Read with Me! My path to publication.

The path to publication has been a circuitous one, to say the least. I haven't traveled down the trail I had first set out upon at all. Instead, I've wandered, I've dawdled, I've started anew, I've strayed quite far, I've tried to follow the crowd, and I've let the road take me where it wanted.

I imagine I'm not alone; however, I've often felt as if I am. 

I started writing my novel, "The Clearwater House," a long, long time ago. I can't even recall how I managed to keep working at it over the years, a little here, a little there, until I finally had a completed first draft. I've amended it many times over the years, and I could probably keep changing things in it forever, but at some point, you have to say that enough is enough.

I tried regular, and perhaps more credible, channels of publication from time to time, but I felt like I was beating my head against a door that said "INACCESSIBLE to little peon teachers from the middle of nowhere." So, I essentially gave up on finding an agent like I'd always planned and imagined my writing career would have. I was very sad and also disappointed in myself because I do believe that I have talent as a writer, but I couldn't get those with the power to help me to see that, I guess.

Honestly, though, I don't have nor have I ever had a lot of time to really chase agents. I also feel like I'm shooting in the dark because how am I really supposed to know if an agent is right for me based on an article in a writing magazine or from an online profile? In addition, I get a bit fed up with people who won't reply to my submissions unless they are interested in representing me. Seriously, a little feedback would be nice. Why didn't you like my work? What exactly about it didn't appeal to you? Are you simply too bogged down with the work of those you already represent, or was my work that horrible that you refused to touch it? I simply don't know because you won't reply to me!!! 

For five years I've been writing a bi-monthly column called "Novel Thoughts" for The Norfolk Daily News, and due to my connection with that newspaper and its editors, I approached them with the idea of publishing my novel in a serialized fashion. They graciously and enthusiastically jumped at the idea, so for one year, readers were allowed to read my book a chapter at a time as it was updated each week online.

I was astounded at the praise and positive feedback I got from the readers. Many of them contacted me wanting to purchase the novel, but I had to tell them that it wasn't available in print anywhere. Naturally, I really wanted it to be available, so I did contact a few more agents, but I had no takers. 

Once the year of serialization through the newspaper was up, I decided to publish via Amazon Kindle even though I'm not much of an e Reader reader myself. I did it because it was free for me. I don't want to pay to publish my book even though I want to see it in print. After all, my overall goal is to make a living as a writer, or at least a little bit of money, and paying to publish my work negates that very intent.

Through Kindle, I've sold a few copies, but only a few. Most people still prefer and want an actual physical copy of a book when they are reading, so I kept being asked where they could buy the actual book. I had to keep answering that it was only available on Kindle, and I got tired of hearing "I don't have a Kindle," or "I don't like to read on tablets," or many other reasons as to why the person wasn't going to buy my book on Kindle.

Another writer friend suggested that I use Create Space to make my book available through print-on-demand publishing. I was a little skeptical as to the quality of the finished product and also to my ability to set it all up, but my desire to have a physical copy of my book out there for people to buy and hold and read won out over my skepticism, and I decided to go for it.

It didn't take all that long to set the book up since I've had the finished novel saved for years, but formatting it caused me a little stress and a few do-overs. I probably spent longer on my cover because it was important to me to include the photo of my ancestors' house that once stood in rural Clearwater. 

People often ask if the book is non-fiction, then, since the cover contains a photo of a real, yet long gone, house. No, the story is complete fiction. Only the setting of Clearwater and its rural environs is real.

I've written other novels during the many years since I first started "The Clearwater House." I plan to use Create Space to set them up for publication as well when I can find the time to do some final edits first. 

If some agent somehow, someday notices my work and decides to come knocking on my door or sends me an email, then maybe I'll still get a chance at publishing my books through a more reputable source. Until then, however, I'll be happy for any sale, and I'll extend a big hug -- whether it be a virtual one or an in-person one -- to anyone who buys and reads my book. 

