When the state lines seem to be closing in . . .

 

Escaped to Nebraska 11 pm 10-12-22

You get out of state fast.  From the time two plus weeks ago when I entered Kansas along the old 66, I feel in love with Kansas.  It was a state that I was gong to zip through since nothing was there. Now I had stayed at Baxter Springs Springs Campground one night, Coffeyville five (see post ), and around and in Independence almost two weeks,”enrolled” in the morning university at McDonald’s (see post), viewed and made an offer on a house and made a low offer that was shockingly accepted the next day and put down earnest money.  We were supposed to close next week, and I woke up with serious cold feet.  

It felt like the state lines were closing me in and pressuring me to be sucked into Kansas forever. Something like the very tight wraps of cloth around little Chinese girls to keep their feet from growing. 

I wasn’t going to leave until the next day - a beautiful camp site at Montgomery County State Lake - but I decided to pack up and take off at 5 pm.  Trooper was ready to travel too. We drove straight to Nebraska and crossed the compressive state line just after 11 pm.  At the first crossroads the left fork was 22 miles to the next town, straight ahead more than that and right was only 7 to Salem.  I almost missed the sign with population 112 but turned left up the dark hill.  At the top of the hill was an open bar - the Big Red N.

The three guys at the bar welcomed me in and offered to buy me supper - I should have taken them up but was too tired to eat.  I am allergic to alcohol so I drank water as we chatted - one guy made beautiful cedar cabinets, another built houses and the third was an auto mechanic.  I asked where I could pitch my tent and they said in the park across the street.  A fourth guy came in and said I could stay in his abandoned gas station two buildings up. I picked the park.