Lazy Sunday in the Mid-West

Crossing the country from Nevada to Ohio desert rock gives way to sage and salt bush. After a while you start to notice cedar trees in the mix. In areas of tiny creeks and shallow rivers cottonwoods stretch their roots deep, and eventually pine trees reach for the sky in the cooler mountain air.

Once you come down out of the mountains trees begin to leaf out in shades of lime, mint and emerald green and long grasses line the interstate pointing the way home with each passing vehicle. There are tractors in some of the fields and already corn is sprouting in many more. Cows have calved, there are foals lying peacefully in the shade of their mothers' shadows and the sheep have already been sheared--it's definitely late spring in the Mid-West.


There is water in the central states--lots of natural and man-made lakes. This is our campground in Monticello, Indiana. Folks on Sea Doos and power boats and pontoon boats go a lot slower than they do out West--they take the time to enjoy what they are doing instead of going for the frenetic activity.


I believe this courthouse was in Frankfort, Indiana along US 241. I wish we could have stopped to take a better picture without the distraction of traffic signals, but it's hard to parallel park 55+ feet of trailer and truck.


Double click on the picture to see the sign on the barn--this is actually a Harley-Davidson dealership in Indiana.


Doesn't this just scream "salt of the earth"? Many of the farms along our route were a lot more weather beaten and worn. I imagine farmers have to put most of their money back into their crops and farm equipment rather than paint for their buildings.


We arrived too late to see the peonies (or pineys as many in the older generation called them) in their glory. My grandmother had peonies in all colors and they have always been one of my favorite flowers.


The young Canada Geese are still fuzzy. This group woke us up every morning with their honking cries as they flew overhead.


If you have barns, then you are going to have cats and mice right? So here's our cat and mouse. Heh. Happy Sunday.