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DAILY UPDATES....
This page will have updates from my trip, I'll try and post something
everyday. If you have any comments or ideas please send me an email.
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April 13, 2005 |
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April 14, 2005 Huffman Prairie Field has been referred to as "sacred ground" in the history of aviation, this is the area where the Wright Brothers perfected powered flight - it's just a boring field (with white flags to mark the boundaries), but it's first real airport and where it all really happened. Kitty Hawk was just the first flight, the real stuff happened at Huffman Prairie Field. On Friday night I spend some time at a bar in Dayton, OH chatting with some folks about their job working in a nursing home, I learned the finer points of bed pans, geriatric sex and ghosts. |
 Wright Brothers Airport
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April 15, 2004 I had the chance to chat with a guy (the switch
turning guy) from the railroad in Ashland, IN. Basically he told me that
he rides the train between stops and changes the switches. As I watched
him he said I could
stand right next to the tracks and 250-ton train engine, "Just don't try
and climb on it." |
 You think you got it bad?
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April 16, 2005 Bugs, bugs, bugs - they seem to just fly around the interstate highway waiting to be smashed onto car and truck windshields - and they don't wash off very easily. While heading toward Davenport I drove for about 20 miles on the old Route 66, it was a bit disappointing, hopefully the western section in NV, AZ, etc will be a little more interesting. As the sun began to set I got off the highway looking for a windmill to photograph with a nice yellow/orange sunset. I drove for miles and miles before I finally found a windmill (look on the pictures page) that I thought would make a nice picture. And like all good photographers, I had to wait almost an hour for the sun to be in the right spot (well, it really never got in the right spot). I set up my tripod and was snacking on frosted mini wheats (see the picture to the right) - it was a full-fledged sit and wait for the picture, boy did I feel like a photographer - now I can complain and tell a story of how I got the picture!! As I was waiting for the sun I guy pulls up in his pickup truck and wants to know what I'm up to (I did have my tripod in his field), long story short, I told him I just wanted to get a few pictures of his windmill and he said, "No problem." After the sun went down we chatted about farming, steel work (he's a union steel worker) and photography. And, since we're union brothers he invited to stop by his house anytime in the future, "Just knock on the door." So next time I'm in the neighborhood I'll have a place to stop.
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April 17, 2005 |
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April 18 & 19, 2005 I have a
few comments to make after spending almost a week in the mid west states: I finally go the chance to see a barge go through one of the Mississippi River locks (lock 11 to be exact). I also found out that the US Army Corps has spent a few dollars for wireless internet at all the lock houses - Thanks :) The picture to the right is a barge stopping on the Mississippi River (at about 1am) to let off a crew member. There is a barge "taxi cab" company that will meet your barge, anywhere and anytime, if you need to get off the boat for family or emergency reasons. I had another run in with the man - he was concerned that I failed to use my blinker in his one-cow town. I explained that I was tired and just looking for a place to sleep - he was kind enough to send me on my way. |
 Iowa 80 Truck Stop
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