DAYS 83 & 84 - West Point, NE - 1632 miles from home

What I know about Nebraska could maybe fill a thimble; walking through the land for 24 days gives me an intense, but spotty perspective.... like one of those ubiquitous grasshoppers that dart up and out around me as I hike the highway. Sharp and quick glimpses, but perhaps no real big picture. I just keep hopping along.

Even so - I think I'm right to say that Nebraska is full of surprises, from its politics to its municipal parks. Nebraska is unicameral and technically nonpartisan (state legislators are neither recognized nor organized by party) - and it is also the only state besides Maine to split electoral votes. Unexpected juxtapositions seem possible here that it would be hard to imagine elsewhere. You might, for instance, go to a dinner party where someone wearing a black & white American flag baseball cap chats aimiably with their good buddy who's criticizing Trump, while someone else might be talking about regenerative agriculture.

I'm realizing how much I like juxtapositions.

On Day 83 in Tilden, NE, we were hosted in incredible comfort at the home of Darla Hobbs and Larry Petersen. Both are leaders at the historic Peace United Church of Christ - and their pastor, Rev. Dr. Melanie Miller, joined us for dinner, along with Larry's sister Shirley and her partner Phil, and Larry's sister-in-law Sue. Once again, we were fed within an inch of our lives: scrumptious local beef burgers, supremely cheesy potato casserole, watermelon from Phil's farm, some brilliant coolwhip orange marshmallow salad... and Alaska salmon that Darla herself had caught on a trip visiting her daughter in Homer.

Hey - if you don't like eating, you really can't be a pilgrim - because They Will Feed You!

The food itself, delicious and loving, was not the surprise. But Rev. Dr. Melanie was. Unexpected juxtapositions. Melanie was born and raised here in Antelope, County - then went back East for college and her doctorate of divinity, ultimately serving as pastor at Sojourners UCC in Charlottesville, VA ... before moving back home in 2015 to take over her father's ranch in Neligh.

The part of me that misses my pre-pilgrim uniform (black leggings, little Title Nine dresses, closed-heel Dansko clogs) felt an instant resonance when Melanie arrived. She was carrying a bottle of Sardinian red wine, sporting a very cool undercut and top bun, a black tunic, black puffy vest, black leggings. Graceful foot tattoos peeked out through her sandals.

Melanie is utterly beloved by her congregation, and she is devoted to this northeastern Nebraska grassland, to its farms and livestock, its human communities. She told me about Allan Savory and the Savory Institute, and said a few modest words about what she's trying to do with her father's ranch - about what it might mean to raise Simmental cattle with good calving ease, growth and maternal health. And then she told me that Walter Brueggemann, the celebrated Old Testament theologian, was born and bred in Tilden, NE. In fact, his father August was pastor of Tilden's Evangelical and Reform Church... which would become Peace UCC - aka the church Melanie leads now.

Surprises.

More surprises in West Point, where we were staying in yet another lovely municipal campground. (What is it with Nebraska and these city parks??? Camp for free with a tent, or hook up your RV for $15 - honor system payment - and by the way, free showers and bathrooms open 24/7??)

Strolling around downtown, Bob noticed a cool-looking bookstore. It was actually Lynette Soenksen and Gris Grimly's BAT Academy Art Studio. One part books and gifts; two parts arts and crafts studio; three parts welcoming community space for kiddos and other humans.

Gris is the artist behind Guillermo del Toro's vision for the academy-award winning Pinocchio. He was born and bred here in West Point. Bob and I got to meet his mom, Karen: "I live in town now - they came back to live on the farm!" Indeed, Gris and Lynette and their two children moved back here, from California, six years ago. Just before Covid. And "Covid changed me," Gris said. "Things slowed down for us." As he and Lynette talked more about that change, and about their connection to the land, to this place, to their family... I started to realize the ways in which their studio on Main Street, in little West Point, NE (population 3460), is a home for soul-making: for the creative ventures that transform and renew. The "BAT" in their studio's name stands for "Building Artistic Thinking." (And also, let's face it, with a creepy-cool aesthetic like Gris's, BAT also just means bats, because they're just cool.)

We went back to visit with Lynette and Gris last night - and met their friends Erin and Andrew. Also wonderful and lovely humans - she, a former MBA with pink hair and bright red lipstick, now working with littles (pre-Kindergarten to 2nd grade I think) as a therapist. He, a teacher in a special academic success program on the nearby Winnebago Reservation. And - Erin and Andrew also host a horror genre podcast: It Came From the Midwest.

We five drank tea and talked for a couple of hours about trauma and attachment injuries, about grief and the land - and about board games, including a game-within-a-game called Gwent. And we pulled some Tarot cards - something I haven't had a chance to do since Oregon. That was surprising too.

Larry Petersen and Darla Hobbs, Tilden, NE.

Sue Petersen (her eyes lit up when I told her my husband sells books.)

Phil and Shirley, bearing all the delicious things. Tilden, NE.

Reverend Dr. Melanie Miller (Darla in the background).

Colt Petersen before sunrise, Tilden, NE. It's never too early to be an excellent bird dog!

View from Highway 275, en route to West Point.

Outside Wisner, NE.

Feedlot in Wiser, NE.

Another feedlot: a tableau of sad cattle.

Is spray what's killing all these frogs on the side of the road?

Magpie that I am - I will keep this little horse. (Its whinny mechanism still works.)

Lynette and Gris at the BAT Academy Art Studio, West Point, NE.

Andrew and Erin, West Point, NE.