27 Jan 2007

Live from KC, its Saturday night!

First stop: Kansas City. Fist thing i noticed as i drove out onto the vast plains of the midwest, was the trees. There aren't (m)any proper forests. Instead, there are trees in tidy, planted rows. Most things, in fact, seem to be tidy clumps of human footprint, within a sea of vast, wind-blown cold bright plains. The rows of fallow fields, spent sorghum usually, are enormous and stretch into the distance as far as the eye can see. However, there are trees on the horizon: this is how you know you're approaching town (that and the token grain elevator that graces every town in this region). Its winter, and there is a lot of snow. Occasionally i see hulking machines, a big plow maybe, slowly working its way down a side road and creating snow banks the height of a house as it goes. There is a herd of antelope - no - three herds of antelope, maybe about 200 animals total. They are scattered in groups, grazing on the fallow fields. There are also a good many hawks - easy to spot in the big old trees which have no leaves on. I had lunch in a real, just-like-the-movies diner, and thought of Anne (who wanted to eat in one of those while she was in America!). I had the blueberry pie, a la mode. It was good.

Favorite bumper sticker sighted:
make levees, not war

Favorite billboard posted on the side of a grain elevator:
Happiness is a crock of beans
(ha ha, this one is in bean-growing country, ya think?)

Onward to St Louis!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

i hope all is well--and that you said hi to kansas for me :) great to see you last week--way too much fun...we'll have to set up something in the next few months-- you me and natha'll get together like the grown ups that we are!

em

Anonymous said...

Hello!I enjoyed looking around Your website, colors,
layouts are great, keep up a good work!With the best regards!
Frank

naomi said...

thanks Em.

Frank - do i know you? thanks for your supportive comments.