Nebraska Hospitality

Cranked through Nebraska in four days. I kind of like it; especially the northwest and northeast corners. Maybe I just happened to drive through them at the right time of day (dusk, clouds)...

I won't bore you with too many details, because modern soil pictures are even less exciting than fossil ones (I know, hard to imagine). But, the Nebraska soil scientists are an incredibly helpful bunch, and they did what they could to keep me from leaving empty handed: However, I'm gaining some valuable experience that should help me if this whole academics thing falls through. I figure all of the logistical work makes me qualified to be an event planner. Or maybe I could also get a job as a truck driver with all the driving? Or perhaps a singing career? I've been doing a lot of loud car-singing lately.

I've also had to adjust my sense of a successful day: I'd say today has been the most successful since I managed to collect three samples, each one at least 100 miles away from the one before, and then managed to make it to Ames, IA this evening. I also managed to time each sample between heavy rain and thunderstorms, which actually made the sampling stops cool and pleasant.

Also just heard about the interstate bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis, close to my old neighborhood. So far, I've heard from everyone I know, that they're fine, but that makes the second interstate bridge to go down in a couple of months (the bay area lost a bridge to a tanker truck a few months back).

A couple pics:
the obligatory crooked-arm shot in front of the not-so-dismal Dismal River, NW Nebraska. I tried to stay out of the way, but I'm just going to blame it on the field hat. An idyllic pastoral scene from NE Nebraska