Over the years I've spent trying to establish myself as a writer, there have been two people who have grown and changed right along with my writing. Those are my children, both of whom are all grown now. I always meant to become an author when they were young and then stay home and write and have the flexibility to be there for them at the drop of a hat. Life, though, had other plans for me, so here I am still trying to make a go of writing as a career, and they have grown up to be gifted and talented people in their own rights. One is a wonderful coach, and the other will be a fantastic scientist in a few years.

I will never give up on my dream of being a respected writer, and I hope they will never give up on their dreams, no matter what they may be. Because I'm blessed with them as my children, I have dedicated my first print-available novel to them. I love writing and reading so very much, but I love Trevor and Samantha even more.

To anyone reading this who also reads or has read my novel, I say thank you from the bottom of my heart. Happy reading!   (This novel is available for purchase on Amazon Kindle or in print form through Amazon or Create Space.)

Roam With Me! Nebraska Passport Stops

It's hard to believe -- as it is every year -- that summer vacation is about over, and I'll be returning to teaching soon. At the start of the summer, I made a plan to visit a lot of the Nebraska Passport stops, but I haven't managed to get to very many after all. Life has a way of waylaying things for us, but that's all right. I have visited 24 of the 80 stops so far, and I have until the end of September to get a few more in.

Of the ones I've visited, I've been really impressed by Crystal Forge in Omaha that is connected to Hot Shops, a collection of over 50 small shops presenting the work of over 80 local artists. While we were there, we stopped in Terry Koopman's photography shop, and my daughter immediately noticed a beautiful large black and white photo of the drive-in movie theater from right here in Neligh. She then found two other large black and white photos of other spots from Neligh. Terry, a very friendly man, said, "What can I say? I like Neligh." We told him of some other places to photograph on his next stop through town.

Another amazing and startling find for us was Bootleg Brewers in the country near Taylor. We weren't expecting the large metal barn-like building that we came upon when we turned that final curve in the long and bumpy gravel road. And we certainly weren't expecting the large and numerous kilns we saw once we went inside the building. I should have had a beer, I know, but I can't pass up a chance to try a Bloody Mary in every new bar I visit because I'm on a quest to find the best one out there. Bootleg Brewers' was pretty darn good.

I also like to see where I can find great mango smoothies. So far, both Sip Espresso Bar in Columbus and 4th Street Coffee House in Stromsburg have delivered well. The great thing about the Passport program is that it takes you to places you would normally never see. I've passed through both Columbus and Stromsburg many times, but I never knew about either of those coffee bars until I saw them in my passport booklet.

I'd never imagined that there might be a windmill museum out there anywhere, let alone in Nebraska City, but that's exactly where you can find the Kregel Windmill Museum. Seeing that cluttered shop and those windmill pieces took me right back to the visits to my grandparents' farm near Clearwater when I was a girl.

I've visited Boys Town many times over the years, but until this summer I didn't know there was a Hall of History housed there. It makes perfect sense to have a record of the town's illustrious history, but the way they have this Hall of History set up is astounding. I was very impressed with the layout and the way they have preserved important pieces of the town's journey from one man's idea to the far-reaching place it's become.

 

One of the well-known places in Omaha that has long been on my list of places I want to see is the Joslyn Art Museum. I have only myself to blame for never making time for it before this, but I can now say I've been there. Modern art isn't really my thing, but I did enjoy the older pieces, and I was especially pleased to find one by El Greco in their collection. As a Spanish teacher, I've been to El Prado museum in Madrid, Spain, and I've seen many pieces by El Greco there and in the city where he lived most of his life, Toledo, Spain. 

Another place we really enjoyed was Kreycik Elk and Buffalo Ranch nestled in the gorgeous Niobrara River Valley. Actually, I didn't much like seeing the farm because I don't care to see bison being treated like cattle in a feedlot, and I don't care for that smell either, but I did love the view on the way there!

