Do you see the deer in the picture?  Neither do we.   We were amazed at the number that emerged from among the sunflowers to feed in the grassy fields nearby as the sun went down.  Corn, sunflowers and cattle surround us as we take in the wildlife.  We are enjoying a break from our summer shows and our visit with family.  A simple trip to the hardware store results in a social visit with a friendly member of the town.  A passing motorist gives a wave on every street and road – truly the Heartland of America.

“I want to own a feed lot and make a lot of money,” the young boy responded after asking him what he wanted to do when he was older.  The other boy, who was showing his pigs at the fair, as part of 4-H wants to be a veterinarian.  What we enjoyed most at the Cuming County Fair in West Point, Nebraska were the great number of children that freely wandered the fair for its four-day run.  We do not see this many children in our California, Arizona or Nevada shows.  Many of the children are involved in 4-H and show everything from cattle to turtles, from photography to sewing.

We are enjoying some time with our children in Martin, South Dakota:  a rural land where cattle outnumber people by the thousands and dirt roads well outnumber paved ones.  Ranching and farming rule this land of rolling hills and endless plains.

Our Great Eclipse Trip of 2017 is more than half over and the eclipse less than a week away.  Today our son took us on a tour of a local rancher that raises cattle on a 10,000 acre ranch that the family has held for over one hundred years.  While enjoying a view of its 340 acre lake I think we found some agate that looks promising.  Perhaps a Fairburn Agate?

Just outside on Canyonlands National Park, Utah,  we spy this pump.  The rich minerals of the region extend to oil.  Oil production in America is up and world-wide prices have dropped.  Part of the benefit to us is cheaper gas prices as we travel our great United States.  Canyonlands is nick-named the “Island in the Sky” for its great plateaus and deep canyons, as if islands floating in the sky.

The train that powered our steam locomotive in Durango – the little engine that could not –  was powered by coal.  I discovered it was mined just an hour away in Mancos, Colorado.  Every town we travel through, each museum and visitors center all have mineral collections of great variety, in addition to their history of silver and gold.

We leave Fairplay, Colorado and Burro Days and set off to the North for some R & R.  We hope your week is blessed.