Hello ... or welcome back. This is day three of my Cross Country Adventure Event. If you missed the first two days, make sure to check them out. We've already visited some amazing places and there are two prizes posted so far. I'll be adding an additional prize each day.
So, let's continue my cross-country journey.
Thursday, October 5, 2006
"We covered a loot of miles yesterday, traveling across the state of Kansas. I fell in love with the countryside. The gentle rolling hills and open prairies surprised me. It was so beautiful! I think the Kansas scenes from the movie The Wizard of OZ corrupted my mind, but thankfully it has now been refreshed.
As we made our way across the state I felt as if I may have been born in the wrong part of the country. Kansas felt like home. I imagined myself growing up on a farm or ranch in the open country there where I could ride my horse through the deep grasses and wild flowers. I was taken by surprise because, to be honest many Oregonians, including me, believe that Oregon is the only place to live. It is a beautiful state, but I now see there is no "only" place to live. All of God's creation is glorious and worthy of admiration.
We made stops to investigate small towns and even lost our way a couple of times when our satellite navigation went on the blink. I was told by one gal that she thought the cause was approaching storms. Yikes - storms in Kansas? The Wizard of Oz is again on my mind.
In spite of our wandering I found a perfect hamlet for a turning point in my story - Salina, Kansas. I even managed to connect with two great gals, Carolyn a nurse and Amy who registers patients at the Salina Regional Health Center. They were both willing to answer lots of questions for me. Now I know just how the scene that begins in a local Walmart will play out.
Poor Taylor. And we find that old grouch Tom can sometimes be extra grouchy.
By the way, I really like Salina. It feels homey.
We moved on toward Missouri and the winds picked up and thunderheads formed while the clouds darkened. I started to worry about severe weather. The open prairie didn't seem like an ideal place to be, under the circumstances. I tried to come up with practical solutions about how we could duck for cover in case of thunderstorms that might include hail, lightening, and tornadoes.
We managed to reach Branson without encountering severe weather, but there were some impressive thunderheads to the east. As always, I took lots of photos.
Branson's a great town, a mix of country and city. The surrounding countryside offers steep hills and dense forests of oak and pine. The most unusual thing here is that the city and country is mingled. It's quite remarkable.
We've had help finding our way around town. We're spending our time here at a World Mark Resort where members of the staff, Mairini, Becky, and Chuck have answered all our questions and told us about some of the great places to visit. I also met a gal, Joanna and her sidekick Roger, at the Christian Gift Outlet. They felt like instant friends. Joanna told us about a scenic route we ought to take just out of town and so we went (the picture at the top of the page is part of that). It was a great drive, showing off a lot of the beauty of the area.
Greg enjoying the view from our room.
The characters in my story will love it here. I'm planning some unique experiences for them in this special place.
Tomorrow, Greg and I will be heading for Lexington, Kentucky. We don't know what to expect along the way, but know God has the journey planned out for us. I'm sure it will enrich our lives and give me lots more story ideas.
I'll be writing again soon to update you on our finds."
I can't wait for tomorrow. We discovered some really wonderful places for our soul and very cool sites for my story.
I'm giving away another gift. All you have to do to be eligible is answer a question for me. Today's gift is two movies that I always watch during the Christmas season.
What is your favorite kind of entertainment? Have you been to see a special program, concert, play or ...? Tell us about.
See you tomorrow. Grace and peace to you from God,
Bonnie
