Not With a Bang……

Good things come to their ends – even road trips such as this one, which included encounters with fabulous landscapes, fulfilling experiences and fascinating people.  Not with a bang, but also not with a whimper…. more like the extended shuddering, satisfied sigh of an old man slowly lowering himself into a hot bath at the end of a long day.

As we moved south through the midwest, our vision became more modest.  From picking up stones in a motel parking lot, we progressed to actually buying a few from one of Henry’s kindred-spirit rockhounds in Nebraska.  

Shortly after, another tire malfunction required a brief detour.

My mom grew up in Great Bend, Kansas… I dragged Henry to most of the special local attractions, including Pawnee Rock, a notable elevation in an otherwise flat landscape familiar to those making the great westward trek in the 19th century.

Cheyenne Bottoms wildlife refuge, a significant stopping point for huge flocks of birds on their migration across North America.

Nearby Ellinwood, Kansas, had a cool historic hotel built over underground tunnels dug by the German immigrants who settled the area.

Second cousin Kristi met up with us, the last of Mom’s family who remains in the area….. (and she got a potholder.)

Just before crossing the Kansas/Oklahoma border, we found several more critters who desperately needed a home in East Texas……

A stop in Tulsa to visit Dad’s alma mater, Tulsa University, where we had established a scholarship to honor him and Mom.

Finally returning home to East Texas, where life goes on…… a new Corvair for Henry, a visit from the grand dog Raider, and the surprise of a fabulous pumpkin vine with vivid and tasty blooms.

And so we will nest at home for a while.  Next excursion an easy National Geographic trip in January where all the details will be seen to, the itinerary composed of places we would otherwise never visit, and we will almost certainly not have to change a single tire!

To you and yours – a happy and peaceful end of the year and traditional holiday season.  We are so fortunate to have connected with many extraordinary people over the months and years, and strive to be deeply grateful for every warm human connection, every breath-taking sunset, and every small piece of evidence of the marvelous universe we inhabit…. Thank you for being part of it.