We decided starting out that we wouldn't be in a hurry this trip - just relax and go.
 |
| Mom and I are definitely related! |
We pulled over for lunch at a rest stop in Oklahoma. I forgot how windy it is in Oklahoma. Everyone enjoyed the break. The weather was good the whole trip.
I have a cousin who lives somewhere in Kansas so mom called my uncle to find out where he lived during our planning on Friday night. Mom said he lived in Madison Lodge, but I couldn't find a Madison Lodge anywhere google. I tried spelling it every way I could to no avail. So I called my uncle back and asked him just how small the town was. He said it was small but not that small.
So I decided to do it the 'ole fashion way and just look at a map itself for "lodge" - and I found it - Medicine Lodge. Ha! Mom thinks it is my uncle's southern accent, but since they were both repeating it to each other, it could just be both of their hearing. LOL
It was about three hours out of the way on very long, lonely, straight and deserted roads. Such that I thought we were going to be lost in the middle of absolutely nowhere. In fact, when we drove through the few towns that were along the path the storefronts were boarded up and not a person was in sight. In one town the stores looked like they were probably still functioning but there was not one iota of traffic or a car to be found. Then a old man with a long grey beard on an old bike came peddling down the road, slowly, and gave us a solemn wave. I felt like I was in one of those horror movies were innocent people become lost off the beaten path and stuck in a town run by ghosts.....or psychopaths............
We drove for about 1 1/2 hours on these lonely roads when we came to the Kansas state line. We decided just to pull over and get a picture. No sooner had we stopped and the dogs were getting ready to jump out, when three cars came zooming down the road. Where they came from, I don't know, but it would of been unfortunate to lose a dog to a car after not seeing a single one for 90 minutes.
The spring was too wet to plant on time, unfortunately, so the farmers cannot get their usual crops in. There is nothing but farm land as far as the eye can see and I feel for them that they won't be able to make money on their normal crops and have to settle for something less. Farming is nothing but hard work and a lot of luck from mother nature.
I haven't seen my cousin, Chilton, since Megan's wedding reception eight years ago. He is a ranch manager. How cool is that? A real cowboy. He probably thinks I live in a box. I kept asking him questions about his job. I just think it is so cool to round up cattle, branding, and such. His wife I had never met, but she is a great girl. The baby is theirs (their other son was napping). The other two boys are the oldest sons of my cousin, Mindy, who lives in Arizona. The boys are out helping for a week. My uncle and other cousin had just left. There were there from Arizona for a week to help with the branding.
I am so glad we stopped by to visit for a short while. Ethan wasn't much of a sport, however, by this time he was just done with whole "road adventure" deal and he sat there like a bump on a log.
So I decided to do it the 'ole fashion way and just look at a map itself for "lodge" - and I found it - Medicine Lodge. Ha! Mom thinks it is my uncle's southern accent, but since they were both repeating it to each other, it could just be both of their hearing. LOL
It was about three hours out of the way on very long, lonely, straight and deserted roads. Such that I thought we were going to be lost in the middle of absolutely nowhere. In fact, when we drove through the few towns that were along the path the storefronts were boarded up and not a person was in sight. In one town the stores looked like they were probably still functioning but there was not one iota of traffic or a car to be found. Then a old man with a long grey beard on an old bike came peddling down the road, slowly, and gave us a solemn wave. I felt like I was in one of those horror movies were innocent people become lost off the beaten path and stuck in a town run by ghosts.....or psychopaths............
We drove for about 1 1/2 hours on these lonely roads when we came to the Kansas state line. We decided just to pull over and get a picture. No sooner had we stopped and the dogs were getting ready to jump out, when three cars came zooming down the road. Where they came from, I don't know, but it would of been unfortunate to lose a dog to a car after not seeing a single one for 90 minutes.
The spring was too wet to plant on time, unfortunately, so the farmers cannot get their usual crops in. There is nothing but farm land as far as the eye can see and I feel for them that they won't be able to make money on their normal crops and have to settle for something less. Farming is nothing but hard work and a lot of luck from mother nature.
I haven't seen my cousin, Chilton, since Megan's wedding reception eight years ago. He is a ranch manager. How cool is that? A real cowboy. He probably thinks I live in a box. I kept asking him questions about his job. I just think it is so cool to round up cattle, branding, and such. His wife I had never met, but she is a great girl. The baby is theirs (their other son was napping). The other two boys are the oldest sons of my cousin, Mindy, who lives in Arizona. The boys are out helping for a week. My uncle and other cousin had just left. There were there from Arizona for a week to help with the branding.
I am so glad we stopped by to visit for a short while. Ethan wasn't much of a sport, however, by this time he was just done with whole "road adventure" deal and he sat there like a bump on a log.
I told Ethan to go outside when we were getting ready to head back out. I pushed him out door and told him to get in the car. I came outside later to see this. The horses were all out and Ethan was there petting them all. He thought he was really something around those horses. That made him happy. I wish I could of seen his expression when he first realized they were out there by the car (that truck isn't what we drove, haha, the car is just to the right of Ethan).
As soon as we turned onto the new highway to head towards Hays, KS Ethan shouted "Sonic!" and sure enough, there in the middle of absolutely nowhere sat a Sonic. He must have been praying really hard for an ice cream, haha. We pulled over and he was a happy camper the remaining three hours of the drive.
Today will be the longest leg of the entire trip, I think. Our next stop is Rawlins, WY. We should get in early enough that Ethan will be able to swim for a while and the dogs can go on a little walk.
More tomorrow.......
No comments:
Post a Comment