From Ottawa KS: Things Seen So Far

The Missouri River, in its banks, and out--flood in bottom land and over the trail, forcing Eric and me over loose gravel bluffs, past the man who later becomes inspector and into the good nature of Jeff Wren, county road worker in Ashland, MO, and descendant of ancestors who trekked west from NC, TN, and KY.

Turtles. Snails. Lizards. Gray and fox squirrels. A cardinal. Blue bird. Purple. A black bird with bright blood stripes at the base of its wings. Lots of birds.

A crop duster that flew back and forth just past the highest point of thr KT Trail and where still another hill rose up to meet the plane.

Bottom land. Swamps. Forests. Hundreds of bright blue flowers that grew one to a spot. The ozark border of hills and the osage prairie of more hills and even larger hills in KS.

Some boys last night in Urich. Cops! FBI! We got a gun! You can't camp here, they yelled. I ignored them until one of the boys threw a stick at my tent. I stuck my head out and told them that all I wanted to do was sleep and if they kept it up I'd pack up and leave. They left.

Jim in Treloar who keeps an electric chair in his grill. A couple in Ashland who took pleasure that a prediction of rain might rain on the trek. Jeff Wren who saved us a day of biking by giving us a ride to Rocheport and on the way identified the Inspector. Small county!

Much more....