Highpoints roadtrip - Day nine

Alarm startled me..I could have sworn that I just fell asleep..Time to head to Kenwood Park for the Smokey River Five. I left my stuff at the motel as I planned to take a shower after the race.
Smokey River Five is the biggest race of the year in Salina and there was a big friendly crowd. The course went from the park to downtown Salina and back. I ran a descent time for me.... 47 minutes and 50 seconds.  Back to the motel, cleaned up and decided to cruise for junk/antique stores. I watch "American Pickers" or I should say that I am a devoted follower of  "American Pickers", and I fancied myself finding a junky place to look around.  I soon got a lead on a place east of Salina that had 50 years worth of salvage.  When I drove up, I knew that this was going to be good.  If I had had a truck and trailer, I could have gotten a real load... instead I had to settle for small items that would fit in the Honda.  I searched through piles and piles of old bricks and found some really nice turn-of-the-century bricks that I couldn't live without. I hid my excitement as any good picker should do, hoping for a really good deal..The price was right! It was going to cut into my gas mileage but I just had to have these treasures. Also, bought a couple of old stepladders which Sally likes to use as plant stands. I saw alot of old kid wagons(even a wooden one) and some pedal cars which needed investigation but I had no room for them. I went back to cruising for junk and made several stops but nothing like that first stop.  I can't put my finger on it but Kansas feels good to me... maybe it is all the years that I watched "Wizard of Oz" and heard Dorothy declare "no place like home".  Talking about "Wizard of Oz', on my way south between the Kansas line and Oklahoma City, I was caught in a severe thunderstorm with tornado potential. Torrential rain and  tornadic winds(some small hail) and I pulled over and shared the shelter of  an overpass  with another car.  Only a few crazies were still driving. Eventually, the storm passed and I continued south. I had planned to spend the night in my sleeping bag but the weather changed that plan so I pulled into a motel in Oklahoma City.

Finish Line

Treasure!

Somewhere in Kansas and the sky was full of migrating hawks...they circle as they migrate using the heat thermals rising off the land to glide rather than use energy by flapping their wings.