Wednesday 30 May 2012

Goodbye Nebraska

Nebraska.        Another state the name of which will mean something when its name is mentioned at some time in the future.  Strangely when Tom met with our Prime Minister (if you are going to name drop do it big) DC mentioned Nebraska, in fact he said be aware of the big lorries in the state, for our American cousins he meant trucks. Well they certainly are big as are the trains.

In fact tonight we are in Kansas and the owner of the RV site, David, turns out to be a train driver. And don't you remember when all the kids wanted to be train drivers when they grew up, now they want to be David Beckham or Posh Becks. David was telling me how  big the trains are, well without boring it seems the local trains pull between 16 and 25 thousand tons on each run. They can be up to two miles long.

Well here is one against a backdrop of a grain elevator.


(Sorry about the copyright but believe it or not some people steal images off the net)

Rather sadly I find these old grain elevators just amazing to see and to photograph.


So that's the grain but what about the beef. We saw thousands of animals on the high prairie and the sand hills of Nebraska, well I think I can say that at least some of those animals come to Nebraska to fatten up. The 'cattle lot' seems to be a big thing in the state, lots of beef eating as much as they can to fatten up for the table. Vegetarians turn your head away now...


On our way through the state we stayed at a family home of a relation to Alvon, this in Lincoln

Randy and Cheryl, thank you very much for your kind and generous hospitality, it was very welcome.





Kansas later.....B

Kansas but no yellow brick road

So yes we have finally left the state of Nebraska,  a great state, very different from the East to the West.   But a good time. Now we are in Kansas.

It does give me chance to go on about the weather, its hot, about 100 degrees (38 degrees Celsius) with a very strong wind from  the South, more or less in the faces of the boys on the bikes.

A long ride as well, so its good that today, I'm writing this on Sunday, that we can all have a rest.

One of the questions people don't ask is ".....What do you do all day?"  Well one of the many tasks of the support team, ie me, is to make sure that we food and water available. This will mean regular trips to the supermarket to stock up. The biggest in the US is Walmart, I think this is the case but if not perhaps our American reader will correct me.

Anyway, Walmart, its good to be able to mention Walmart as it is an interesting place to shop. Normally vast, but with one very distinctive feature, for me at least not this is not the most uplifting of stores. But, dear viewer have a look..




So, Kansas, noted so far for its wind, we travel across the state for the next four days or so.


The roads seem to go North to South or East to West, very few diagonally. The roads are generally straight. So our next ride, from Marysville to Sabetha, about 45 miles, has just one turn in the road, and that is is road junction, from West to North.


Our route down here took us to Beatrice, pronounced Bee At Treece, there we met with Bill  who passed us a donation to the charity.  A super guy who told us of his collection of 20 motor bikes. Today he was on his six cylinder Honda, with a special paint job, a homage to John Ford the film producer.



Our very grateful thanks got to the Beatrice Chapter of the American Legion.

The town was also host that day to the HOGS, (the Harley Owners Club), the town was full of them. But at the petrol station two other bikes, bemused by the numbers, one on a Honda the other on a Kawisaki, very happy to be photographed, and for me a sneak chance at a self portrait.



And today's roadside sign....



and the wheat fields of Kansas..




Have a good day....B

Tuesday 29 May 2012

Line Dancing while you eat

It seems a while since we entered Nebraska, I guess because it has been a while, apart form a brief run into Iowa, flies and storms, we are now concluding the ride through this state, Tomorrow we say good bye to  Nebraska and hello to Kansas.

One more thought about Iowa though, while there we met wit the manager of the RV site, he told us that he had a photo that we might be interested in, it turns out to be the original photograph of the flag raising over Imo Jima Probably the most famous photograph to come out of WW 2.  For more info on this go here Click this link

But here is the manager, Jim,and the original photo.  He very kindly ran a photo copy for us.



And so back to Nebraska and cutting South along the very Eastern border alongside the Missouri River.

And yes, what can you do when you come onto an old grain elevator in the rain?  Well photograph it!


This in the town of Tekamah






Any colour as long as its a pick with a v8!

The evening saw us treated to a very good steak at a Texas Road House.  The food and company were both very good but was a little bit of a surprise was the line dancing.  Every hour on the hour the music for line dancing would start and the staff would lurch into a line dance. Maybe two minutes, than stop and carry on whatever they were doing before. Amazingly almost no one took notice.

Sometimes its hard for an Englishman to understand the American culture.


and good steak, no doubt they had been on the feed lot just before.




and finally, a water tower....never seen in the UK quite like this but always on this ride.






Have a good 'un.....B

Sunday 27 May 2012

Memorial Day



The poem was written by Laurence Binyon in September 1914.

Why go to Iowa?

