Steinbeck had Charlie,  the dog along as a traveling companion.  If I had brought a dog along on this trip, he'd be dead by now.

Very hot from Kansas City to Des Moines and I could drive 45 minutes and then had to stop and recuperate.  I sprinkled my shirt with cold water and driving 60 mph kept myself from drying up and blowing away completely. 

So I took plenty of time getting to Ellen's beautiful and cool house in an elegant section of Des Moines.  Houses here have brick and ironwork gates, rolling lawns, large fan-like trees, Tudor-style and English homes.  When Ellen arrived from seeing a movie with friends that she didn't want to see, we spent the rest of the evening discussing space and how people use it and decorate it.  She is an unpretentious but loaded-with-great-taste lady (HOW DOES she do that?) and her home is remarkable because it looks great but is inviting at the same time.  It isn't over decorated and it doesn't try to impress.   It just IS so comfortable with  itself that you are calmed and comforted in the rooms.  I slept under a feather duvet and could have luxuriated til noon!

But we had friends to meet at the Drake Diner--an upscale, frosted windows place that Seno looked very good parked in front of.  We had a great girl talk with Ellen's friends and the value of women in the lives of women.  They were very supportive of my nutty trip and with a "go, girl!" from them,  I was off again.  In the heat.

But north of Des Moines there was a strip of clouds.  Seno and I ran for it!  The evening before I had welcomed the trucks rolling by just to get into some shade.  So the clouds were a welcomed sight.  A little sprinkling was just FINE because then I didn't have to douse myself with water from my drinking bottle.