Day 3

<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>   |   <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Day 1"><U>Day 1</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Day 2"><U>Day 2</U></A>   |   <B>Day 3</B>   |   <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 3</I></div> <div> August 14 </div> <bR> <div> Ah, what a day so far!</div> <bR> <div> We have arrived in the west!!! </div> <bR> <div> Presently in Chadron, Nebraska where I have the first reading of the journey this evening. </div> <bR> <div> This is the first time I've driven on US 20 through Nebraska since the 1996 journey. It was as I remembered it, as I wrote about.</div> <bR> <div> “A momentous happening near Valentine, about two thirds of the way across the state - I entered into the WEST! Farmland gives way to sandy soil. Trees pretty much disappear, grass covered hills slope away into the distance. Mile after mile of shifting shapes trailing off in every direction. This landscape totally different than anything I've seen so far. I felt as if this was the real turning point in the journey. The Mississippi and Missouri rivers were boundaries of a sort, but there wasn't that much of a difference on the other side. But here, where the land starts to turn sandy and hills begin to appear, there is a definite look and feel that is different than any landscape along the previous 1500 or so miles from Boston. This is where the west begins, on US 20 anyway.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> scattered cattle graze</div> <div> on fenced in grassy sand hills</div> <div> meadowlark takes flight</div> <bR> <div> Intriguing, mystifying. The old Federal Writers' Project guidebook to Nebraska says these sand hills have been called everything from "the most fascinating region in the country" to "the most deserted and dullest." I agreed with the former, wanted to park the car, walk off into the distance and feel the energy that is part of this place. There really does seem to be some kind of force here. I can feel it as I drive by.”</div> <bR> <div> The above is from “Twenty Days on Route 20” (<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><A HREF="http://www.foothillspublishing.com/2006/id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.foothillspublishing.com/2006/"><U><U>http://www.foothillspublishing.com/2006/id23.htm</U></U></A></FONT>)</div> <bR> <div> I feel the same. As soon as we entered that region it was different and I think everyone's excitement level increased a bit. </div> <bR> <div> We stopped here and there for some pictures along the way. There's not much to say about the ones below. They tell their own story. Except for the cicada - we've been hearing them most all the way through Iowa and Nebraska. Wherever there are trees near the road we can hear them call. And the zebra house. We inquired about it at a local store. One of the customers said - “Oh, that's just Kendra!” - meaning for no special reason. </div> <bR> <div> In Chadron we stayed at the Best Western, compliments of the Chadron Library. Good reading. Friends from Scottsbluff, Mary and Ed, drove up to be there and we met some other interesting local people who attended. Afterwards good Mexican food at Angela's and pleasant conversation with Scott, the library director.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="07258c20.jpg" border=0 width="600" height="450" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Cicada</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="07458c20.jpg" border=0 width="600" height="450" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Zebra House in Bassett, NE</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="07b58c20.jpg" border=0 width="600" height="450" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Grayson foot bagging on US 20</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="07658c20.jpg" border=0 width="600" height="450" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Chapin and Prairie Sunflowers</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="07858c20.jpg" border=0 width="600" height="450" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> US 20 through the Sandhills</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="08158c20.jpg" border=0 width="600" height="450" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> A common site in the Sandhills</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="07d58c20.jpg" border=0 width="600" height="450" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Purple Loosestrife along the Niobrara River</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="07f58c20.jpg" border=0 width="600" height="450" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Another unidentified (as of yet) flower</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>