So, while I haven't yet visited (and probably won't) all 80 of this summer's Nebraska Passport stops, I have made it to quite a few, and I've really enjoyed the ones I have seen. Hopefully, I will make it to a few more before the end of September. If I don't get to any more, though, I'll have this great view of the Niobrara River Valley to remind me of summer 2016.

Read With Me! -- "Fortytude" by Sarah Brokaw

A couple of years ago, I came across the book "Fortytude" by Sarah Brokaw. I don't recall why I found it because it's a non-fiction book, and almost all of my book browsing takes place in the Literature section, but when I did stumble upon it, I was immediately drawn to it for a number of reasons.

First, I love the title. It's a play on the word FORTITUDE which means, according to Dictionary.com "mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity, danger, or temptation courageously."
I like playing with words, too, so I appreciated that Brokaw had taken a good word and made it a fitting title and attitude for women in their forties to embrace.

Secondly, I'm in my forties, and I'm a woman, so I exactly fit the target audience for this book. The cover of the book also sports this synopsis: "Making the Next Decades the Best Years of Your Life -- through the 40s, 50s, and Beyond." Since that is exactly what I want and plan to do, I was even further drawn to the book.

Thirdly, Brokaw is the daughter of my all-time favorite TV journalist, Tom Brokaw, and I figured any woman raised by him must have some wise things to say and share with the rest of us.

And fourth, I was about a year or so into my life post-divorce, and while my divorce itself has never made me sad or angry because I was overjoyed beyond belief to be rid of my ex-husband, some of the things I was dealing with personally were things I felt could use a little bit of a bolster. So, I bought the book, but then it sat on my end table for about two years. Not sure why I didn't just read it right away, but I didn't. Not sure why I suddenly decided to read it, but I did. (Maybe because I'm nearing the end of my 40s and thought I should just get my shit together and read it. Yeah, that's probably it.)

However, I believe that some books come to us at the right points in our lives. This is one of those books. I wouldn't say that I really learned much from it, but I will say that it reinforced a lot of things I already do and believe, and sometimes we don't really need to learn anything new; rather we just need to know we're already on the right track. 

Brokaw's approach was to divide the book into the five Core Values she feels that women need to have to "navigate midlife (the) most smoothly." She's come to this opinion from her years of working as a licensed therapist, and since she's also working her way through midlife and dealing with some of the same issues as every other woman, I was even more willing to buy and read the book. (If this book had been written by a woman in her 20s or a man of any age, I would have placed it back on the shelf in the bookstore and walked away from it.)

Those five core values, as she sees and calls them, are GRACE, CONNECTEDNESS, ACCOMPLISHMENT, ADVENTURE, and SPIRITUALITY. 

I do believe that I have and embody each of these values, a few more than the others.

As to GRACE, I am a person of integrity, and I know most of my own strengths. Sometimes, I'm not the best about admiring or acknowledging the strengths in others, but I do try to do that with teaching. It can be really hard, though, with teenagers when all they appear to do is whine and complain, but there are some pretty great moments when the wonderful adults they'll become shine through and I see a kid as the individual she is instead of as just another student. I also know that I often don't try really hard to get to know people, but when I do make a friend, I'm in it for the long haul. I have very few real friends, and I'm o.k. with that because the ones I have are really great people.

CONNECTEDNESS is an area in which I've both excelled and failed. I am highly connected to my two grown kids, to my very best friend, to my parents, and to my boyfriend. I have varying degrees of connectedness with other family members and friends. My biggest failure occurred with the person I chose to marry, and my biggest "ah-ha" moment while reading this book happened in the CONNECTEDNESS section. Brokaw described what Dr. John Gottman, a relational therapist, calls "the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse." They are "criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling," and she writes that Gottman says that "if he observed signs of these behaviors and emotions during a couples therapy session, the partnership would be unlikely to endure." AH-HA! AH-HA! AH-HA! She then went on to describe what each of these four behaviors are, and when I read that paragraph (on p. 88), I dropped the book in disbelief because she had just described my ex and his behavior toward me during our entire marriage to a T!!! Fortunately, I have since met a wonderful man who exhibits none of these behaviors, and I can truly say that when a relationship does not have those four ugly horsemen riding along with it, it thrives instead of dies. Sometimes, even daily, I shake my head in amazement that I let myself think for one moment, let alone years, that the way he behaved was ever normal. Man, I'm so glad to be free of him and those horsemen.

