Sojourn Chronicles

For many, many years, my brother has invited me to either Track Days, which are the days running up to, or the Indianapolis 500 itself. This year, I went.

I have never been to the Indianapolis Speedway, so this adventure was a first. Most people know about the Indianapolis 500. Most know that it runs on Memorial Day. Some know that the time trials occur before the race. Those in the Indianapolis viewing area know it is a huge event for the entire month of May! Time trials. Practice runs. Fine-tuning of engines, suspension and tires. It all adds up to putting the most effort forward to winning the big race.

We had tickets to the Indiana Motor Speedway (IMS) suite, where food and beverages were plentiful. The suite was directly above pit row, and just down from the start-finish line.

It was impressive. But, the most surprising thing was the noise. It was LOUD.

During Track Days, only five, six or seven cars run at a time. They are all trying to qualify, and get as close to the front of the pack as possible in the starting line up. So, they’re practicing, but they are pushing too. As they qualify, and push for a better position, the average lap speeds increase. The leaders were registering nearly 220 mph.

So, I tried to photograph such speed.

I got better at tracking, as I practiced. Ear plugs were essential.

It was a good day at the track.–DBrent

There is a path nearby that runs along the edge of a ravine. It starts out near the road looking more like a gully, and within a short distance, it widens and deepens making it more than a stone’s throw across. That’s where its stream empties into the Little Miami River.

When I was a kid living on the edge of town, I would often take hikes into the woods. Exploring, I would discover cow paths, creeks and streams, and in May I would find wild morel mushrooms. Dad taught me how to find them. I found the wild blackberry patches on my own. With a bucket of fresh blackberries, mom could whip up a berry cobbler in no time. It was always delicious, especially when it was still warm and the ice cream would start to soften immediately upon making contact on the lightly browned crust, sparkling with sugar.

I was certain, in those days, that I would grow up to be a forest ranger. The closest I ever came to being a ranger was to take a walk in the woods.

Today, I still enjoy a walk in the woods. I often carry a camera to document the scenery, or to create images that might be used for an illustration.  I enjoy seeing a trio of butterflies or listening to the birds calling to each other. I love to sit on a stump or a fallen tree, quietly and motionless. In only a few minutes, the woods come alive with life.

I am going to do more hiking this year–more trails, more parks, longer hikes through the glory of the earth. I want to take more hikes for several reasons: I want to live a more healthy lifestyle. I want to appreciate the beauty of nature and find inspiration. I want to see it while it is still with us.

Earth Day is about many things, but for me, on this day, after a walk in the woods, it is about the effort to preserve our environment, our natural resources. I hope you found time to do something today for Earth Day.

DBrent

After my insane two-day, 30 hours of driving to Arizona, I decided the return would be a little different. I decided to take a different, more southern route over three days.

In hind site, and looking at the coverage of weather, I am so glad I made a change to my return route.

I have never driven the southern route to or from my Mom’s house. So, after a breakfast on Tuesday, I packed up the car and left Mesa, via US 60 headed east to Globe. Then US 70 to connect with I-10 in New Mexico and through El Paso, Texas.

View of I-10 from Rest Area, Las Cruces, New Mexico.

After El Paso, I continued on I-10, and then I-20 towards Dallas. I stopped in Midland, Texas, for the night and spent 30 minutes looking for a motel with an available room. At 11 p.m., and my third stop, I found America’s Best Inn to be clean and affordable. I only wish I had slept better for the next day’s drive.

Wednesday started out in drizzle and continued until about noon when I neared Dallas. It was evident there had been plenty of rain recently. In Arkansas, it was even more evident–flooded farm fields and some side roads visible near the interstate. I stopped in Memphis for the night, anticipating a shorter drive the next day.

I-71/75, Covington, Kentucky, approaching the Ohio River and Cincinnati.

Today, after checking the weather, I loaded into the car and drove home. It’s great to be home again. There were no weather issues–I seemed to be in front of all that stormy weather.

Just the facts:

• Tuesday–11.5 hours, 693 miles
• Wednesday–13 hours, 822 miles
• Thursday–8 hours, 505 miles

In hind site, I luckily missed a lot of stormy weather in Texas and Arkansas. Had I taken the northern route, I would have been driving through all of that storm in Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana!

The Hill Country of Texas sure was pretty. That would be a great route for the motorcycle. Gee! Isn’t that what I planned originally?–DBrent