…you see on the road.

I rolled out of bed this morning and was rising slowly to my feet – a precaution after living at 7,000′ and a reminder of the old adage:

“Hello darkness my old friend, I stood up too fast again….”

and was making the first cup of coffee, when I noticed through the window a tall, thin, birdlike figure, walking slowly around the park. What immediately caught my attention was the very large blue parrot perched on his arm, quietly taking in the morning sun.

Now, I have come across a few parrots in my life and they are – IMHO – not top of the list when it comes to travelling. They are very noisy, have wicked sharp claws and a beak that could rip your face faster than a bacon slicer in the butchers shop. However, this one was was remarkably quiet, perhaps (to quote Monty Python) it was shagged out after a hard nights squawking. Or stuffed. Sheesh, get an iguana, all that needs is a heated rock and a quick check every two weeks to see if it’s moved. The lack of flies is another hint.

Kansas is very proud of it’s sons (but apparently no notable daughters), Ike and several astronauts are well advertised and as I rolled through the small town of Russell, a large billboard proclaimed it to be the home of both Bob Dole and Arlen Specter. Now there’s a blast from the past. Who knew..?

It seems being famous for something is a big deal in Kansas, notably Goodland that claims to be ‘Home of the Big Easel’ which on the face of it is not the sort of thing that gets the Chamber of Commerce PR department big bonuses at Christmas time. By all accounts it is an enormous copy of Van Gogh’s ‘Three Sunflowers in a Vase’ set on an 80 foot steel easel in the local park. Having spent a couple of nights there, I was surprised to discover this hidden enclave of post impressionist art appreciation.

Anywoo, it’s a pleasant change from squirting washer fluid on the windshield and watching the droplets race themselves to the top…