ACCOMPLISHMENT is another area in which I'm really proud of myself, and where I'm also working daily to make better. I know I've done a lot as a teacher and drama/speech coach, and I'm really proud of how my kids have turned out, but I'm not yet where I want to be as a writer, and writing has always been my first love. However, that just means that I have still have so much to look forward to as I head into my 50s in a few years. I'm actually glad that I'm not at the pinnacle yet. I like to have goals ahead of me to reach, so even if I do become the published and well- read author I want to be, I know that writing will always offer me numerous opportunities to strike out in new directions.

That actually leads to the ADVENTURE value because I love to travel, and I want to do so much more of it, and I want to write about all of it -- thus one of the reasons for this particular blog I write! My Harley has taken me to quite a bit of new adventures these past three years, and my boyfriend, who rides an Indian, is really game for all the crazy ideas I have for our future together. His first time out of the country was with me last summer to Mexico where we swam with whale sharks! It's about time he interjects more adventure into his life. While we've already taken some trips, and we are planning some others for the next few years, our biggest adventure will be after we both retire from our full time jobs in about seven years. That's when the real adventures will begin, but we'll be sure to get as much in before then as well. Of these five core values, the ADVENTURE one is my favorite!

SPIRITUALITY is a word I like because it doesn't say "religion." I don't like religion because I don't believe that anyone's relationship with a higher power should be regulated or indoctrinated into her, but I do like the word "spirituality." I'm a spiritual person, but I don't think most people who know me would realize that about me. For me, it's highly personal, and, frankly, I don't share my beliefs because I'm not about to get into a pissing match with someone who thinks I'm "wrong" to not believe in the same "God" as he or she does. If anything, my beliefs run closest to those of the Native Americans and any others who think that everything is connected. Perhaps if I'd been born a boy and hadn't been told my entire young life that I couldn't do things -- religious or otherwise -- simply because I was a girl, my views about religion might be different. Who knows? I was born a girl, and now I'm a middle-aged woman who doesn't go to church yet who believes that there is "something" out there that ties us all together. I believe in the little miracles, the ones that happen every day out my window, and I believe that there was a reason this book came into my life.

Very recently, I met a woman about my age who is really struggling to accept her divorce and her life after it. She struck me as being a really sad and angry woman, but she also seemed to be a very interesting, kind and unique person. While I didn't have any regrets about my divorce or even any really serious issues getting beyond it -- just the financial fallout I'm still digging myself out from under -- I can understand and empathize with anyone who does struggle to get over a divorce, especially an unexpected one. This book, and others like it, are beneficial for any person who is wondering what she did wrong, or where she's going with her life now, or who she is without her spouse, etc. So, I want that particular woman, who just might be reading this, or any other woman like her to know that if you want to borrow this book, just say the word. I, like Sarah Brokaw, want every woman I know who is almost middle-aged, currently there, or already beyond it to have the best life possible every day. No more feeling sad for yourself, no more unnecessary worrying, and no more fear. Be strong. Have that fortitude. Be a woman of "fortytude."  

Roam and Ride With Me! Minnesota, June 2016

Last week my guy and I drove up to Minnesota to see an old high school buddy of his, Steve, and Steve's wife, Martina. Steve had been the number one Snap On dealer for a few years and Martina had taught in North Dakota, but a few years ago they decided to retire and got themselves a very nice place on Little Cormorant Lake. Here are a few views of that lake from their house.

