You might have stopped expecting posts from me by now.. We were traveling for one month, by car, on the belated retirement road trip and I did not post much. In fact, I did not write much either! Barely took notes.

Seven thousand miles with my husband in the car and I pretty much went brain dead as far as my disciplines. Reading maps, keeping our sense of direction, making and canceling hotel reservations, those I can do! But oh, the things we saw and experienced! You might have seen the posts about the graffiti artists in Kansa City? Decorating a western fence, and expedition dog? After that we headed further into the western states.

I hope to chronicle our experiences, photos and insights in the next few weeks or so. I think the mail, laundry and groceries are caught up. Though the checkbook has NOT been balanced and none of the appointments I need have been set up! We have spent some time with both adult children and the three grandkids. Made it back to our church home, too.

So here are a few pictures to whet your appetite to perhaps continue following me? Oy! Can’t do that until I download them from my iPhone. So much to catch up on!

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And two of so many ways to see the world!

Did you know that Lewis and Clark had a dog on their expedition? Seaman was the Newfoundland breed that accompanied them. He was purchased for $20 just before they departed Pittsburgh.

He is remembered in this statue in St. Louis on the Mississippi riverbank. I took the photo on a gray day. The river was so high the stairs were closed and waves from the passing tug boats and barges were splashing up!

Have you ever tried it? Oh my goodness! St. Louis goodness ;-D Zia’s On the Hill. This is the appetizer portion. I could not finish it!

We have visited this place twice. If you get to go, bring home a bottle of their salad dressing, or order it on-line like one friend of mine does! Yum.

No, I did not spell that wrong! Not Gotham where Batman resides, but Gothenburg, Nebraska. It held a nice little surprise for us.

If you have to leave the spectacle of 500,000 birds you might as well find something interesting on the road to the higher mountains!

Aren’t you glad about now that you have on-line reading and wifi instead of horseback delivery of messages, newspapers and mail?

When we were rolling through this town I just had to ask Bob to turn around so I could get a photo of this oh so western fence!

Definitely heading west now!

Imagine a 1/4 mile hike on a concrete paved, wide trail, in the dark, but with enough moonlight to see the way. As we approached the Platte River we could hear the cranes but not see them. As the sky began to brighten slightly the birds began to stir. We waited on an old railway bridge (now a walking and biking path) with others here for the spectacle. As the sky got lighter more people showed up. The birds began to rise in clouds: first in fifties, then hundreds, then uncountable thousands. Their song was louder with each group. It was marvelous! As the sun got brighter, a mist formed over the edges of the river. The birds continued to rise. One photographer said the birds on one sandbar-like area usually departed early. We decided they were teenagers and sleeping in today.

This was our first sunrise on the Platte River for the Sandhill Crane Migration, the largest Sandhill migration in the world. This migration map from iBird show their migration ranges.

The day we were there they broke their record for birds in the area. A plane flies over and calculates the total population. There were over 650,000 birds.

At night the birds rest in huge groups in the shallow waters of the Platte River on sand bars. During the day the cranes glean the corn fields. I started calling them Ruth and Naomi. They are difficult to photograph up close as they are extremely skittish. So my photos do not include close-ups.

What an amazing spectacle! The big snow storm closed the area a few days after we left. We were fortunate to have blue skies and warm weather.

If you are fortunate enough to visit Kansas City, you might get to see these artists at work. This first guy has on slacks that mimic a cinder block wall in black with brown mortar. Notice the design on his back pocket!

The weather was lovely. The paint fumes were thick. Some artists wore masks. Girls gathered in front of the wall as background of their beauty shots. The colors were amazing. There were a few working from sketches, but most of the work seemed to be random creations. The music was constant and some guys wore earphones for their own tunes.

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Amazing stuff. I could not tell you anything that was said in the words in the paint, but the colors and designs were fun.

I have been honored to participate with a group of praying women – regularly – since November, 2016. We have formed bonds by travailing together in prayer for our church staff, elders, ministry team leaders and missionaries. The list of our prayer topics used to fit on a 3 x 5 card. Then both sides, then a 4 x 6 card both sides and now is printed on much larger paper with a longer list. We take turns each week doing the group leadership. We write an outline based on “Prayer Portions” by Sylvia Gunter (used with permission) or create on our own from Scripture. We have sections on Praise, Thanksgiving, Personal Confession, and Intercession.

I do not think any of us understood the impact this discipline would have upon us individually or corporately when we began in 2016. There is a core group of seven women. Not everyone can attend every week. Sometimes we have to cancel for inclement weather or when many activities involve church members on that night ( like kids Drama Camp practice).

When my husband and I traveled to a museum in Oklahoma he found this tile which so expresses our group for me.

We have learned so much together about spiritual strength and how to lay down self interests. Within the group we have learned to grow in holiness and purpose. We seek to encourage one another as well as those we pray for. In our weekly meetings and through texting, emails and phone calls we share life together. This long standing group has required that we each learn true humility, genuine concern for one another, and commitment to the work of being intercessors.

These women are friends that I value so much …. words fail me. We continue to pray for the unity of the Holy Spirit among us. May the Lord bless our efforts to His glory.