Small Town Living…

There is just something to be said for small town living… Or in this case, small town vacation.  Today marks day two of our week in Neligh, Nebraska, USA.  It’s a great place to come home to, especially on the Fourth of July.  America at it’s heart.  It’s the place where you drive down the road and wave to your neighbor, heck, even if it isn’t your neighbor — because what small town Nebraska does well is community.

Today we went to the AshFall Fossil beds, one of the largest fossil sites in North America.Ashfalls  Herds of rhino and three toed horse fell victim to ash asphyxiation as the result of a probable volcanic eruption — a lava bed that lies below the surface of Yellowstone today.  One of our guides mentioned that the millions of years ago this probable eruption happened that the lava bed was most likely under what is now Idaho.  Amazing… The patience of the excavators marvels me.  Painstakingly removing layer by layer and identifying piece by piece, even down to the incisor teeth of ancient kangaroo rats.

Next stop… Grove Lake Trout Hatchery.  We need to go back there tomorrow, didn’t get to spend enough time there.

Then… out to the farm.  Our Uncle Ron and Aunt Diana have lived there for what seems like forever to me, especially given that they’ll celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in 2017.  Not much has changed. You still pull up the dirt road and park, hop out of the car and walk in.  It’s just how it goes in Nebraska. 11200768_10204371357556157_1325879541915250118_n Dinner was everything I remember as a child visiting.  Fried chicken and potatoes… a couple of salads, warm biscuits.  And while some of these things are now pre-made for efficiency… the are none-the-less amazing.  Biscuits taste better in Nebraska.  This is truth. Fire flies and thunderstorms. Bologna spread sandwiches for our picnic tomorrow.  These are some of the things I love most about coming to Nebraska.  Eric thinks that Uncle Ron’s last name should be Neligh, given he really has an encyclopedic knowledge of the community he calls home. Aunt Diana has been baking… we’ll have some angel food cake tomorrow at lunch, and I know that our Grandma Dottie’s chocolate cake with fudge icing will happen before we make it home.

It was an amazing day here.  I am so grateful for the time we’re gifted with spending here.  The hospitality, well it rivals Southern hospitality and this beats Disneyland ANY. DAY.

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