Trip out west

 

My wife Mary Beth and I left home on December 20 for a trip out west to visit family and friends.

Our first stop was in Ohio to visit a cousin from her Boston-area based Irish Catholic family. 

Then we drove further west to northwest Iowa to see one of my sisters. We were there for Christmas. This sister has been fighting cancer for quite a while so it was good to be with her again. My son and I had made the journey for a visit last spring as well.

From there we drove to Kansas to see my oldest sister who lives in Wichita. She took us see to the 'Keeper of the Plains' memorial yesterday at the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas Rivers. The towering sculpture of an Indian Chief was designed by Native American artist Blackbear Bosin in 1974. It is quite an impressive site.

 

From Kansas we will go to New Mexico to see friends and then take the southern route back east through Alabama to visit the Lynching Museum in Montgomery. 

Finally we will head to North Carolina to visit more friends before heading north back to Maine.

When leaving northwest Iowa we passed through many miles of a magical scene where the rising sun was reflecting off the frozen water on trees which created a beautiful light show. It was difficult to get a good photo due to having to film directly into the sun. But the image below gives a hint of the idea. When huge numbers of trees were lit up it was especially a very rare treat.

Sadly the sky was being laced with chemtrails that underscored the damage being done by humans to the creators wonderful gift of life on our Mother Earth.

Best wishes in the new year.

Bruce