9/24/08 Finally, the mountains are almost visible

Pictures: Storm clouds north of Limon, CO; the same clouds east of Strasburg, CO where we camped; Stratton, Kansas;

Colorado doesn't look much different from Kansas although both Kansas and Colorado are flatter than Missouri. Still, no mountains and not much to look at unless you are counting fence posts, scrub trees, exit signs, or freeway mile markers. Mind you, I'm not really complaining, but I have read two books in the past two days. One by Lisa Wingate, 'Good Hope Road", has a tornado in a little Missourit town, to tell a great story about faith, friendship and gathering what is important around you in a time of crisis. The other by James Patterson involved flying children whose DNA was part bird. Both books were a good read, but seriously, I'm ready for some mountains. We are suffering from mountain withdrawal. Even those pretend mountains in New England helped hold the withdrawal at bay. Today I started a third book and it's a western by Larry McMurtry about Billy the Kid. It also has potential.

My shoulders have been so sore that I haven't done any sewing the past few days. The witch wall hanging I bought in Minnesota and the hand-piecing project I brought with me are both going well. The highways are smooth enough that my fingers aren't like pin cushions like they were in New England.

I will say that one thing about Kansas and eastern Colorado that is beautiful is the sky. Both when it is dazzling blue or stormy gray, I want to get my paints out and do some painting. I hauled the paint stuff all this way and haven't picked up the brush, but I sure have some gorgeous photos to paint from when I get home. As I lay in bed this morning deciding what i was going to do with my two hours before Terry got up, I was painting vast fields of sunflowers like we saw today in Kansas. After having my shower, I decided it was time to cut up the cantelope and make the potato salad. That gave me more time to think of how and what to paint. If only my painting in my mind could transfer to paper in some magical way!