Closing the loop

Coffee in Leadville, Colorado

​I closed the loop, once again making a 4000 mile circle.  I dodged a major snowstorm in Colorado, played poker in eight different casinos (finished UP on the trip), met the one I love and we wandered the mountains.  I visited a historic wild west town, stayed in cool retro motels, and flew across the prairies.  I took over 1000 photos.

Sunset on Tucumcari, New Mexico

​I drove through Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, then back to Tennessee.  I ran through flat, featureless places, swamps, rolling hills, miles of farm fields, and soaring mountains and deep valleys.  I crossed the Mississippi river twice, the Ohio, the Missouri, and countless smaller rivers.

Always a good day when this is who I wake up to.

I had a nasty night battling what was probably some kind of food poisoning.  I shook it off the next day but it wore me out.  I was trying to be good and bring low sodium food that I prepared at home.  This didn’t work out as planned.  There's always that quote about "good intentions"......

The expanses of northern New Mexico

After leaving the Badlands, I found little worthy of a photograph. Consequently, this is a compilation of photos on the entire trip.  There are a lot of cool photos and this post is mostly photos.  I did see a lot of striking places.  You work with what ya got.

Tucumcari, New Mexico

Yes, there were few good photos on the last leg.  I discussed this situation with Nick, one of the TTU photographers a while back.  He asked if I took photos around where we lived.  I told him I really didn’t get excited about photographing things around us.  He agreed.  I think it’s a “familiarity breeds contempt” kind of thing.  It’s difficult to see things we see everyday with the excitement we have with new places.  We both sort of agreed that we do better work on the road.

Somewhere in Wyoming.  I like this photo.

​I wrote the last post from Sioux Falls, SD.  The next day I got up and drove about 3 hours south to Omaha.  I met Michael, a family friend who grew up with Heather in Wilmington.  We caught up over lunch discussing family, jobs, travel, and how far we’ve all come.  Seeing Mike was one of the highpoints of the return trip.  He’s doing well and he’s come far.

Tucumcari neon

I pushed on to St. Louis for my last night on the road.  The next morning I rose with a 6 hour (or so) run home.  I beat Laurie back home by about 30 minutes.  She and Amy had a wonderful weekend at the yoga retreat and raved on about it.  She taught a yoga school at the start of this trip and did a yoga retreat at the end. ​

Rocky Mountain scenery

​It was a good trip. I just love that Laurie was able to join me for a short stint.  I love traveling with her.  I do wish the weather had been better. But Laurie was calm, trusting me to get her where she needed to be.  She's rode to my right for almost 40 years and knows I'll get her there.  It was such a treat to have her with me.  I love her so.

Yoga queen

The overcast takes the light and the light brings out the colors in the photos….so that was a disappointment.  The clouds also cover the stars which means the night skies are off limits as well.  But we work with what we have and do the best we can.  I hope you enjoy the photos I was able to capture.  Don't miss the gallery below.  Click on the photo for a better look.

I'll be starting the new job on December 1 so it may be a little while before the next blog.  Until the next time.  Thanks for following my trek.

Gallery

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