Short synopsis..

We left for Colorado on Saturday morning and arrived on Wednesday eve.......1800+ miles and the old car ran like a top. NPR and the views kept us occupied. We unexpectedly came across the horrific tornado damage outside of Birmingham. TV could not do it justice.....it came to those who could least afford to recover. Then it was on to Memphis where the Mississippi grew to over 3 miles and the tributaries backed up to cover the rural areas for miles. Detours were necessary.

One of our goals was to stop by the Clinton Library and Museum in Little Rock. It was built in an old industrial area and the surrounding parks and trails are not finished. We found it interesting and efficient in cataloging and displaying the vast information. But I found it strange that in one ever changing section was a Dr Seuss exhibit........probably to keep the people coming back. Won't get into politics here but just let it be known that P brought a tee shirt that says "I miss Bill" .

Continuing along this theme, we stopped at the Truman library in Independence, Mo. It seemed a bit more homey and easier to review his life and presidency

This was an exhibit representing the number of planes used in the Berlin airlift. Over 200 flights daily brought in supplies.

We continued on to Abilene, Ks to visit the Eisenhower Library. It was undergoing necessary renovations and updates so it was a quick stroll around the grounds and library.

We had perfect, warm and even hot weather for most of the trip. Until we hit western Kansas. The sky darkened and the radio kept us updated on the tornado warnings. Most seemed a bit north of I 70 but we expected some heavy rain. Abruptly, we were pounded with hail and had to pull over as visibility was poor. The hail quickly piled up and the snow plows were very prompt. We started out again on the road covered with several inches of the stuff and with a 30 degree drop in temperatures. The tornado sightings were about 10 miles north of us. We opted to take a shorter route to the house, across the prairie for about 50 miles.....a well traveled scenic route but also one that climbed another thousand feet, resulting in driving thru a beautiful snow fall, quickly accumulating. It sure didn't feel like mid-May.

We woke up on Thursday to more snow falling at the house.....temperatures were in the 30's and only got to 50.......my May clothes just didn't work so had to go buy some winter duds.

But, despite our fears, graduation on Friday morning dawned bright and sunny and a bit chilly.

Nicholas graduated from the prestigious Colorado School of Mines with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. After a summer working in Tulsa, he will continue his work towards a MS in Petroleum Engineering.........of course he takes after his grandmother.............NOT!

We look forward to seeing the other 3 meet their goals in the near future.

We'll head home on Tuesday morning when the temperature is to climb into the 70's here and in the 90's at home. It's been a wonderful trip. ( I have no idea why some parts of this post are underlined and in blue.......I'm using P's computer as I can't post pictures from the iPad)