july 19
day 71
27 miles
total 1,857
i really thought i was killing it last night.
got an on-time start (almost)
and kept up a steady effort.
no dancing with thunderstorms this time
altho the nightly nebraska light show was more spectacular than ever
it was all to the east
leaving a fantastic night sky straight overhead
with some memorable shooting stars…
the slow-moving, long lasting kind that end in a flash of light.
i was amazed and disappointed in my sunrise total.
it looked like i was destined to end up wit a 26.
i salvaged at least a little pride by bearing down the last 5 hours and squeezing out a 27.
i don’t really have any answers for my poor mileage
13:45 on the road with one 15 minuets break.
not much more i can do.
i need more out of these old legs
but i am not sure if they have any.
on the other hand
the day was everything i could have hoped.
there was no breathtaking nebraska sunrise due to the lingering storms to the east.
but the scenery was striking.
the sandhills country with cattle ranches and grasslands far outnumbering cornfields fairly screamed old west
and the periodic small towns could be used for movie sets
no question that the cowboy hats in every passing pickup truck were the real deal.
i probably lose a little time taking pictures during the day
but that was my best distance.
and how can i resist?
as i move steadily west
there are constantly changing grasses and new wildflowers cropping up.
so many fascinating things that could never be noticed from a car…
so much to tell
but i need to hurry and shower and get in bed.
the clock is running
and hope for a better result tomorrow hinges on getting back out as soon as possible.
it won’t help that my room has an air conditioner that has the cooling power of setting a single ice cube on the counter.
laz