Pretty, right? As you can see in the second photo, they have a nice pontoon, so we took a couple rides in that during our short stay. While on the lake, we saw a log full of sunning turtles, an eagle guarding its nest, a bunch of geese with their babies and some loons. 

Having never really been to Minnesota (except for a fast trip to Minneapolis years ago), I wasn't completely surprised to find so many lakes since I've often heard it referred to as the land of 10,000 lakes, but I was still surprised to find so many in a relatively small area. Some are quite large and others smaller like their lake, and then there are even some where not a house is to be seen around them because the lakes are preserved as "ecological." I think that's a good idea; otherwise, the entire area would get too overdeveloped.

We hauled our motorcycles up there in our new trailer and pulled them out one day for a nice ride. Here's our exact route which entailed 135 miles of lovely terrain and lake upon lake: 

We headed south down County 11 from Little Cormorant Lake; we briefly joined up with County 5 until County 9 which we took into Pelican Rapids; from there we headed east on 108 through Dent to highway 78; we drove south into Ottertail where we stopped for a drink and some licorice chip ice cream (yum!) at a cute store; then we continued south past lovely Ottertail Lake to Battle Lake which is both a lake and a town; here we turned around and went north on 78 to Perham where we met up with Steve and Martina and followed them on state highway 10 to Detroit Lakes for supper at Zorbas on the lake before heading back to their house via West Lake Drive to County 6 which took us back to County 11. Here is a photo of my bike at Battle Lake (doesn't it look so happy there?):

The next day we spent with our hosts who took us driving back along some of the route we had covered on our bikes, so I could better get photos of areas I'd seen. It's hard to take a photo while riding a bike! Ha! (Don't worry -- I've never done that.) 

At Pelican Rapids we learned that there actually are some rapids there; hence the name of the town.

I was amazed at some areas where a thin road goes between two lakes and I had to wonder how they manage in the winter. Frankly, I'd be afraid of sliding off into a lake! 

One of our traditions is a selfie everywhere new we go together. We're acquiring quite a few! We consider ourselves very lucky to have found each other after our crappy marriages ended. Neither of us had a person who would share new journeys with us, so that's why we do the selfies -- to celebrate having that with each other now.

As I mentioned before, the loon is popular and important to the state and area. They make a beautiful noise in the evenings out on the lake. Here is a large statue in Vergas:

As Martina said, there is the loon with a couple of real loons posing beside it! Ha ha.

I just love to take photos of nature, especially when water is involved, so here are a few others from that day:

The next, and last full day we spent with them, we took Steve's special "toy" to Two Inlets State Park to do some trail riding.

The trees and foliage are quite dense in there, and there are even bears that live there, so I was a little bit worried, but we only saw some birds. Phew! The guys wanted to see bears, of course! The trails go on for miles and cut all across the woodland. They are mostly set up for snowmobiling during the winter, but we enjoyed getting semi-lost and having a picnic in the middle of the woods.

After our ride, we loaded up the "toy" and drove to Detroit Lakes again to see a traveling tribute to 9/11. There were a couple NYC fire chiefs there giving tours of it and telling their stories. For us, as Legion Riders, it was very moving, and Kim is a former volunteer fireman. Also, one year exactly from the date we were viewing this tribute we will be at the actual memorial in NYC. Even though far too many people, in my opinion, have forgotten about that day, I never will, and I look forward to paying my respects at the site of the tragedy. Here are some photos of the traveling tribute:

One night we sat by the fire pit and had s'mores! Gotta love that. Another selfie to celebrate our fun!

Then we headed for home, on Kim's birthday! We'd seen a sign with his last name on it, so the birthday boy wanted to pose by it. He looks so tiny! You go, Mr. Tanglewood! Ha, ha.

There are many things about this trip that made it great: 1. he got to see an old friend who he hadn't seen much of over the past 40 years, 2. they were wonderful to us and welcomed me right into the fold, having only met me briefly once before, 3. we rode our bikes in totally new terrain instead of over the same old roads, 4. we had new experiences together, 5. I got to read by a body of water which is my favorite reading spot, and 6. we ate some great food! Thanks for the memories!

