Wednesday, September 23
*Google search:
Yesterday, we passed a cornfield with an
irrigation system. It was connected to a
pump alongside the road and I got to wondering how the farmer moved it, seeing
that it is anchored on one end. So, I
did a Google search…although first Kim had to tell me what I saw was a ‘center
pivot’ system and not a linear system. This
is an excerpt of what www.clemson.edu had
to say about it...turns out the farmer doesn’t have to move it: The major advantages of a center pivot system are the low
labor requirement and the circular travel path. Operating a pivot is a
simple job of turning the pivot on and can be done easily by one man (unless
the pumping station is a considerable distance away from the pivot). The
only other labor required involves regular checks of the pivot to make sure it
is operating correctly and has not encountered any unexpected obstructions.
The circular travel path means that the pivot will end its irrigation cycle at
the same point where it initially started, so the next irrigation cycle will
begin at the driest point in the field.
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What
a nice little park we camped at last night!
The caretaker let us set our tent up right in front of the pavilion…it
was flat and grassy…there was electric and several picnic tables…it had a roof,
in case of rain. It also had a dusk to
dawn light…which we didn’t think about when we set up our tent in daylight,
right in front of the pavilion. We
didn’t think about it when we were sitting by the campfire…it was actually nice
to have a bit of light out there keeping the boogey man at bay. But, we sure did think about it when it was
time to go to sleep...it was brighter than daylight in our yellow tent and no
way to turn it off! We had a good laugh
about it, then I covered my eyes and zonked out. That’s the good thing about riding all
day...sleep isn’t a problem, even with a big ol’ dusk to dawn light shining
down on the tent. But that’s a lesson
learned, for sure…. J
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Yesterday, in the Kansas City KOA, we ate
left over tortilla chips for breakfast...we make do with what we have. This morning, thanks to Kim and Larry, we
have bacon...and eggs...and pancakes...and potatoes…and more bacon!! Oh, the smells! What a tasty treat! J
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Last night, something was falling from the
trees onto the pavilion roof… Kim said it was just acorns falling from the
surrounding trees. I thought it was a
fairly big noise for little acorns, but I wasn’t about to go wandering in the
dark to check. This morning, Kim noticed that it wasn’t acorns after all, but a
much larger ‘thing’. Cracked one
open…could see that it was type of nut, just not sure if it was pecans, walnuts
or what. It had a somewhat spicy smell,
too. When I get internet service, I’m
gonna do a Google search. **Results of a Google image search show that the things
falling off the trees onto the pavilion roof were black walnuts.**
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Left the campground about noon, aiming for
a KOA in Lena, IL. Didn’t make a
reservation, though, because it’s a 200 mile run and just didn’t know if we’d
make that. **Footnote: We made it in about 5 ½ hours.**
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Today’s nomination for best city name: Oquawka, IL.
Did a Google search because I was curious about the name…haven’t found
anything about the name but did find this little tidbit on Wikipedia: Within the city exists a memorial and grave
marker to a circus elephant named
Norma Jean, who perished on July 17, 1972 after being struck by lightning. The
pachyderm was attached to a small circus that performed in the city. Norma Jean
was buried on the spot, and the circus, without its star attraction, closed
within a year. Later, local pharmacist Wade Meloan spearheaded the drive to
build the monument that stands over her grave.
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Today was a day for riding and
thinking. Passed a couple of lawn mowers
and I thought ‘Nothing says summer like the smell of fresh cut grass’….then I realized
that summer is over. Today is the first
day of autumn. When we started our
trip, school hadn’t started yet in Charlevoix….and now it’s fall and the end of
September is just around the corner, with Halloween decorations in the stores
already. But during our entire trip, the
weather has been sunny and 80s to 90s….summer weather. So I’m in kind of a time warp…getting used to
this little taste of summer, but looking forward to the fall colors when I get
home. J
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I have not been looking forward
to riding through Illinois...always have thought it’s kind of a boring state. Today was a day for riding and thinking…and I
figured out why I think it’s boring. The west and the places we’ve been traveling
to on this trip, are so rich with the history of this country…the exploration
and the expansion of the country…and they let you know it. They try to draw you in to experience these
little historical places…and there just doesn’t seem to be much of that in Illinois.
I’m sure there’s history here…just not
obvious that Illinois wants the traveler to discover it. That being said, we
did pass Monmouth, IL, which had a sign saying it was the home of Wyatt
Earp. So, in order to go deeper on that,
I did a Google search. Museumusa.org had this to say: Marshall Wyatt Earp was born in Monmouth on March 19,
1848. The birthplace museum was built in 1841. The Wyatt Earp
Birthplace, Inc. is a non-profit organization of volunteers, which operates the
Birthplace Home. THE HOME IS ALSO OPEN DURING THE SUMMER FROM 2 TO 4, OR BY
CHANCE. Monmouth is in west central Illinois on Routes 34 & 67, fifteen
minutes west of I-74. **Footnote: There was no indication along the
highway that the home was open to the public.**
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So, I’m not a fan of Illinois, but we have to
get through it…we can go east to Indiana or north to Wisconsin. We go north, riding backroads along the
western side of the state to avoid Chicago. And now I have to apologize to Illinois for
thinking it had nothing to offer. It has good roads (we were on 67 and 88
mostly) with plenty to look at. It’s a
hilly country area, with farms and miles and miles of cornfields. Harvest time so there was activity in the
fields and the corn is a golden color, but I’m sure the countyside would be
just as beautiful in the planting and growing seasons, also. There are
also a fair amount of soybean fields. So,
I have revised my opinion of Illinois….it is so much more than just Chicago,
with its urban sprawl and nasty traffic….just as Michigan is more than just
Detroit. J
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Kim has a campfire going, so it’s time for
me to cozy up to it and suck up the warmth.
J
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Observations from the road:
*If the men’s bathroom is empty
and there’s a line for the women’s…if it's a single room setup, it’s okay to use the men’s bathroom.
Today’s mileage: 201 miles Total mileage: 3,914 miles
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