I left Moab under a veil of low cloud and rain/snow this AM - finally thwarting the raven-crow beasts. The snow continued lightly off and on through Vail to Denver, then the sun appeared. Driving from about 90 minutes west of Denver on I-70 is like driving the 401 - skiers are coming, skiers are going, skiers are skiing - man, it's busy. Where's the recession/depression - oh yeah, I forgot - that's 'main street' America - it's Wall Street out here.
As soon you roll off the mountains into Denver you are on the high plains and the change is dramatic as it is sudden. No more canyons, mesas and buttes - just flatland and grass as far as the eye can see.
Once you hit Kansas, the flavour immediately changes as well. Now we have have billboard messages about abortion - 'thank Mom for choosing life' - 'abortion stops a beating heart', etc. Maybe it's me, but I would be attacking this one step up the line - meaning, before conception, with some good scientific medical information about the body, how it works and what to do to prevent a pregnancy that might lead one to consider abortion. I didn't see any signs or billboards like that.
I am in Salina, Kansas tonight - just rolled in when the hail started pounding down and the lightning picked up - no Toto we aren't in Moab any more - we are in tornado country - batten down the hatches dude - looks like a K2!!
Steve Fossett started and ended his successful global circumnavigation from here. It's an ironic tragedy that he crashed into the Sierras in a small plane after all he had done.
I am 4000 feet lower at this point than in Denver so there has been a continual decline of the plains as I motored eastward - in point of fact I have not been at this low an elevation for almost 5 1/2 weeks - with all this extra oxygen I am positively light-headed - but then, I've always been light-headed. The high point today was Vail Pass at 10,600 feet - and yes, it was snowing.
Tomorrow I'll take a run over to Kansas City (ribs at Arthur Bryants - drool, slurp, smack) then up to Des Moines and over to Chicago - not sure if I'll make Midland, MI - that would be a 15 hour run - we'll see.
Time changes tonight so I lose an hour there and then I lose another hour going to Eastern Time - yikes, the clock is running away from me.
No pictures tonight - this was strictly a pound the pavement day - very snowy, rainy and dull - we'll see what tomorrow brings re: picture taking weather.
Gotta grab a bite to eat.
To quote verse 64 of the Krome Koan, 'If we weren't meant to eat animals, why are they made of meat?'
Phil
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