Ride with Me! Memorial Day 2016

Memorial Day is meant for remembering the fallen who have died in service to our country. At Niobrara, Nebraska, a long overdue memorial to the 74 sailors who perished on June 2, 1969, was revealed and dedicated.

            

On that date, while doing maneuvers in the South China Sea near Vietnam, the USS Frank E. Evans destroyer collided with the Australian aircraft carrier Melbourne. The Evans was split in two by the much larger aircraft carrier. The front portion of the ship sank within three minutes taking the seventy-four doomed seamen with it.

Niobrara was selected for this marker because of the three Sage brothers who all perished in that fateful collision. Gary, aged 22, Gregory, 21, and Kelly, 19, were from Niobrara and were all stationed together on the ship per their request.

Numerous attempts by the survivors and family members to have those seventy-four seamen’s names engraved on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. have failed. There is still a concerted effort to make this happen, but until then the names of the seventy-four are engraved on two slabs right off of Highway 12 in Niobrara.

 

During the ceremony, a survivor of the sinking gave his perspective about the experience and reminded the family members in attendance that he and the other survivors were dedicated to getting the seventy-four names on the Wall in Washington D.C. They read off each name in alphabetical fashion and tolled a bell for each man. Governor Ricketts was scheduled to appear and speak, but “scheduling problems” kept him away.

            

The fallen men were accorded a twenty-one gun salute, and members of area Legion Riders held flags throughout the ceremony to honor the sailors.  I was one of those Riders, and I was happy to stand in the heat holding a flag to honor these poor men who died so tragically at such young ages. I can't even imagine the anguish those Sage brothers' parents must have gone through when they learned of the loss of all THREE of their sons. I'm glad these markers now exist, and I will think about those boys every Memorial Day from here on out.                  

Prior to my ride up to Niobrara on this beautiful Memorial Day afternoon, I attended the services in Neligh where my father, a retired Air Force man, took part in the color guard and helped render the twenty-one gun salute. He also helped put up and take down the flags that peppered the town.

 He's the one on the far right.

My daughter, who will be a senior in the fall, played her flute with the school band in her final tribute. My son used to play "Taps" when he was in high school since he was a trumpet player. It was bittersweet knowing this was the last year to watch one of my kids play in the Memorial Day service.

 She's the one in pink.

Here's the guard and the band in all their glory: 

Here's a couple photos of some of the bikes prior to the dedication at Niobrara.

 

All in all, it was a great Memorial Day doing the things that the day was intended for. We did also have a cook out, so we had a little of what most of the rest of America was doing this day, but I plan to always keep this day set aside to remember those who gave of their times and often of their lives that I might live safe and snug in my modest house in my modest small town smack in the middle of this vast, great country.

Roam With Me! Nebraska Passport Stops and St. Joseph

 For the past four years, I've taken part in the Nebraska Passport program, and for the past couple of years I've attempted to persuade my mother to see if she could get her antique store featured in one of the tours. I finally succeeded, and the powers-that-be selected her store, The Country Junction in Neligh, as one of the stops for 2016.

The Passport is officially divided into ten tours with eight stops in each tour. Her store is a part of the Prairie Treasure Tour. The program officially kicked off on May 1st, and she has already had a number of people stop in her store to get their stamps and look at the cool stuff she carries. Passport stamp books can be picked up from any of the eighty participating places across the state, so naturally I got mine this year from my mom. Oddly, though, I forgot to have her stamp it, so her store was not the first stamp in my book! Oops. I'm determined to get all eighty this year, so I'll get hers very soon.

My boyfriend joined in on the Passport fun with me last summer and at the tail end of the summer of 2014 after we met, so he's right there in the action with me again this summer. Because of his need to go retrieve a new trailer for our bikes in St. Joseph, Missouri, we managed to cross off the three stops in the far southeast part of the state.

