"After Three Days" and the Texas Fun

We were up early on this cold and windy Monday morning to drive to Tulsa, OK. By the way...have you recognized the lyrics I've been using in the blog titles these three days? Name that tune.

Did I mention that it was windy? That was one long 370 miles from Amarillo, TX to Tulsa. Some days when the conditions are bad, I don't know how Rich can stay focused mile after mile, although he does enjoy working on crossword puzzles together while he drives. There wasn't much to shoot but here is a small sample of our drive.

Driving through Shamrock, TX will always remind of the morning of January 17, 1994 and watching the horror of the Northridge Earthquake on TV while Rich in Chicago and I in Shamrock tried frantically to reach our kids who were at home in California to see if they were okay.

But we quickly passed out of Texas from there and into the red dirt and bright green patchwork of Oklahoma!

This is a canola field in bloom...breathtakingly bright and golden.

Just look at this flag...huge, beautiful, and proud with the wind fully extending it!

Like planned, we dry-camped at the Hard Rock Casino there. After we settled in, Rich and I walked over to the casino for dinner. They do have a pretty good buffet there but if you haven't been to a casino for a while, don't think there's anything free unless you are a gambler. The buffet is $20 each! Between the two of us we left another $70 in various slot machines as we were walking out. We are not really very into gambling so that was a lot for us to squander.

And that brings us to today. Even though it rained all the live long day, driving conditions for the 315 miles from Tulsa to Cuba, MO were much better than yesterday's. Rain does not make for a good photography day though.

Our drive began under gray skies in the Oklahoma rain.

And continued throughout the day under gray skies and occasional heavy fog with nearly constant rain all through Missouri.

Missouri is such a beautiful state with its highways carved through various types of rock, red clay soil, and lots of vegetation. 

Right now the Redbud trees are in full bloom!

Tonight we are in Cuba, MO...where it is still raining...and tomorrow we will be in Illinois!

I am so relieved that my mom has remained stable while Rich and I tied up loose ends in AZ and made this long trip back to see her. I am so grateful that my brother & SIL are with her every day and that my sister and her son were able to spend a week with her while she was in the hospital and to help her transition back to the nursing home. She's a lucky Mom to have all that love and support.

Lovin' Life ~~ Closing Out This Journey