Rise of the Hunter’s Moon

Some men go crazy
Some men go slow
Some men go just where they want
Some men never go

“Shame on the Moon”
Rodney Crowell

As captured last week on the plains of western Minnesota (single exposure).

Grand Beauty

Yes, still on the road. So many miles, so many grasslands, so many amazing vistas and so many hills to climb. Y’all are gonna be sick and tired of butte-climbing stories, photos and videos within the next few weeks. As for me, I’d like to build a house near here.

Little Missouri National Grassland, North Dakota

Wind Chime

An old windmill spins endlessly in the Wyoming breeze.

Thunder Basin National Grassland

(Video duration: 30 seconds)

Decision 2018

Make your vote count on November 6.

Buffalo Gap National Grassland, South Dakota

Black & White Meets Color

The sunny driving weather that I came here for has been in effect since Monday and looks like it will continue for many days ahead. Today, I logged well over 200 miles (the vast majority on gravel roads) in and around South Dakota’s Buffalo Gap National Grassland. A spectacular day of driving, with plenty of interesting things and places to see and hundreds of photos accumulated in the process. I’ll be sharing those for several months to come; here’s one to tide you over.

White Knight

The scenery has changed. Above is the view from early this morning in northwestern Nebraska. Happily, the roads were clear by late morning as I made my way toward the Black Hills of South Dakota. But it will be a few days before the backroads in the area are dry enough to explore.

Return of the Moon

Evening on the plains of Colorado.

Return of the Sun

Morning on the plains of Colorado.

Distance

She placed her ring on the sill
Dishes piled high
She’s on the front porch step
And the air smells like snow
She’s thinking of the siege to come
And how she’ll miss those weekends
In the park with the sun on her face
And her book by her side and that
Lingering taste that he left on her tongue

“Ring on the Sill”
Cowboy Junkies

It’s Sticking

To the grass, to the cows, and to various parts of my car. Fortunately, not to the road. And it switched back over to rain once I hit the Baca County line. Visibility was dicey for a while in that howling north wind.

Trying to dodge the recent bad weather, I ended up making a great big loop and now I’m back in the same Kansas town where I was three days ago. I’ll try to follow the sun and the drier air northward again starting tomorrow.

Eight days on the road and I’ve yet to see the moon or the stars.

Comanche National Grassland, Colorado