Day 1

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="043085a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Western Tour</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Western Tour"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Schedule"><U>Schedule</U></A>   |   <B>Day 1</B>   |   <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Day 2"><U>Day 2</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Day 3"><U>Day 3</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Day 4"><U>Day 4</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Day 5"><U>Day 5</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Day 6"><U>Day 6</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Day 7"><U>Day 7</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Day 8"><U>Day 8</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Day 9"><U>Day 9</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Day 10"><U>Day 10</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Day 11"><U>Day 11</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Days 12 14"><U>Days 12 - 14</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id33.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Day 15"><U>Day 15</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id34.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Day 16"><U>Day 16</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Day 17"><U>Day 17</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Words from Days 5 9"><U>Words from Days 5 - 9</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Words Day 10"><U>Words Day 10</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id37.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Words Days 11 13"><U>Words Days 11 - 13</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id38.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Words Days 14 15"><U>Words Days 14 - 15</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Words, Days 16 17"><U>Words, Days 16 - 17</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Epilogue"><U>Epilogue</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=10 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="044d2e83.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="04507073.jpg"> <div> <I>Day 1</I></div> <div> August 12 </div> <bR> <div> After car problems - major work on rear end, and financial problems, P&W check not arriving in Boonville, $200 wrong car part and money not to be refunded for a couple of weeks - we are on the road.</div> <bR> <div> Left home about 5:30 AM. Michael B house-sitting for us - a nice respite for him from suburban Buffalo. I started driving - everyone else caught a bit more sleep.</div> <bR> <div> A few behind the wheel haiku:</div> <bR> <div> sun rises behind</div> <div> heading west on 86</div> <div> all others asleep</div> <bR> <bR> <div> wisps of misty fog</div> <div> hang low over roadside fields</div> <div> four crows in dead tree</div> <bR> <bR> <div> headlights turned back on</div> <div> thick fog beyond Cuba Lake</div> <div> no morning sun here</div> <bR> <bR> <div> one hundred miles down</div> <div> still in home territory</div> <div> Seneca Nation</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Now, 10:45 AM, just beyond Cleveland, Grayson driving, Chapin reading, Carolyn sleeping. Partly cloudy sky but already humid air. Hoping to make it to Galena, IL today. I-90 to Rockford, IL and then US 20 from there. A campground just west of Galena, a few miles east of the Mississippi. A long driving day today, not quite as long tomorrow - making it to Nebraska somewhere. Then Tuesday a shorter drive to Chadron and my first reading of the journey. All US 20 from Rockford to Cody, WY Thursday. Like spending a few days with an old friend. </div> <bR> <div> End of the day at Palace Campground, Galena, IL. Over 800 miles just moving down the road. Great to settle in, an hour before dark. Quick trip to grocery store and then a swim in the pool - not a rustic campground, but right on US 20 - good hot showers too and we're way back, above a pond, no one nearby and ionsects calling out in the dark night air while Grayson plays his guitar.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="05b908e0.jpg" border=0 width="400" height="398" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Tired. Just moving, moving, moving. A little easier tomorrow then things slow down once we reach Chadron Tuesday early afternoon.</div> <bR> <div> That's it for now - more tomorrow.</div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>