describe the scale of the exhibition and the vibrant colors of his scenes mostly of small American farms and farmers, but a visit to www.bonecreek.org provides a glimpse into not only the Nichols exhibition but also of Bone Creek’s collections. (None of the latter were on display as the hanging space was devoted exclusively to Nichols’ works.)

Beyond the captivating and compelling nature of Nichols’ paintings, what struck me most about the museum (why it is called a “museum” and not a “gallery” is a bit perplexing) is that it exists and is apparently well supported and funded in a town with a population of only 2,500 people. Bone Creek must also be growing. The organization has acquired a two-story building to house its collections and to enable it to display more and larger exhibitions. An upcoming fund drive has the goal of raising three and one-half million dollars!

I wish them success.

52 to go

Well before retiring I developed a list of retirement projects and goals. High on the list of retirement goals was visiting every national park.

After reading The National Parks by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns that goal has moved to the top of the list.  It won’t be an easy goal to accomplish though. Two of the 58 national parks lie outside of the fifty states. One is in American Samoa. Another is in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Most are west of the Mississippi River with Alaska and California having the largest number.

(Nebraska has no national parks but is home to two national forests, several national wildlife refuges, several national monuments (Agate Fossils Beds is one example), a national historical site (Chimney Rock), a national grassland (Oglala) and a national cemetery (Fort McPherson)).

Nothing good should be easy. But we have made a start. Checked off our list are Acadia (Maine), Hot Springs (the smallest national park and located in Arkansas), Rocky Mountain (Colorado), Carslbad Caverns (New Mexico), Badlands and Wind Cave (both in South Dakota).

The events on our calendar suggest we won’t check off more national parks this year. But next year presents another opportunity and we will certainly benefit from having the winter to plan our 2012 visits. I can hardly wait.

Home Sweet Home

If I were a bird I would want to live in our neighborhood. Three adjacent houses have at least one feeder, each with a different type of food. Another has a whirlpool bath for birds. The neighborhood is full of mature trees with an abundance of foliage for protection and comfort. The neighborhood is also popular. It is home to finches, cardinals, black-capped chickadees and mourning doves. Those pesky common grackles have gone and only yesterday a red-throated Hummingbird appeared. Today’s arrivals included a White-breasted Nuthatch, a European Starling and a brilliant yellow American Goldfinch, soon to nest and molt. What a friendly place!

There's always something

So far this summer the “something” is heat and humidity.

Why, some days the high temperature and relative humidity here have been greater than those reported at the weather observation station where the tree farm is located.

But, regardless of which location is the most miserable, the effect of the past month’s heat and humidity on me is easy to describe, chilling. The conditions have kept me inside, away from activities I wanted to undertake by now. While disappointed about being forced inside, I can point to progress downsizing and organizing. Neither of those activities is particularly engaging but doing them is necessary. My hope is having them at least partially accomplished will reduce the guilt I sometimes experience when I begin doing fun things. And fun things are planned.

We are off to Louisiana for Labor Day for my other 45^th high school reunion and a visit to the tree farm. (Join me in hoping for bearable temperatures and humidity.) We are also planning an end of September trip for our first ever visit to the Niobrara Valley Preserve. I have ordered a wide-angle lens for my camera in anticipation of the scenic landscapes I expect to find. Perhaps there will be other trips before, between or after those two.

I just received the course catalog for the fall term of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and hope to find a course or two that piques my interest. After all, as their slogan states, “curiosity never retires.”

Less anyone think July did not bring enjoyment, I hasten to note our backyard is full of birds that sing every morning and my early morning walks with Sharleen are another small pleasure that is worth much.