Monday, July 5, 2010

Dighton, KS

The ice cream was great last night. The fireworks didn’t go off as scheduled because the firemen were called to a fire just minutes before the show was to begin at 9 p.m.
Figuring that was that and taking a look at the very threatening sky and 35 m.p.h. winds, I moved my tent from the open park field to the 4-H covered arena. My riding friend Dee decided to stay in the open. Just as I dozed off the firemen returned and lit off the show. It was short and I settled back down. That seemed to be a signal for every Tribune citizen to come to the park and set off their own stash of fireworks. The noise was unbelievable. Just as one group exhausted its supply, another one would arrive and it would begin again. Finally, about midnight everyone seemed to have satiated their explosive needs and quiet returned to the park. But not for long. A massive thunderstorm rolled over the area. Rain fell in torrents and then relented. And then lashed the city. And then let up. And then fell so hard I thought it was hail. On-off, on-off it went for nearly two hours until it just rained.
Dee survived but his tent was sopping this morning. I was dry. Neither of us had a good night’s sleep.
With the rain driving up the moisture content of the wheat very little harvesting was done today. The moisture content has to be 12 percent or below or the wheat will rot in storage. That made the ride here a little more enjoyable—fewer grain trucks on the road to set me a-jumble when their air wash hits me like a closed door.
Adding to my Kansas experience were two acts of kindness today. The first occurred in Scott City where I stopped for lunch. But first I looked for an optometrist to fix my broken reading glasses. Being July Fourth Monday I didn’t have much hope of finding an optometrist open but I did. She was a delightful person who made the repair, didn’t want money and recommended a good restaurant. Shortly before arriving here I drove my bike and trailer into the mud. I limped into town looking for a car wash. As I walked in two young men were finishing the cleaning of a pickup and trailer. They asked questions; I answered. As they left they said, “There’s four quarters on the machine so you can clean your bike.”
Hey Toto, we’re in Kansas.

No comments:

Post a Comment