Events

In the desert you can remember your name


(Dewey Bunnel)

On the first part of the journey

I was looking at all the life

There were plants and birds and rocks and things

There was sand and hills and rings

The first thing I met was a fly with a buzz

And the sky with no clouds

The heat was hot and the ground was dry

But the air was full of sound

 

I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name

It felt good to be out of the rain

In the desert you can remember your name

‘Cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain

After two days in the desert sun

My skin began to turn red

After three days in the desert fun

I was looking at a river bed

And the story it told of a river that flowed

Made me sad to think it was dead

You see I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name

It felt good to be out of the rain

In the desert you can remember your name

‘Cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain

 

After nine days I let the horse run free

‘Cause the desert had turned to sea

There were plants and birds and rocks and things

There was sand and hills and rings

The ocean is a desert with its life underground

And a perfect disguise above

Under the cities lies a heart made of ground

But the humans will give no love

Heartland Road Tour

Miles and miles….

I recently crossed a whole lot of the United States. And then crossed it again. The vastness of farmland we have in this country is boggling. And it leaves me with this question: Where have all the farmers gone?
I mean, when you can enter a state at one side and exit at the other and pretty much see only farmland in every direction but rarely see a homestead you begin to wonder what has become of all the small family farms and farmers. 
I looked for signs as I drove that at one time people had lived on the land. These signs were few and far between. Here is an example of an old homestead in the middle of miles and more miles of farmland. 

Heartland Road Tour

Off the beaten path

If you don’t mind heading off across the desert on unmarked dirt trails, miles from civilization, you’re bound to find a quiet spot.

I wanted a quiet place to spend the night.  I was in the Utah desert and when I checked the maps, I wasn’t near any campgrounds or for that matter, any civilization.  The land around me appeared to be BLM (Bureau of Land Management land) and I saw a dusty set of tracks heading off toward the horizon.  Hey, it didn’t look like it had rained for days so I wasn’t worried about sinking in mud.  I figured that as long as I was careful and watched for rocks or holes I would be OK.

This is what I found.

Green River BLM Green River BLM Hills Exploring the Green River BLM Green River BLM White Dove over Green River BLM Green River BLM Sunset

It took a bit of exploring but I even found some color.

Green River BLM color

The closest civilization was Green River, a long forgotten town about 40 miles away.  The next day I cruised through the heart of town and checked it out.  Even with the abandoned buildings on Main Street (and there were quite a few), it was clean.  The community even had flower boxes on the corners of the intersections.  It was a bit like stepping a few decades back in time.

Green River Fire Department Green River Dodge Brothers Flatbed Castle Country Motel State Liquor Agency Green River Dodge Brothers Flatbed

I enjoyed seeing the quiet little town and even took a detour on my way back north to visit it again.

Heartland Road Tour

Deep in Indian Territory

Off the beaten path in Montana Indian territory stands an abandoned Catholic Church.  It has not been used for years but the cemetery is active and well kept.  Headstones had family names like Longknife and Soldier and given names like Laughing Girl.  I couldn’t help but wonder where the families live.  I did not see anything that appeared to be a village or town for miles but there were dirt tracks close by that disappeared into the distance.

Reservation Parish

Heartland Road Tour

Mount Rainier campsite

The rain began shortly after I arrived and continued until just before I was ready to leave.  I stepped out of the RV and walked to this river and grabbed a couple shots before the rain started again.

Ranier

Heartland Road Tour

Primordial Ooze

Yellowstone is truly a unique place.  Oh, there is plenty of wildlife to see and the landscapes are striking.  What really stands out are the live volcanic features.

I always tried to leave the camp early.  Early enough to avoid the tourists. This allowed me to view these features in solitude.  Many times I felt as if I had traveled back in time and was watching the beginnings of our planet.

A primordial ooze appears to be flowing to the surface everywhere you look.

Primordial Ooze

Heartland Road Tour

Now the work begins.

The dog and I got home last Friday afternoon.  Ahhhh! After 10,000 miles, I don’t care to drive anywhere for awhile.  ha ha

I just finished moving all the images I shot during the Heartland RoadTour Rewind up to the main storage in the studio  Wow.  It took nearly a day to get all the files moved.  Then a couple more hours teaching lightroom where they all are.

I think I’m all set to begin reviewing the images.  Oh . . . . That will take awhile too.

Here is one I looked at briefly.  Horseshoe Bend in Page Colorado was on my “must see” list.

It is pretty amazing. those small specs down there on the beach in the middle of the bend are large rafts that stopped there while rafting the Colorado River.

Turn the Page

Events

Heyleigh’s favorite park


While the highlight of her trip was swimming in the Snake River at Idaho Falls, her favorite park is Yellowstone. How do I know, you ask?

She has never been up on furniture. Except in the RV where she sits in the passenger seat so she can see out the windows. 

Generally she sits there awhile and then curls up on the seat and dozes off. If an interesting smell drifts in through the window she’ll sit up and check things out. Or if the road changes or if I slow down as if to stop she will sit up and see what’s up. Most of the time though, she curls up and snoozes. 

But, in Yellowstone she did not lie down and snooze. She sat up the entire time we drove around, checking everything out. I think Yellowstone presented her with interesting smells. Much more interesting than anywhere else we’ve been. 

Cheers!

Heartland Road Tour

Parting Shot 

The Grand Tetons have been ….. well, in a word, GRAND!

We’re heading out this morning  and our destination is Yellowstone. It’s only a few miles away so it’ll be a short trip. 

If you have wandering feet and have not been to the Grand Tetons, GO! It is an amazing place. 

I stopped at the beach at Colter Village for one last look before heading north. Here is my parting shot. 


Cheers.