Life Along the Mississippi
©2013 Text & Photos by LeeZard Thursday September 6 – Oglesby, Illinois-Keokuk, Iowa Oglesby, IL is merely a one night stand, or sleepover. I’ve already passed through – and written about – The Land of Lincoln and I do not want to duplicate states unless there are compelling reasons to do so. Driving away from Oglesby I enjoy about 40 miles of county and state roads before getting on bustling, high-speed U.S. 20 West. Economically, the area is still agricultural, mostly corn as usual. As we edge into September the corn is turning brown and many farmers are cutting the stalks almost to the ground, the remnant chips blowing like tan snow across the roads. I am in the Illinois River Valley and this is a much different Illinois scenically than other parts of the state I’ve seen. The valley is thick with lush forests dotted only by the occasional farm, unlike the rest of Illinois where it is flat with cornfield after cornfield, interrupted by the occasional cornfield...