Up at 4:30 and heading out. Got 113 miles to go to get to our stop.   Coffee and Diet Coke on board.   All set.

We didn’t have to put jackets on this morning to go in to the convenient mart and I have my sandals back on, which proved to be tricky when navigating the cow pies in the parking lot from all the cattle trucks.  Lol   Made it back safe and sound.

We are 6.5 miles from the meat plant and have already had to use our menthol rub.   Breathing in deeply.   I don’t know how people live close to this.   Wow!

We got to meat plant and the refer fuel was low so we had to leave and go to get fuel.  On the way we passed Dorothy’s House.  Apparently Liberal Kansas is home of Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz story.

http://www.dorothyshouse.com

And here we sit again.  What was supposed to be a quick drop and hook (drop our trailer and pick up another) has now turned in to a big wait.  The trailer was heavy so he had to slide the tandems and when he got the weight right we are now too long for Wisconsin of all things by 2 feet.   We are at 43 feet and max is 41.  So here we sit waiting on either permission to go ahead or get reloaded.

Clock is ticking.

6 hours later we are still sitting.

3:45 pm and we are finally leaving.  We have been here since 7 am waiting.  Another day with no money made.   Now Greg has only 2 hours to drive so hopefully we can find a truck stop and not the side of the road.  Very frustrating day.

Didn’t get very far before the clock ran out but found a nice spot – in the  middle of nowhere!   Boy, Kansas has a lot of nothing but field after field after field.   Looks like more wheat or grain here than corn in some of the other states we have been in.

We went through Meade, Kansas.   A very small spot but quite a bit going on.   Apparently, this is where the Dalton gang hung out.   There is a house that claims to be the hideout and a museum.    Also, there was a sign for the Lone Tree Incident.   Very sad story.   See the link below.

http://www.oldmeadecounty.com/lonetree.htm

We are parked for the night and hope to get up very early and get started.  Got about 875 miles to go I think before 10 am on Monday morning.   Racing against the clock.   The place we stopped at has a little convenient store and a tiny cafe.   We are going to try the cafe and see how it goes.

DG:  The cafe was great.  What one would expect from an out of the way truck stop diner.  Good home cooked food. I had the special, chicken fried steak, gravy, baked potato and salad.  It was very good and way outdid the chain truck stop food we have been eating.  That is when Annie isn’t cooking, which is the best of all of the above.  We were surprised to find that they had a lot of locals eating there.  Surprised because you would have to drive for miles to get here even if you lived in the closest house to the place.

Kansas.  Flat.  And whatever they grow here they grow a lot of it.  I understand the need for barn dances and community get togethers especially in a place like this where you can’t even see your neighbors even though there are no obstructions between you.  Only distance.

The place we stopped at is a small truck stop, by industry standards, however it has a fairly big parking lot and a detached cafe.  I mean, with all the land out here how could you not have a good sized parking lot.  Of course it is taking up some valuable farm land, but I’m sure the wheat market, or whatever they grow here, can take the hit.

Annie and I took a walk down the side road after dinner.  It was nice to be out of the truck, in the open air and not freezing and moving our limbs.  We marveled at the places we have been, most of them due to serendipity.  And here we were, on a country road in the middle of Kansas.  Wide open spaces.  Very wide.  Very open.  Have I mentioned how beautiful this country is?  I think so.

Well, something we have been wanting to do for a long time, I think we are going to do in a few minutes, and that is go outside and look at the stars in a place not surrounded by light.  I have been looking out the window and it looks clear so here’s hoping.

Star walk unsuccessful.   Too many lights around the convenient store.   Had the idea though at looking for a place on the road to pull over on our way out at 4 am and trying again.

Goodnight and God bless!

Goodnight Kansas