As I contemplated today's Post, I sensed that I had used the title before; indeed I did, back in February of 2021 (see that post). Today, we were traveling in the opposite direction, driving from our home in Missouri to our farm in Colorado.
When we left Columbia this morning, the temperature was 5 degrees F but the highway surface was dry. Snowfall slowed our journey through Kansas City and the temperature dropped beneath zero F by the time we reached Lawrence, Kansas. Nevertheless, travel was relatively unimpeded within the Arctic Dome until we dropped from the Flint Hills into Junction City. From there, strong north winds raked the Interstate all the way to Hays, where we are spending the night. The winds produced ground blizzards wherever the terrain was open, limiting visibility at times. The temperature hovered near minus 2 degrees F but the wind chill was surely much lower.
Once again, wildlife endured the conditions much better than human travelers. Flocks of Canada geese moved above the snowy landscape, searching for wind-cleared grasslands or crop stubble. Red-tailed hawks and a lone bald eagle soared over the highway, seemingly enjoying the intense, frigid wind. Tomorrow, assuming our car starts, we'll complete our journey within the Arctic Dome to spend a couple of weeks along the Colorado Front Range.
