September 8, 2011

Technical Difficulties

No matter how hard you try to plan everything in advance, something is going to go wrong.  Or two somethings.  Or three somethings.  I’m learning that how you deal with the problems is what really matters.  Unfortunately, that’s something I have to work on.  The perfectionist in me too often rears its ugly head, and I let things get to me when I should just shrug them off. 

The first problem was trying to hook up to electric, when it didn’t work.  After we spent a frustrating hour dealing with that issue the first night on the road, we at least learned that advance planning had paid off.  Tim and I had installed a surge protector, and that probably saved our electrical system.  An annoying situation, but one that worked out in the end.

Last night I tried to update the blog, and Blogger just wouldn’t cooperate.  I’d compose a post one way, and it would look completely different online.  Why was my last sentence in the middle of the post?  So, my best laid plan to update the blog on a daily basis was off to a bad start.  I just gave up.  There would be no posting last night.

Tonight, my connection to the outside world died.  I had purchased a MiFi from Verizon so that Tim and I could both have internet access for the laptop and iPad.  My attempt to install a firmware update for the MiFi resulted in my being locked out entirely.  There would be no internet and no new blog posts tonight either.  Maybe I was just tired, but I was not a happy camper.  Poor Linda!

Fields of Nebraska Corn

At least the drive through Nebraska was beautiful.  Some may scoff at the idea of beauty in Nebraska, but I loved the sight of gently rolling hills with fields of corn and soybeans.  Colors varied from field to field, with some still green and others already turning brownish-red.

We arrived at the Homestead National Monument of America at the end of the day and toured the exhibits at the new Heritage Center.  The Homestead Act of 1862 was so significant in the country’s western expansion, and the monument interprets the stories of settlers from Nebraska to Alaska.  The last homesteader in fact was from Alaska and received his patent in 1988!  I had no idea the act was in effect until the end of the twentieth century.

Heritage Center at Homestead National Monument

 The "Living Wall" Represents the Percentage of Land
Successfully Homesteaded in Each State

Did Linda Homestead in Colorado?
As Linda and I looked at the exhibits about typical homesteads, I commented that I was certainly glad the RV didn’t have a dirt floor to sweep.  A woman standing nearby, however, pointed out that with a dirt floor, “no one would notice if the house was dirty.”

Palmer-Epard Cabin, 1867

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