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

This type of caterpillar eats gravel roads, so I'm happy it's not hungry!

Bill,
A cicada killer is what I thought it was. I'd read that they are curious and that's why they fly around humans sometimes. The shoulder of the highway was full of ones that had been too curious with vehicles on the highway, though the one I pictured was alive. Thanks for your confirmation information.
Jeff

Nancy,
Thanks. I happened upon this pond as I walked west trying to get a clearer view of the sunset.
Jeff

Nancy,
You made my wife smile :)
Jeff

Phew! Long riding day Jeff. Nicely done and thanks for taking us along. I did learn about the Ponca, which I knew nothing about.

As we tour, we do always seem ready and anxious to get home, and I am happy that you made it safely. But as you know, I always wish for more of you cycling days ;’-). Rest well until the next one. It will be interesting to see where that will take you.😊

That's a big day! It's funny, we also get like that at the end of a tour. We always seem to be in a rush to finish. Like my grandfather used to say: "Like an old horse smelling the barn".

Thanks for taking us along on this tour. I didn't know any of the story of the Ponca and between your journal and a bit of Wikipedia, I learned a lot about that sad history. It's sobering what human beings can do to one another.

But mostly, congratulations on another great ride!

What a day! In that heat, too. Great beard. Good noon mileage. 👏🏽

I am not a big museum buff, and choose only those that seem more interesting than holding old farm and home appliances, machines, and memorabilia. I think those you visited in Lincoln, Nebraska seem quite the kind I would visit. A nice review and pictures of all (or most) that you saw.

Beautiful lighting on this one. You captured it well with the dark blue sky surrounding the lit building.

Such a simple photo brings a calm feeling. The watering can makes the photo. Nicely found Jeff.

When I was a kid, we called them regular old grasshoppers.

Good ol' differential grasshopper.

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/63518-Melanoplus-differentialis

Interestingly, I was in this town, toured all around, took many of the same photos, and met the nicest woman who was then managing the little museum. We were not of a bicycle tour, but did bicycle around the town. We loved it a lot and were happy to have just happened upon it. A delightful place. Saw the autos and bikes in the shop and loved those too.;’-)