CORN, CORN, AND MORE CORN

I remember back to my childhood and watching the commercials for Chex cereal. I always thought they said the Corn Chex came from Iowa, but maybe it was the Rice Chex, in either case it was a long time ago and the memory is a bit foggy. From what I have seen the past few days the corn could have come from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, or Michigan. Every field we pass, as far as the eye can see has corn growing on it, all at different stages, but corn none the less. Where does all this corn go?

As we traveled down I94 a crop duster was flying low over the interstate making his back and forth runs across the fields. It's always fun to watch them as they buzz over traffic, the engine noise loud overhead as he passes by. I had my camera ready and took my shot as he flew by and down the rows of corn. Growing up in the agricultural San Joaquin Valley of California you see these planes often, but I never grow tired of watching them zip by.

Even though is is hot enough to pop corn around most of the nation, there are signs that fall is not that far away. We passed this farm which no doubt doubles as a pumpkin patch when the coolness of fall is in the air and the leaves start to change colors. I love the pumpkin on top of the silo giving a friendly smile to the travelers on the road below.

We stopped for a break at a rest area/visitor center at the Michigan state line. This was one of the nicest and prettiest rest areas we have seen. It had a small pond with this miniature lighthouse. Inside I found a brochure for a lighthouse cruise through the Mackinac Straits. I quickly found out that you can take these cruises June through early September and see all 12 historic lighthouses on both sides of the Straits on Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Don't know if we will find time this year, but that is something we will definitely make time to see.

We spent the night in Dexter, MI just outside of Ann Arbor which left us with a 30 mile drive to the dealership. When we arrived at the truck stop we saw another boat driver from a different company parked as well. We had no sooner parked when we saw him drive off. We laughed to ourselves saying I bet he is going to the same place we are and wants to get there first. We were right. As we drove into the driveway, we saw that he had parked there all night to be first to be unloaded. But as my friend, Peter from Oz, would say........"No worries Mate", by the time most of you read this entry we will be unloaded and happily on our way back to Pipestone.