The entire twenty-four trip was quite eventful.

I first had to drive to Norfolk to pick him up. Along the way, I saved a black cat from being flattened on the highway. It foolishly started to cross the road directly in front of an oncoming car, so I honked like crazy at it, and fortunately it turned and ran back into the ditch instead of across the road in front of me. I would have hated to see a cat that looked just like my own house cat get killed or seriously harmed.

After we got onto the interstate in Omaha -- I HATE interstates, especially at night, so he was driving -- we had to maneuver all the nasty construction outside of Council Bluffs. It was a moonless night, the lines on the road were very dim, and the signage was minimal and popped up at the last minute, so we missed the exit to remain on I29 south and had to backtrack a bit. Eventually, the road widened and became a legitimate interstate.

Not far from St. Joseph, we stopped for a stretch in a McDonald's parking lot, and by golly there was another black cat out wandering in an area heavily populated with moving vehicles. He was hot footing it pretty fast, though, across the lot, so I think he was pretty experienced with dealing with jeopardy. I watched him disappear safely into the bushes, and then we got in my vehicle and finished the drive to St. Joseph.

We had a room at the Radisson, and we arrived at 11:00 p.m. I looked across the street and was surprised to see this:

 Turns out he had just delivered a concert at the arena across from our hotel. We were surprised to see two large semi trucks like the one in the photo and three large coach buses lining the street. I never did catch sight of him, though.

We checked in and then took a short late night stroll around the area. I was delighted to find a bar that doubled as a bookstore! We went in, and I browsed a bit, but I didn't buy anything -- even though I was very tempted. Instead, we returned to the hotel bar for a nightcap and got there just as the bartender was trying to close. She said she could make us something to go, so I ordered my standard Bloody Mary (wow, did she make hers potent!). While we were waiting, a couple ladies came in, and when the bartender told them the same thing, they were disgruntled and said that they'd come there to get away from their kids! They wanted to know how many drinks she could make them to go and were then delighted to hear about a pitcher of something I didn't quite catch, so they ordered two and planned to sit in the lobby drinking until they finished off both of them! We didn't find them passed out in the lobby the next morning, so I can only assume that they eventually went back to their kids.

We learned that we just happened to be in town the very morning of the Apple Blossom yearly parade that goes through downtown St. Joseph, so after checking out, we drove a few blocks, left my car and double checked with a police officer about the parade route. A weathered older man was sitting on a low wall nearby, and he noticed my Harley-Davidson t-shirt and asked if I had a bike. I turned to tell him that I did, and then I noticed the very large H-D logo tattoo he had spread entirely across the top of his bald head. I inquired after his own bike only to then be met with his sob story involving arthritis and other maladies that prevent him from riding a conventional two-wheeler, so he now has a trike. Naturally, I bit my tongue and stopped myself from telling him that perhaps if he gave up smoking what I will only assume was a couple packs a day by the sound of his voice and discolored look of his skin along with the dangling lit cigarette in his hand, then maybe he'd get back on a real bike again someday. 

We then walked a couple more blocks to an area that would clearly be on the parade route. It hadn't reached that point yet, so we found a little coffee bar called Pony Espresso and enjoyed a Latte (him) and a tropical smoothie (me). That place reminded me a lot of the fictional Central Perk from the TV show "Friends" because it had a sofa and comfy chairs meant for sitting and visiting with friends. It also had a large selection of books to read while you enjoyed your beverage and quiche or bagel.

We found a couple of chairs and sat down to await the parade. As soon as we saw the color guard at the front of the parade, he and I both stood, as everyone should do, out of respect for our flag. We were appalled to see that only a handful of people along the entire block rose to join us. Almost every one of them remained seated with their hats on! It took a lot for my boyfriend to not chew some Missouri ass right then!

