Pueblo, CO

Good morning, Pike's Peak!

The clouds cleared a bit and this is what we saw

from our hotel room this morning.

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Another view from our room.

Note the Colorado and US flags.

I just love my Rockies!

On the way to Pueblo on Rt. 115, we came across

this beautiful house on the top of a mountain.

I wonder if they have their own heliport?

Garden of the Gods, CO

Happy Birthday, Bill!

Who would have thought he would be

scraping off snow on April 29th!

Welcome to Garden of the Gods in Colorado

Springs!  I never thought I would see this

beautiful place in the snow.

The fog and snow give the red monoliths

an interesting look.

No need for me to comment on each picture...

Balanced Rock.  

I have this picture that was taken

years ago during the summer.

Bill is having fun in the snow with the saguaro

cactus in the snow at the visitor center!

It was a challenge keeping the snow flakes

off the camera lens.  Some of the photos

look like they are done in black and white.

You knew eventually I would have to take an

artsy picture for my friend, Bill Markwalt!

One of nearly three dozen photos I took.

An interesting composition.

Snow on the yuccas.

Thanks for coming along on the tour!

Limon and Manitou Springs, CO

Bill decided to do a little off road driving along I-70 W

yesterday on the way to Limon.  Love the dark green

of the winter wheat!  By the way, a store owner in 

Limon says Limon stands for Life In the Middle 

Of Nowhere!  Catchy, isn't it?

"And the waving (winter) wheat can sure

smell sweet when the wind comes sweeping

down the plains!"

Snow on April 28th?  Would you believe we

have a winter storm warning for Colorado Springs

until tomorrow night?

At the entrance to Pike's Peak, I made a snowball and

tossed it at Bill!  Yes!  Got him in the leg.

I did it!

I am such a stinker!!!

Missouri into Kansas

This place was advertised for miles and miles on

billboards in Missouri as a place you must see.  It

truly is a tourist trap with things you will never use!

However, I just had to take a picture of it.

 

Welcome to Kansas!

I thought this was a pretty scene on I-70W.

 

 

Western Illinois

We have seen a couple of these huge crosses.  This

one is about 60 feet high.  Should this be a 

part of the capital improvement plan at Holy Cross?

A great example of agriculture and oil production

co-existing.

Isn't this a great advertisement for a winery?

No, we did not go in.  Each one of these grapes

is about three feet in diameter.

Welcome to "my" field of winter wheat!

I've never been this close before.

I just had to include this closeup of the grain heads.

These will be ready for harvest at the end of the

spring when they turn golden brown.

The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO taken from a

distance in IL.

Effingham, IL

Say hi to Bill and his car on historic Route 40

just outside Marshall, IL.

In the 18th century, these were the tolls that were

charged to cross the covered bridge.  I thought it

was kind of comical!

Can't help but get excited about these big, strong

John Deere tractors!  This is just the tractor

part of a combine that cuts and separates the

grain from the straw.

Here I am with John!  You can see how big

he is by looking at how short I am!!

The World's Largest Rocking Chair.

We were here in Casey, IL last year to see

the largest chimes and golf tee.  The chair is over

50 feet tall.