Night Riders-July 16

The night seemed to lay heavy on the eyelids as we started out from Prescott past 9pm [three hours beyond the intended departure]. The four oldest kids had themselves snuggled into their seats with pillows and blankets they had brought along from the house.

After his long day at work, Michael was the first to take on the challenge at the wheel. I sat in heavy anticipation, in the "co-captain seat", over the tooth accidentally pulled out hours earlier while flossing my teeth. How in Iowa's swinely aromatic country was I going to socialize with old friends and family without the complete smile that seemed to have vanished with the tooth? It was a mind contortioning situation I would have to handle one moment at a time.

Eventually, as day broke in the Utah sky, all passengers awoke to beautiful scenery. McDonald's was an inviting breakfast stop with the impressive backdrop of the red rocks jeweled with green trees right on the border of Colorado. I was once again reminded of the beauty God created on which to feast my salivating human eyes. The desert paradise that only travelers experience on the road [and privileged dwellers] put the theory of evolution back in the slimy trashpit of hell.

While taking the wheel for several hours into Colorado my tropical eyes just couldn't get over the beauty of green mountain landscapes adorned with lavish homes. Oh, who are we that God would privilege us with so much on which to feast our eyes? These were blissful moments I would've rather been riding and having my camera click several thousand times [while gleefully hanging out the window] as if to capture what only the naked eye can experience in connection with my pitter pattering soul after His awesomeness. Mike was thinking about the last mountain scene of "The Sound of Music". I was only longing to experience so much more.

We enjoyed the warm drive through the rest of Colorado, Denver and into Nebraska. Once we hit the prairie, the moisture in the air was heavy and sticky...but fortunately cool. The smell of swine and bovine were distinctly different but both stomach churning. We were in farm country now. The aromatic reminder would linger to the humble farm town of George, IA.