Saturday Sojourn ~ I-70 West to Kansas City

Come with me as I revisit some of the interesting and beauty-filled places I've been on my travels. Of course this means the actual trips I've taken, but it might also include trips of the virtual kind, from books, to movies, to great escapes through performances I've seen.



I love Saturday... a day of rest and ease and fun (usually) for me. I hope to share a bit of that feeling with you each week.


What a funny, funny winter we've had. Well, certainly not funny in the "oh, aren't we having a ball?" sense of the word, but very funny in the "my oh my isn't this some odd and crazy stuff?" sense.

I went to visit Mom yesterday in Kansas City, and was prepared for a nice drive. I was armed with my favorite CDs, a bag of almonds, and a travel mug full of steaming coffee. I had been gratified to read the weather forecast the night before, which assured me that I wouldn't be facing snow, sleet or ice during my drive across Missouri. In fact, it was predicting temperatures in the upper forties. Yes! Kansas City, here I come.

I left the little hamlet of Weldon Spring early in the morning, right before seven a.m. Although it wasn't exactly a sunny morning, it was pretty. The sky was like velvety gray flannel, soft and soothing. No sunglasses necessary, I thought, as I smiled to no one in particular.

I had only driven four or five miles down I-70 westbound when the soothing gray flannel sky draped down across the road. It appeared suddenly, and I thought it must be only a brief appearance of fog due to the warming sunrise on the wet roads.

About 120 miles later, I drank my coffee, which had long since grown cold,  and ate my almonds. One thing is certain. If you ever find yourself driving white-knuckled in the fog, I highly recommend doing so to the musical backdrop of Puccini's "Great Opera Arias". There is something beautiful and divinely poignant about viewing the shrouded landscape with " Un bel di"  from Madama Butterfly or "Se come voi piccina io fossi" from Le Villi playing along. It certainly adds something special to an otherwise stressful experience.

Heading into the fog



The shrouded landscape



Blanketed on a winter morning

Sleeping in this morning

A bold young tree among others hiding



The shy pine among friends




















Maybe if you listen to the aria as you look at the pictures you'll get the idea. Maybe not. You may have to take my word for it...it was unexpectedly beautiful.

Today, I wish for you an unexpectedly beautiful experience.