Random Thoughts From The Road

Life is a trip. God has put me on the road to service in the Navajo Nation. To see how the whole story began click here. I haven't counted, but I've probably visited 40+ states in my life. I still haven't found one to match my own (the mountains of Colorado run a close second.) If you can't get close to God on the Blue Ridge Parkway, you are probably going to have a hard time getting close to Him anywhere. Arkansas has the worst interstate highways I've ever been on. There's irony in the fact that a past president was a past governor there. Crossing the Mississippi at Memphis doesn't make it seem so mighty. There are so many small islands that you seem to be crossing several smaller rivers. I've never seen a city that looks good from an interstate highway running through it. Nothing's changed that opinion on this trip. In Texas, cows seem to have more living area than most people. Speaking of cows, I passed several very large cattle feeding lots. Someone should suggest that old cemetaries be used for that. Surely the dead are the only ones who can stand the odor. Oklahoma seems to have an average of 1 casino for every 2 exits off of I-40. This is a good state for anyone with a gambling addiction to stay well away from. I saw a couple of what seemed to me to be large wind turbine farms. At least, there were lots of fans turning. They seem to be randomly placed and pretty far from each other. I wonder why. Although I saw the entrances to several ranches, I couldn't see the ranch houses. Each entry gate displayed the brand. Do we still brand cows or just use ear tags now? Do the ear tags have the brand icon? Oklahoma has (and I saw it from the highway) what is advertised as the largest cross in the western hemisphere. I couldn't help but wonder why you would want to build something like that ("Ha, my cross means I honor God more than you do.") and how many people the funds would have fed, clothed, and educated. I drove about 50 miles on the original Route 66 concrete highway. In the west, it is dead straight and hugs the contours of the land. Two lanes the whole way, I can't imagine the traffic. I read that, during the Dust Bowl, Oklahoma lost about 60,000 in population, mostly to California via Route 66. Can you imagine doing that today with no a/c, no DVDs for the kids, and none of the other things we take so much for granted. With no internet, when you got hungry you looked for a restaurant and when it was time to sleep, you looked for a motel. Tucumcari has about 40 motels, of which, only 20 are still operating and Tucumcari is right on the interstate. Closing 66 put an end to a lot of dreams I suppose. One last thought... I am a creature of habit. Toilet paper has to come off the front of the roll, not the back. The toilet seat has to be left down (1 mother, 3 sisters, 1 wife and 1 granddaughter - I've learned!) My cell phone has to be put into my right front pocket. On a trip, Sara has to repack our suitcase in the morning while I get the coffee. Why is it that I can't seem to get everything back into it the same way it came out? I bought the t-shirt today, so that can't be the problem. The next trip, Sara is going to have to come, like it or not. I don't have time to spend worrying about how to pack neatly. It is 7:30 here and still bright daylight. At home it is 10:30. My watch is on time, but my brain is running fast. I am pooped so this is all for now. The adventure really begins next week, so follow along as you will. Peace and Love, Ross