24 September, 2014 - We've Reached Oklahoma

What a beautiful day for a drive!  An early morning walk took me past fields of corn and sorghum.  The corn seemed a bit stunted, what the locals call "droughty corn".  But bobwhites were singing, the sky blue and clear and the weather warm and comfortable.  It was a good start to the day.  We headed east on I-70 and the pristine flat lands of the middle American plains rolled past.  We felt relaxed and the view was easy on the eyes, focus as far as you can see.  We passed small towns, built around quaint churches with grain silos girdling each location.  On the plains, fields of corn, sorghum and, here and there, soybeans stretched away on either side.
At Salina we turned south on I-135 and moved in the direction of Oklahoma and Texas.  Now and then we encountered construction, but mostly it was open road and cruise control, some of the best driving, relaxed and easy.
We knew we needed to stop at Lindsborg again, one of our favorite little towns,  and made the proper exit when suddenly, beside the road, opened a field of sunflowers, Ronda's favorite.  We had to stop and march into the field and feel the beauty of the bright yellow and deep green.

This field had been freshly renewed by a big rainstorm the day before.  The air was clean and you could smell the earthy plant smell of these growing wonders.  Birds were singing and butterflies were dancing from flower head to flower head, stopping to feed and gently wave their wings.  It was quite pastoral and lovely.

 As you can see from the look on her face, Ronda felt renewed and exhilarated to be in among these floral symbols of the sun, growth and life. The bending flower heads had turned toward the sun and will turn with it, tracking its course across the sky. Perhaps she loves them so much because they follow the sun, a symbol of truly following the Son.  Other than a single mosquito bite, in which the little bug sacrificed its life with a quick smack, this was a refreshing stop after a couple of hours of driving.  Then it was on into Lindsborg.


 That special, Swede founded town, was as quaint, lovely and pleasant as when we first visited it.  The streets were not crowded and parking was easy to find.  We strolled among the multicolored Dala horses lining the street and found one to use in picturing Freddy the Falcon. (Pay no attention to the man behind the horse. He is looking for saddle sores.)

 
In one shop we browsed among wonderful trinkets and found a talented lady who actually paints the horses after they are cut out of fresh planks of wood.  She can custom paint them if requested.  She loves what she does and does it well.

I know you cannot believe it, but as we passed the Swedish Crown Restaurant, an enticement just reached out to us, filled our ears with its beckoning call and, unbidden, our feet carried us in, sat us down and in minutes we had plates of Swedish Pancakes and lingonberries resting in front of us.  We suffered through their consumption, only able to free ourselves when the plates were empty:)




Pleasantly satisfied, we resumed our journey, leaving Kansas and crossing into Oklahoma. We think that Oklahoma is a slice of rolling hill goodness, with farms and ranches, lush fields and sweet air.  Both of us love the state.  We have not gone as far as Oklahoma City, with its crowded bustle and frenetic pace, but should move past it quickly tomorrow. Tonight we are in Edmond, OK with a comfortable place to stay.  We are loving the trip.