We had to leave the parade before it was over to meet someone, so we did. This is what we went to St. Joseph for: 

Not the dusty Trailblazer -- that's been my car for eight years now. See the lovely Harley-Davidson colored trailer? That's our new baby, and we'll be using it to haul our two bikes, my H-D and his Indian, when we want to go places for longer than a day or that are far away.

Then it was time to head back to Nebraska, and since I hate interstates and wanted to get our first Passport stamps, I convinced him to take some back roads. Little did I know from the maps on my phone that the road I was taking us down was about to turn into an unpaved one! When we encountered that with a brand new trailer behind us, he was hesitant to continue, but I could see that it would become paved again, so off we went. At first, it was fine -- a bit dusty, but flat. Then we came around a bend and encountered a veritable mountain with the crushed rock road running straight up the side of it and no place at all to maneuver a turn around. There was nothing to do but forge ahead. I was hoping it would flatten back out after that first tall hill. No such luck! Hill after hill after hill. On one side of us was a dense foliage that was part of Monkey Mountain Conservation Area, and on the other side was a drop off that led to a huge open expanse of farmland. Surprisingly, there were a few homes along the way, and we couldn't help but laugh as we wondered who would want to live where their house could only be reached by such a horrible road, especially in the winter or during heavy rains.

The road did turn into pavement again, though, as I knew it would. We guessed it was about five miles of nastiness, but we survived it. It was Road 400 off of Highway T in Missouri in case anyone wants to check it out. However, that cut across led us to Forest City and one of the best little small town diners I've ever set foot in. It was appropriately named "The Diner!" 

It's open from 5:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. only, and it mostly caters to duck hunters along with the locals. We had the best iced tea I've ever tasted there, and the pork tenderloins with gravy and mashed potatoes were huge and delicious. They also apparently have great pie, but we were too stuffed from the meal to try any. However, a good old boy local guy pulled up out front, got out of his pickup truck, came in, sat down at the counter on an old-fashioned stool and proceeded to ask the waitress to read him the pie flavors of the day which were written on a white board because HE COULDN'T SEE THEM! I repeat, he had just driven to the diner, but he couldn't read the words on the white board! Ugh.

We headed to Falls City for our first Passport stop of 2016. After we crossed back into Nebraska,

we started to see the haze that I'd heard was coming all the way down from the horrible Canadian fire that is out of control up there. It is hard to believe that the smoke can come this far, and it's even harder to believe how much damage the fire has caused already.

We finally got to Falls City, a town neither of us had ever visited. That's what I love about the Passport program -- it takes me to places in a state where I've lived my whole life yet still haven't managed to visit. We stopped at the John Philip Falter Museum in downtown Falls City. Falter was an illustrator, and he drew over a hundred covers for the "Post" among other things. 

Those are some of his covers, including ones that feature Falls City in some way. The museum is located in a former bank, just like my mom's store in Neligh is. 

From Falls City, we briefly visited Indian Cave State Park for stamp number two. We had to navigate a horribly pot-holed road, but we got another good laugh to see a barn along the way that was freshly painted up only as far as the painter had been able to reach! We got to the park entrance only to find that the one-way loop road in the park was closed for construction. I was disappointed because I've been there before, but my boyfriend never has, and I wanted him to see that road; however, it would have been difficult to traverse it pulling our trailer, so we will just have to return another time when the construction is over. We did get our stamps in the office, though.

Afterwards, we headed to Peru, another town I'd never set foot in before. The State College library was Passport stop number three, and we managed to get there shortly before it closed and also after the college graduation was over, so our timing was perfect. The campus is small but lovely. Here is the exterior of the library: 

We had to get to Omaha for a graduation supper, and we managed to arrive with time to spare. If we'd had a little more time, though, we could have checked off a few more stops, or we could have spent a little more time exploring Peru. Oh well, the whole summer awaits us along with 77 more stops on the 2016 Nebraska Passport Program. If you haven't got your Passport yet, be sure to stop at the Country Junction in downtown Neligh to pick one up from my mom. Tell her that Tammy sent you!