Amanda: every journey starts with a single step

SheepdogTrials.com welcomes back Amanda’s blog posts!

I crossed into the the US at the Thousand Islands and took the route south of the great lakes, I90, towards Chicago. It was a hot afternoon. I wasted no time. Once a motor boat surprised me, riding calmly up the Genesee River, heading north to Lake Ontario. That is an odd idea for a Kingston gal, who always looks south to the big lake.

I grew very tired and pulled in to a travel plaza on the Ohio part of the toll route. There, to my surprise, was a separate parking area for RV’s that kept the noisy trucks to themselves. It was a perfect place to pass the night with lots of quiet dog walking area behind. Kudos to the Ohio highway people with the vision to allow the RV’s some quiet space. I got up early, equipped with a delicious cup of cafe, and listening to one of thousands of songs on my iPod. I was in the “U’s”: “Up in Indiana” by Lyle Lovett. Halfway through the song, my headlights lit up a sign, welcoming me to Indiana. I swear Lyle would love that. I must tell him.

The rest of the day was less remarkable, with a pleasant pass through Chicago: Sunday morning comes highly recommended for no traffic. Barbara Ray had alerted me that her pass through Chicago took four hours. Mine was much better for the forty-five minutes. I stopped at La Crosse, Wisconsin, very close to Mississippi, and made a sign of the big river’s significance. I surged on, opposite to the draw of the Gulf of Mexico, against the current of all things Mississippi. I crossed a time zone, and finally stopped at Cabela’s for the night, in Mitchell, South Dakota . It was a perfect night. My camper bed had lined up to catch a soft breeze Its kindness was unforgettable and brought the sweetest, deepest slumber I can recall. There may have been better, but I can’t remember them.

Bev wrote to say she had acquired the cheeses that made Wisconsin famous, with lots to share. Soldier Hollow here we come. She is not even holding back after having had to pay for supper for the mob (the high cost of winning Kingston).

I am headed to Joni and Blake Tietjen’s place in Clearmont Wyoming, for dog work, altitude and fun.