Julie Goes High

Julie is taking a virtual walk to Moab, UT, to see her nieces and nephew. John and Ben are tagging along. As they pass Smallwander towns, John has a stream of consciousness. Read the origin story.

It has been two weeks since my last log. I am seeing now that I have navigated Julie way too far to the north. For that reason, along with the fact that she has had a foot injury, Julie has a ways to go to get to Moab, progressing only a short distance for this posting to Pierre, SD. I, however, with my more direct route, am seeing the end in sight, as I settle down in Georgetown, CO.  It’s a good thing that I know Julie’s brother’s family well, so, they won’t mind me getting there a little early.

Ben made it to Lindsborg, KS, which was near near Abilene, where I landed a couple weeks ago. I’m glad he did, because Abilene showed up in last night’s Turner Classic Movie showing of Red River. It begins just after the civil war with the John Wayne character, Thomas Dunson, establishing a ranch in southern Texas. Within 14 years, he, and his adopted son, the Montgomery Clift character, Matt Garth, has grown the herd to about 10,000 head. Dunson is unable to sell the beef in the cash-strapped south, so, they had to drive them 1,000 miles north to Sedalia, Missouri, or so they thought. After much conflict, Matt and the other cowboys insisted that there was a closer and easier route to take to Abilene, along the newly established Chisholm Trail. The plan hinged on the railroad having been extended to Abilene, and sure enough, it was there.