The Real Shady Rest!

This is the view from my room in a little roadside motel in South Dakota. It was nearly sundown and way too far to the next big city. The rooms were tiny, but clean and comfortable.  I imagine it was used more by deer hunters than casual tourists. Another view along the porch from my room:

Couch Surfing

I found out about a website for putting travelers together with people who have a room (a couch) to share for a night or two. Low cost travel housing plus you get to meet people from all over (it's an international site). Just out of curiosity, I posted for a couch in Nebraska.  Met the nicest family! Turns out they moved to Nebraska about 8 years ago, and from just up the road from my home in Long Beach, Mississippi! What a small world! I stayed with them for two nights.

The first night, I was treated to fried okra and catfish! The next night, they let me cook for them - a vegetarian burrito type meal:

They cook exclusively with old fashioned cast iron - which is what I use back home. All the veggies came from their garden (tomatoes, onions, garlic, every kind of pepper you can imagine, even the sunflower seeds), and I picked up some baby portobellos to add in. I sauteed it all in a bit of olive oil. Red beans and brown rice in a soft tortilla shell, topped with the veggies and rolled into a monster burrito made for a fun meal. We topped it with some of their home canned salsa and enjoyed a Nebraska fiesta.

This couch surfing may be a really fabulous way to meet new people everywhere!

Nebraska Rose Gardens

Well, I'm on the road again, this time traveling south, on my way east! From the road not far from Valentine, I saw the most gorgeous roses in bloom. Unable to contain myself, I detoured up the lane, redolent with the fragrance of roses, and introduced myself to the elderly couple who came out of the house to investigate this total stranger. I explained I'm on a 60 day (or so) sabatical, making a journey across America to just see where it is that I live. I asked permission to snap some shots of their roses. They shook their heads at this crazy guy from Long Beach, Mississippi who was so enthralled with flowers, but gave me permission to take all the photos I wanted. They must have thought the early springtime sun had gotten to me, because they came back out with a glass of cold water, advising me to drink up!