We're in the land of long, straight roads. Excellent for mileage runs, but with the long legs and the way so many people come out to admire Dirigo wherever we stop, we have to run at top speed to make it to the next town on time. We were an hour late to Lincoln yesterday; our one lone fan was about to leave when he saw Dirigo coming. Today I thought we were making good time so I got serious about mileage and put the windows in to improve aerodynamics. I set the cruise control at 50 mph and drove. The thermometer said 110 in the cockpit, but after two 60mpg legs I was determined to see how well we could do. I wanted drive  for at least 100 miles. Considering the thin air and gradual climb up the western slope of the Rockies, I awarded Dirigo 88mpg. How nice to come across Glen Elder Lake a few miles later and jump in for a quick dip.

From there it was nearly a straight line to Colby, but look: there's a turn in the road! A nice, sweeping ninety degree turn. What fun: an actual turn. I was grinning ear to ear! We pulled in to Colby and found one fan waiting for us. Well, for Jack, actually. Jack has quite the fan base. But I guess I was okay, too, as Tom invited me to dinner and his charming wife Tina made a wonderful pot roast.  The Colby Free Press ace reporter Vera Sloan chased me across town and finally caught me at the court house for an interview.

Approaching the Nebraska-Kansas line there was nothing but corn and fields. Rounding a long curve a silver shingled steeple appeared, so I pulled over. Why would there be a church way out here? They're such in town institutions. Now, we know by know that Dirigo draws crowds, so I was chuckling to myself that no one  would ever show up here on a Monday morning. I was basking in the awesome tranquility of shades of green rolling away to the horizon; truly a spiritual place that the early settlers must have felt, when a pick-up parked next to me and a woman stepped out. Soon another arrived and in a matter of minutes there were a dozen charming ladies wondering about the car. They were farm women so asked about horsepower, transmission, engine, and all those good nuts and bolts questions. What an absolute treat! They gave me a tour of the church, asked for a post card from California (I can't bail out now!) and wished me Godspeed.

Jack is still delayed and we don't know where we'll find him, but are hoping for Aspen tomorrow. Jay got the Stealth fixed at a welding shop in Lincoln. I got a small amount of grief for telling Michael that brining a welder would be overkill and how it's nice to meet locals sometimes...Then Jay fried a trailer bearing, replaced that, and the tow car began to act up. He managed to fix that, too, and still make it to Colby before dark and get interviewed by Vera. We're planning on an early start so we'll have plenty of time to work our way through the heart of the Rockies.