Brokeback Nebraska...journals and links to new photos

Got to get moving early today. Not too early but early enough.

Stopped into the Paxton gas station for a little biscuit sandwich and some coffee. The day is sunny and bright, the temps are hovering around 24 degrees so it’s not too bad out today. No wind is good wind.

Clouds and possible snow are called for, but I don’t see it.

I begin the 19-mile hike into Ogallala where I have some mail and find the road to be wide open and long.   

Trains pass by me rather constantly today, and I had something interesting happen today. One of the Pacific Union trains honked three short blasts at me as it passed. There are no roads crossing the tracks and I look over and the engineer is waving at me.

Funny thing is, two days ago I had an engineer wave at me and wave a Red and orange hat…was the same guy!   It must be odd for them to see someone walking along this route and seeing them day-to-day 15-25 miles apart each time. Kinda’ cool though.

Had a truck drive by me and a guy yell…’Hey, I saw you on the news!”

I keep moving until I decide I need a foot break. I find a small entrance way to a cow field where a gate is locked and lay down there. After about 15 minutes a truck stops.

A guy steps out and he seems friendly enough. In the bed of his truck are rods for making electric fences. Old wire pokes up around the rusty side of the beat up pick up and I can also see a plethora of random tools…saws…axes…hole diggers all hairy-scary from the four corners of the rusty bed.

“How you doing?” he asks.

“Good…taking a break.” I saw holding up the remnants of a Chocolate bar.

He stares at me and goes into the conversation about what I am doing and where I am going and if I need to get anywhere and that he would be glad to give me a ride and if I wanted to come over to his house I could as he lives way back down this old road and he never sees nobody and he thinks I am cool and if I wanted to he has a hot tub and we could hang out and get drunk….

Whoa.

I politely pass on the proposition, harmless as it may or may not and go ahead and pack up and make my way as he drives down a side dirt road that leads to nowhere.

I look back a time or two to make sure he isn’t behind me…sorta’ felt like maybe I should just keep an eye out…maybe nothing, but I always listen to those things.

A little bit further down the road a Shierff stops me and talks to me for a bit.

Nebraska Cops have all been cool. They wave or ask you if you need help. That’s it. I like that.

I role into Ogallala in the late afternoon, earlier then I expected and stop in and take a look at Front Street which is a Western Town façade on new buildings. Looks cool and some of the stores are actually open for business.

I think about heading out of town but I see The Paradise Hotel---17$…$17???? How the hell can I pass that up? I would pay that for a floor and a shower.   Here I get that and more   Plus, next door is a Chinese place.

Tomorrow, Kingsley Dam and Bald Eagles, I hope

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http://trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=290635