Scenes of flat country dotted with haystacks and wildflowers whizzed past our vision for the stint through Missouri and Oklahoma. We were lucky enough to pass by several Amish wagons trudging along the shoulder of the road. A young girl, no older then eight years, locked her solemn brown eyes with mine and a chill ran through me like I was staring into the past. She wore a bonnet and a long dark dress. Her little brother was holding her hand and fidgeting in the back of the wagon, clicking his buckled shows together and watching the cars fly by. I was just another car, but that image of Amish country will haunt me as their culture continues to fascinate millions.
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We pulled up to a red-brick apartment complex in Springfield, Missouri a couple nights ago and I saw my beautiful cousin, Tiffany, and her fiance, David. They're very much in love and it was uplifting to witness their tenderness and the secret smiles they shared. Together the four of us lit fireworks into the night and in the morning I snuck Tiff out for warm Belgian waffles. It was a tearful goodbye, not only to eachother but to the way things are. Next time I see Tiffany, she will be a mom.
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Last night we drove through Oklahoma, Texas, and finally to New Mexico at 3am. Thankfully, we had a bed waiting in a pueblo in the deserts of Albuquerque. Howard, our host, was waiting for us when we arrived and has showed us the most awesome kindness. He is an artist, so his home is filled with priceless works of art and over 3,000 books of poetry, philosophy, and of course art. I'll be raiding his collection for the next couple days as we fix old Moby's radiator. He has a fantastic garden, where he grows tomatoes, basil, grapes, squash, and all sorts of flowers that attract all manner of butterflies. I was lucky enough to capture two tiny white butterflies mating, which happens so fast that if you blink you miss it. Those are some of the pictures posted above.
Love&Peace,
Eric&Bailey
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