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Kathleen,
oic. rofl. ttyl.
thx,
Jeff

For the win! You might need to text more or do more social media to keep up with the youngsters.

Nancy,
Thanks! Your seemed-like-daily (and then some) comments were a joy to receive. Sorry I didn't return timely responses.
In some ways, I wish I'd stuck with my original two-day plan for that last day. But it worked out OK.
Monday, when I arrived home, and on Tuesday, I was full of energy. By Wednesday afternoon, I was saying, "I need a nap!"
As you know, my phone's weather forecast app kept defaulting to my home location. Seeing how the weather was almost always cooler at home makes me think my next trip should be in Illinois. We’ll see.
Jeff

Rich,
Yes, getting back to my truck to see if it was OK was pulling me along some.
I'm glad you were able to learn about the Ponca Trail of Tears. I intended to expand on that myself, but my wife said before I'd posted anything, "You want to see the locations, and that's fine, but the story isn't yours to tell." That was a light-bulb moment for me.
Thanks so much for following along. Your comments helped me keep everything in perspective.
Jeff

Did a bit of internet searching for the origin of the name "differential" but only found one entomologist who said he thinks it was because of the distinctive chevrons on its leg that made it easy to differentiate from any other grasshoppers...

Makes sense, but who knows for sure? Apparently nobody now. Trivia lost to antiquity.

Always glad to help folks do nature IDs. It gives me an outlet since my knees will not permit me to tour any more, and since my Zoology degree lay mostly dormant during my explosives safety career. If I could have had any job as a career back in the day, I would have loved to lead nature ID hikes. I now get to do it from the comfort of my basement! :-)

Kathleen,
Thanks! That was a day which maybe should have been done differently. But it all worked out.
Thanks for following along so faithfully. I felt you right there with me.
Jeff

Nancy,
Often I don't know what a museum holds until I get inside. I don't know why, but the first floor of the Nebraska History Museum, which was on archeology, didn't interest me much at all. Maybe I was in too much of a rush. However, finding on the second floor the headdress that Chief Standing Bear gave one of the lawyers at his trial was a quite a surprise. I didn't know that was there!
Jeff

Worth the walk, I thought.

Nancy,
Thanks. I've been impressed with the thought and time some have placed in their yard displays. Ones that don't get too cluttered seem the best.
Jeff

Bill,
Once again, thanks for your input to my journal. It adds so much!
I was heavy on the insect side this year, but you handled it, no problem
:)
Jeff

Bill,
What's differential about them? ;-)
These are the grasshoppers we recognized and played with the most when I was a kid.
Jeff

Nancy,
I think the woman you met at the museum is still working there. If it's not her, her replacement Michelle is just as nice. She was so welcoming! I'm glad I got "pulled" into this place.
Jeff

Nancy,
The insect photos are close-ups, though the cicada killer is a fairly big insect.
Bicycle touring and my home routine with family and friends are both blessings to me. Each helps me appreciate the other.
Jeff

Kathleen,
OK, I'm going the need help with this one.
ftw? Forward Two Wheels?
Jeff