Traveling East: Missouri

Because of one thing and another this is Friday's Post. I may catch up sometime.

Traveling East: Missouri August 29^th

We awoke at 7:36 this morning and remembered we had an appointment at 8am at the North Platte Firestone store to have our alignment and tire balance checked. We think we threw something out yesterday when we hit a pothole on the highway. We got dressed, made coffee, broke camp and arrived on time. It turned out we had a bulge in our right front tire, I blame Alaska, and we had to buy a new right front tire.

While sitting in the Firestone store, I decided to Google Baker North Platte Nebraska, since Grandpa Al came from here. Bill doesn't know any local relatives. What Mr Google suggested was an assortment of miscreants, politicians and the local police chief.

Back on the road riding very smooth now, we noticed the clouds getting darker. Then the deluge began. Many people pulled over to the side of the road, some put on hazard lights and others got under the overpasses. I remembered Al telling stories of grapefruit sized hail. He said if you were caught out you could get in a culvert or under a dead cow. Finally the rain lets up.

Car stopping under an overpass

Some places have so many large round bales of hay scattered in the fields that they look like huge deer droppings.

Then the fields change to mostly corn and soybeans. A huge field of corn and a huge field of soybeans.

After we cross the Missouri river into a corner of Iowa I notice small signs next to the fields. Pioneer and Golden Harvest with numbers on them. These are DuPont and Syngenta brands of GMO seeds.

In Missouri along with the continuation of the huge corn and soybean fields, we see wooded areas. All of this area from the Atlantic to the plains was a vast thick woodland until it was cleared for farms.

Ever since we left the tinderbox state of California we have seen lots of fireworks stands. William has fond memories of bad tricks done with fireworks as a kid. Here in Missouri I see one fireworks stand labeled Factory Outlet. Do they sell seconds and rejects here? How safe is that? But then how safe are things like M80's in perfect condition?

William went on a long walk around the developed and undeveloped parts of the RV park. We had to pull on the other side of our electric plug in so we would not be getting out right into the face of the neighbor's chained up dog. They are long term residents with a rusted out truck with gun lover bumper stickers. While William was on his walk he ran into the neighbors walking their dogs. He was told that the big dog was a rescue dog that was not well socialized yet. While they were chatting he discovered why there is no internet for us. This guy and 3 others are internet gamers. Also the neighbor has an internet business. Probably the others do too. So they suck up the free internet, leaving none for anyone else. The park will catch on after a while.