The four gallon jugs of pink, non-toxic RV antifreeze had to
be pumped through all the pipes and faucets and poured into the tanks, so while
Val operated the pump, I was holding the syphon hose in one pink jug, watching
the fluid level drain away, and switching to a new one as it emptied. Then, off we went for one last visit to the
dumping station to drain the black and grey water tanks, and, when that was
done, Val poured the last of the pink fluid down the drain to finish the job.
We did all this early this morning, because we’d found an
Episcopal church in Junction City, 15 miles from our RV park and en route to
our destination, where we could attend the 10 o’clock service. The Church of
the Covenant was built in 1859, and was the first church in Kansas before
Kansas was even a state. One of its pastors,
when on his deathbed, was asked by a Presbyterian friend what message he’d like
to leave his congregation, and he said “Tell them to stand up for Jesus.” His
words inspired the well-known hymn “Stand up, stand up for Jesus”.
What a warm welcome we received from everyone there! At
coffee hour, Lillian, a lovely lady of 95, came over to greet us because she
didn’t want us to think they weren’t friendly! It was a nice start to our day,
and before long we were on the road, heading eastward on Interstate 70.
It was hard to drive past the sign for the Oz Museum in
Wamego, KS – the travel literature says it’s full of memorabilia from the
Wizard of Oz movie – but we couldn’t see everything! Shortly after, we entered
the Flint Hills sector of eastern Kansas, where the terrain changed from mostly
flat to a geography of hills and valleys.
When we arrived at the outskirts of Kansas City, KS, we took
the ring road around the city, crossing first the Kansas River, and then the
state line into Kansas City, MO as we crossed the Missouri River. I just had to
quote that great Oz line to Val, “we’re not in Kansas any more!”, just to see
his eyes roll one more time!
Once we got past the Kansas Cities, we headed north on
Interstate 35 to Cameron and found our motel, relieved that there was space in
the parking lot for the RV and car without having to unhitch. As we pulled in, I
saw Ontario licence plates on another vehicle parked by the office, and the
owners were just coming out, so I said “where are you from?” Thunder Bay was
the reply, and later, in the restaurant next to the motel, we saw the couple
again.
Brian and Norma joined us in our booth after they finished
their meal, and thus began a lovely evening’s conversation about travel, retirement,
being snowbirds and all the stories of our respective adventures. It was a
treat to make their acquaintance and wish them well on their journey.
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