Monday, September 17, 2007

Along the Santa Fe Trail

I'm preparing to teach Willa Cather's My Antonia and all this preparation reminds me of the trips through the Kansas countryside we've taken to look at the ruts. I know it's not the right state or the right trail of pioneers. But still, it does all sort of look alike at a certain point. I think that Jim Burden's statement early in the book is apt for much of the Midwest: "The only thing very noticable about Nebraska was that it was still, all day long, Nebraska."

Jim Burden does come to love the plains his grandparents live on, and the book describes the beauty of those plains.

So I thought I'd share with you a series of pictures from our second trip to Ralph's Ruts in south-central Kansas.

First, a cow in the rut:


My dad and me at the ruts.


If you really want to know, he's offering the cow a hug.

The cow did't take him up on it.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Yes, and isn't it a shame. Just think what a fine photo that would have been.

Found some remarkable photos of Emily as a pre-teen when we packed to move.