We have a lovely shop in town with lots of quilt supplies as well as other gift items, but today, I'm driving to my other 'local' quilt shop. Come along, we have time to visit during the long drive of over 50 miles!
Leaving town, we pass the John Deere dealership.
Looks like weather is building to the west - we always look for rain, but NOT hail. So far, I have NO hail dents on my car!
Seventy-five percent of the residents are employed by the railroad (BNSF). At first I thought I was hearing thunder, but learned later that was the trains. Here comes one now.
These trains are loaded with coal, that's all, and are 130 cars long. That's 1 and 1/3 miles long. They come from Wyoming, and from the number of trains that run through, it's a wonder there is anything left of Wyoming. I believe that Kansas is their destination.Storms are building -- we all pray for a good rain.
There's the treeline (below) where I turn off the highway onto the gravel road. I do NOT make this trip when winter brings rutty roads, or I will call ahead of time to ask for road conditions.
More open spaces and hay bales. I think these stacks of hay cut down winter drifting.
More irrigation pivots - they are a necessity.
There it is -- see waaay in the background the silver roof? That's where I'm going.
By now, the skies are looking very threatening and I'm starting to get worried, and did not take any more photos. A quick trip inside, and check on the local weather radar, and I dashed back home, running into sporadic downpours, slushy snow showers, sunshine, and absolutely NO rain at home, but also, NO HAIL!
Hope you enjoyed the ride!
I've lived in the mountains too long - that much flat ground would make me nervous! Being able to see 10 miles down the road in front of you is just unnatural!
ReplyDeleteOh, I want to live in a small town like yours! Thanks so much for the ride! Someday we will reach our dream and I'll be driving down dirt roads right along with you!!
ReplyDelete(please tell me you had at least one hand on the wheel at all times?) ~Jessica
Great trip! Love looking at your Nebraska scenery! And how did you drive and take pictures at the same time?! Hope you found what you were looking for after the 50 mile trip!
ReplyDeleteOh...it looks so flat. I'm used to trees all the places. The weather must be very rough there with no trees to protect from the wind.
ReplyDeleteI love posts like this...you get a peek into another persons life. I always find it wonderfully fascinating (sp??) to see what where when and how another woman lives. Thanks for sharing!!!
ReplyDeletedawn
I enjoyed the ride. I was born in Omaha (although I live in Florida now), but I think that Omaha is more hilly. My mother loved Iowa, and when we visited, I often felt like I would never find my way around there. I am used to landmarks that are stores or neighborhoods, and there it seemed like the landmarks were "a" house, or "a" field", or a particular kind of animal (llama's). It looks like you've got it down, but I'm sorry that the weather cut short your shopping trip. It looks like a wonderful place to live.
ReplyDeleteSorry, I just realized that my post may be confusing to some, but the two states are together in my mind because when we visited one we always visited both, due to family both places. They are my midwestern roots.
ReplyDeleteThat was fun! And Nebraska really is flat as a pancake, and not a tree in sight? Wow - in my neck o the woods we have so many little rolling hills and big trees that you can't see a mile ahead, let alone 10. Those wide open skies are spectacular tho, for sure! It looks like you can just stop in the road to take your picture, is that right? So glad you shared!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tour. I wish we would get a bit of that rain.
ReplyDeleteUm, yeah -- my trips to the quilt shops are similar. About 20 miles less distance -- but a whole lot of fields. Ours are corn though, and less irrigation -- but there is some none the less. :0)
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your trip. The landscape is so different from the rolling hill landscape of Chshire, UK.
ReplyDeleteGee whiz, I thought I had a "whole lota nothing" on our rides. Your flat open spaces make our flat open spaces look crowded! Instead of hay, we see cotton and sorghum!
ReplyDeleteI loved the ride. Nebraska is just as I remembered it, long narrow roads with nothing in sight for miles
ReplyDeleteWe just drove from Edmonton to Medicine Hat in southern Alberta. The resemblance to parts of the lower half of Alberta is too much! Yet there is a beauty in it which maybe only us prairie-born people see. I love the sky --- it's like being under a huge inverted tea cup. Thanks for sharing your journey.
ReplyDeleteWow, you have an horizon! I can't find one around here.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see your part of the country..my husband would never have got past the John Deere place...he farms part-time...75 acres and about 30 when the bossies all arrive...which they are in the process....great pics...enjoyed your part of the country....M
ReplyDeleteAh yes I remember going through Nebraska on the way to Denver. By the way we have the 130 car coal trains going though our town here in IL. I think they are headed to ComEd plants in Chicago.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Massachusetts. When I was in High School I visited a small town in West Nebraska and a student there came out East. What an eye opener for both of us! I'll never forget the long ride from Lincoln waiting for the "hill" (read bump!) in the road. When he came east he kept asking what direction is this road going? I'd name a town but what he wanted to know was North, South, East or West!
ReplyDeleteWonderful pictures! And so reminds me of childhood and the farms. Love it! And love your "man'cold" from U-tube as well...hilarious!
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in Minnesota my grandpa used to take me on Sunday drives through rural farm country. How miss those wonderful drives. The scenery is so much like yours. Thanks for bringing us along.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the wide open spaces!!! I grew up in the mountains- which I still love, but the sky is an amazing thing out here in the open. So... what did you get at the LQS- aside from rain?!
ReplyDeletewhat a marvellous followl up. Received your block for the Scot yesterday, and we poured over the map enclosed. It makes blog friends so much more. Great Pictures.
ReplyDeleteHi Elaine,
ReplyDeleteI am a prairie girl too- though the part of the Alberta prairies that I grew up in, is more hilly than your Nebraska prairies. I love prairie sky- you can see for miles along the horizon and I find it awesome; especially on a fall day when the fields are golden and the sky is blue. Nebraska is more like Saskatchewan-the province to the east of us. Thanks for a wonderful tour of your neck of the woods- it has a beauty all its own. I will look forward to seeing your next travel tour:)
Regards,
Anna
That was a very interesting trip. Glad you got no hail stones! Shame about the rain though!
ReplyDeleteThe first time I read this post I was too entranced with the flatness of it all in the photos and must have missed this. I just reread it and really saw the words "shushy snow showers" for the first time! In May??? Come back to Tennessee! There are lots of lovely small towns here where it doesn't snow in May! LOL However, we are blessedly getting some rain. I can practically hear my trees sighing "Thank goodness!".
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the photos of your trip to the quilt shop. I think that is one of the most interesting things about blogging is getting to see photos of where everyone lives (and visits).
ReplyDeleteLooks VERY familiar!
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