Nebraska

The golf course at Kimball has a huge billboard letting truckers know they are welcome. Apparently they are not welcome on courses elsewhere in the state. Do the Kimball carts have sleepers?

Farmers still put up the little metal signs along their corn rows, so you (and all their neighbors) can see what hybrids and strains they planted, and which are faring best. Pioneer and Crows looked the best to my inexperienced eye. The logo for "Crows" was a cock crowing, rather than the black bird I would have expected.

Most of the auto body shops had signs out with either "Free Hail Estimates" or "Paintless Hail Repair." Never see those where we live.

While heading from the wedding in one town to the reception south of another town to the east, the wife got worried about making the wrong turn and insisted I look at the map again to learn the highway number. She did not believe me when I explained that little Nebraska towns only have one highway going north and south, intersecting the one going east and west.

That's why the town is there.

At least in the south central part of the state, most of the downtowns are dying. Roughly half the buildings are abandoned and falling apart. A few rejuvenated stores, yes, but not enough to make up for the abandonments.

Not that the towns are dying. Just the downtown stores. Folks are still living in town, but now they can afford to commute a little farther to the bigger towns and the WalMarts, etc. Still take really good care of their schools, parks and churches. And plenty of new homes. Most of the new homes are large, and outside of town. Surprising how much new home building is going on, and huge homes at that. Displaced Californians?

Wife complained about my stubble. Especially from the "short blue hairs."

Her words, not mine.

They warned us to watch out for deer on the road when driving the Nebraska secondary highways at night. We made two trips past midnight under a full moon, and saw only one measly raccoon. Not one deer. Not until we got home into our own state.

Saw one hawk on a powerpole. The absence of any "natural" wildlife was disconcerting. Not even that many starlings, sparrows or pigeons. Did see a lot of doves. And 8 turkey vultures ("buzzards") circling above a hillside. Wife pointed and said "There! There's your wildlife."

Whoopee.

Oh, also one roadkilled pheasant.

In addition to the old abandoned farmsteads and barns, did see a spooky, gorgeous, decrepit abandoned railroad dining car near the Republican River.

Smelled a huge feedlot in the darkness as we cruised down the interstate. Upsetting thing, besides the potency, was that I could tell the cattle were corn fed. Pretty bad when your palate is that discriminating for cow shit.

Hope to record a few wedding memories, as well as some notes on our first visit to Cabela's later, after some sleep.