Auntie Em, Dorothy, Toto.... rain and wind... yep... it's Kansas. We waited as long as we could to leave Kansas City this morning. Armed with a laptop and weather.com's local doppler weather, we were able to see the direction and intensity of the rain. After much discussion, we decided to go with the original plan, and head across Kansas on Interstate 70.

It was the right choice. The rain ended almost immediately, the wind was bad only for the first hour or so, and eventually it turned into a beautiful day. In no particular order, these are things I learned today in Kansas. If there's a little bit of wind, all the cows stand facing the same direction. A pilot told me that once, but I can't remember if they face into the wind, or away from it. They must stand facing the wind, the other way sounds painful.

If there's A LOT of wind, all of the cows lay down, except for the one cow that must have been absent from Cow School the day they covered what to do if there is a LOT of wind. This would be the cow that gets sucked up into the tornado. Those things that look like big ugly brown cows from a distance are actually buffalo. It is better to be the driver of a cattle transport truck than riding a motorcycle BEHIND a cattle transport truck in a one lane construction zone where you can't pass for 10 miles.

Nothing good falls off of, or out of, a cattle transport truck. You should try to not get anything that falls off of, or out of, a cattle transport truck on the motorcycle, especially the parts of the motorcycle that are hot. After 10 miles behind a cattle transport truck, the inside of your helmet smells just like the inside of the trailer with all the cattle.

Lots of famous people have been born in, or lived in Kansas. I knew some of the names, like Bob Dole, but most of the rest of the famous people had names I never heard of. There are lots of things to see in Kansas. All of them, though, are either 9 miles north, or 9 miles south, of Interstate 70. The Greyhound Racing Dog Hall of Fame is in Kansas.

The best Chinese restaurant in WaKeeny, Kansas is the Jade Garden. It's also the only Chinese restaurant. It's also the only "sit down" restaurant. When the little 'thingie' in the fuel guage starts flashing, you really, REALLY need to get gas.

Stay tuned...

John