Interstate Highways at 50

I was reminded, listening to Morning Edition this morning, that today is the 50th anniversary of the Interstate Highway Act. They ran a story which talked about history, impact, the good, the bad (as usual). But along the way they mentioned that the first section of the highway started was Highway 70 in KS.

They mentioned a museum, I still have to track down the details.

Anyhow, see the dot site for more info for now.

things to say

Laura has created a blog to cover her wanderings this summer. I told her that I would comment on it in e-mail, maintaining the purity of her narrative. I also figured that I would not have much to say, other than the obvious - that she and the girls are great. She is a wonderful parent to put the trip together etc. All of which is worth saying, but might get a little boring on a day to day basis.

Now while she is trekking across the heartland, I am at home in the woods of new england. Every once in a while when I am out and about in the morning, I feel like it is wild life central. This morning, I had just come in from walking the dogs when I heard someone knocking. It sounded like they were banging the side of the house.

So I went back outside, thinking it was a woodpecker, casting aspersions on the quality of our cedar siding. It turned out it was a pileated woodpecker, actually two, but not on the house, luckily. These things are big, 15" according to the books , which for a bird is pretty good.

Anyhow, I guess there is an advantage to having big dead trees in woods. The two of them pounded and dug away at a big old tree branch for almost half an hour. I would have taken a picture, but Laura has all the cameras.

Other things we have seen, or heard in the neighborhood

red-tailed hawks
deer (of course)
squirrels
chipmunks
rabbits
moles
racoons
fox
coyote ( heard only)
wild turkeys
ducks
geese
spotted salamanders
way too many frogs
skunks

I am sure I am forgetting something.

Off to work