Day 80 Mile 1286-1306

Leaving Lusk, not easy. My tent site and swimming pool, my good eats and good sleeps; but Nebraska is just a day away and so I take one last trip to the pool and shower before setting off in to the heat. My meal is half of the half left from last nights sub supper with super apple pizza pie. I save the remaining quarter for later because I am not sure what will be available to me to eat tomorrow. I stroll along out of town passing the old Red water tower and waving to the Union Pacific Rail Conductors. The day gets hotter, there is a breeze and I survive. Big clouds ahead of me dark ones behind and one little patch of sunshine which shines right on me. I am still 3 miles outside of Van Tassell and the Nebraska border but Lightning strikes. Lightning that warms the air from 10 miles out. You can’t hear the thunder but you can feel the heat. I try to flag someone down to take me into town and out of the storm to no avail. I push on, but 3 miles will take nearly an hour and its getting dark... I sing with the lightning... knowing I am safe. I laugh with the rush that comes from being out in the storm, but contain myself... I know that the storm is attracted to loud energy so I calm myself and become serene as the rolling hills. The storm will stay in the buttes. I come across a bridge that goes over railroad tracks and think of camping there but too much train traffic is going on and I keep going and find a narrow cattle crossing which goes under the road. I use my walking staff to clear the tumble brush from infront of the culverts opening and I set up tent with the rainfly half on - half off just incase the storm comes near I can put it on quick but leaving it half off so that there is some airflow to cool my sweaty body as I lay down to rest. Its dark now but the air is hotter than it was when the sun still hung on the horizon. The lightning warms the air and the tent blocks the breeze, yet I keep it zipped up to keep the ants and other crawling things out.