I’m still enjoying looking around as I drive each day, mostly on small country roads that Roger has chosen ahead of time for his bicycle route. There is very little that I find boring about the scenery.
A homemade train
In the past several days, as we’ve travelled through Illinois and Indiana, I’ve loved seeing agricultural fields with very young corn plants or other newly sprouting crops bordered on two or three sides by woods. I can’t help but look at the fields and think about what an important job farmers have in growing the food we eat. I especially like seeing the signs indicating that the farm is growing organic produce.
The Jacob Henry Mansion, Joliet, IL - built in 1873
There have been brand new large houses with beautiful landscaping on large lots next to farmland or lined up across the street from farmland, and there have been tiny old houses on small lots right next to the road. In a couple of towns (Sycamore and Joliet, Illinois and Butler, Indiana, for example), I’ve slammed on the brakes to gape at houses that must be over 100 years old and have been lovingly restored. By contrast, I’ve seen houses that looked as though they once held a family, with all of their hopes and dreams, and now stand deserted and decaying in a field of overgrown grass. I can’t help but wonder about their stories.
A deserted house
What is the story behind the family that lived here, I wonder?
A couple of the photos I’ve shot have made me sad. When I first saw kennels with calves inside, I thought that it was nice that the rancher provided them with a shady place to rest. I hadn’t noticed the wire fences around each kennel until Roger mentioned it. They were veal calves, being raised in those small pens with no chance to exercise. Several days later, I took a photo of a veal calf standing in its pen. Another photo I took was of a futuristic-looking piece of farm equipment with long arms that magically extended. I thought it was pretty cool until Roger mentioned that it was for spraying pesticides on the young plants.
A veal calf
A pesticide-spraying machine
I can’t help myself when I see animals along the way. I have to pull out my camera and take pictures, especially when there are baby animals involved.
Finally, I’ve enjoyed finding lovely or interesting backdrops for taking photos of Roger as he rides. This trip is his dream, and I love documenting it.