The thing is it is difficult thing to bike in wind, the only exception is , if the wind comes from your back, then that tail wind is a blessing but any other is not good. Made worse if high winds. When you have hills and wind or hills, wind and rain than that is the stuff of nightmares for cyclists.

Taking a photo to show how hard the wind is blowing is not easy, but nevertheless, here is a picture of wind blowing grass, and some pictures of Tom and Alvon after a climb and with the same wind.




Our short time in Iowa was not too good, worst of all we were attacked by crazed flies that would bite and draw blood but only on exposed flesh no more than 10 inches from the ground.  Completely barmy. Then we had storms that were just crazy, wind, rain, hail, thunder and lightening, but other then that just fine.


What we  did have was the chance to cross the Missouri River.  Even more exciting on a toll bridge.  The story about the bridge was surprising, it seems that is was built on dry land, I mean by that the that the river was flowing somewhere else. The bridge was built but then the government had low funds and so they had to wait three years before the engineers could change the course of the river to 'make' the bridge.

Fine bridge and fine guys taking the dollar fee, although when the heard of the cause they skipped the fee.







And finally for the day's blog, sign that you don't expect....





Saturday 26 May 2012

Weather

Each day is different and each day unique.

In one way a definition of an adventure because for sure this is what a trip like this is, a 4,200 mile cycle ride, in all weathers and with the very minimum of organisation of each day other than, we stay here and we stop there.

We aim to be in DC on July 3rd and that is something we intend to do  come hell or high water.

One area that is always something we concern ourselves with is the weather. Yes I know we love to talk about it but, and this aimed at my English viewer, the weather here is like the UK but on steroids.

Take the last couple of days, balmy turned to hot, really quite hot, about 90 degrees in old money. Then a storm.  This storm was so sudden and so ferocious that the RV had to pull over and wait for the wind do die a little, the hail to stop and the rain to cease lashing down.    Not easy to show on a still shot but here goes.

The winds continued for three days and have just abated today. Yesterday the storms continued and last night we didn't sleep through a massive electrical storm that never seemed to end.


Then in just a few miles the sun comes back and away we go again.   (Time for the fisheye as well!)

  
The towns getting bigger, still not huge but still welcoming and still great to photograph.









The miles now covered is 2,000.    Nearly half way, the official mileage is 4,200 miles.  Two nights ago we were in Norfolk and tomorrow we aim to be in Lincoln.  To the UK readers names that are very familiar and one can only assume the towns were founded by settlers from those two UK cities that share the name.


 Have a good 'un.....B






Friday 25 May 2012

Moving on.....

As we move across the country, and at the moment the pace is high. The change in the land around is is sometime gradual, sometime quick but there is a constant new scene in front and to the side of us.

As a photographer its almost impossible not to pull over and try to capture some of the amazing scenes that open up.  Those that know photography will also know that time is one of the things needed.

Firstly to be there at the right time of day, dawn or dusk preferred,  and also to spend time taking the shot that 'fits the bill'. Neither of those needs are always available so it's a challenge to get it right.

Good to find the photo that fits the light and time though.

We are now heading across Nebraska. Off the high prairie and into a more recognisable type of farming, its beef, and fattening beef and growing corn, maize as the Brits would have it, along with this goes wheat and beans.

The area have changed due to the good roads and the modern, huge, truck.  The towns have also changed but I have to admit to being surprised to come across this town.  But is what not all it seemed...


Some true but not all, it seems the town, Johnstown,  was used as a film set and was 'put back' to how it would have been in 1890, so there we have. That was a few years ago, but still looks like it did when the actors went home!

What was genuine was the welcome given in the only bar in town. The L-Bow Bar is owned by Ruth and Bud      Ruth was very happy to be photographed and was keen to know all about the mission.




So now its less of this:


and more of this...


Have a good day

Tuesday 22 May 2012

The High Prarie ll

We are now moving across Nebraska, and moving at rate, the bikers are doing 90 to 100 miles a day and are getting time in hand.   So far, and in just over a month the bikers have pedalled 1,936 miles. Getting on for half way in mileage terms.

It has been an great journey, the high prairie is a very special place with some very  special places.

One of the thing that has changed over the years has been the road and rail networks.  The rail used to be king, small towns would have a means of shipping huge amounts of beef on the hoof or grain via the train.  The small town of Merriman and towns like it had massive grain elevators.

The road to the town was little more than a dirt track up until the mid 50's, then the road got its 'black top'

But the coming of the roads meant the end of he rail. But what did it leave. Well it left grain elevators like this.


This is how the look today, geared for road haulage...




In the town of Sandhills had no less than five banks and was one of the countries largest shippers of beef.

Well it still has the details of the brands that the beef would have had on their sides.


The Wood Lake fire station.



And the post office still takes care of your postal needs.



The scale is very difficult to convey with a photograph, so out comes the 'fisheye' lens.




And the beef hasn't gone away....