What Week Is It? (Corny Tales from Tour)

I wish I had some exciting tour news to relay, but since last Sunday we have left Wisconsin, traversed Iowa, made it halfway across Nebraska, and what we've seen this week is much like last week.



Corn.



I have so many questions about corn.



For starters, how on earth can we consume all of it? I know it's used for feed and oil and maybe liquor?



But, seriously, I'm not talking about miles and miles of corn...it's been states and states and states of corn!



I understand we're in the world's breadbasket. But holy smokes. I can't even fathom processing all that corn.





Corn aside, we've also been to some great bookstores. The thing with indie stores is that they are all different. And I guess the one that was the most different this week was the Book Vault in Oskaloosa, Nebraska.



The Book Vault is a repurposed bank, with three separate vaults inside that are used as speciality cubbies. There's the Mystery Vault (which pleased me enormously), the Local Vault (for local writers) and (if I remember right) the Science Vault.



There are three levels, with an open ceiling near the front door and register, and stairs that zig-zag up in unexpected places around and above the vaults. It was a bit like walking through a place with secret rooms and staircases--so cool!



A nice thing about this week was that we had our first real day off yesterday. No travel, no event, just stay put and relax (which meant reading, writing, and running...).



And why did we have a day off?



Well, because we were in Nebraska and had been (rightly) warned that nothing, could tear Nebraskans away from game day activities. Yes, the Nebraska Cornhuskers had a home game, and pity the fool who tried to compete.



So, when in Rome...



Or in Nebraska...



And it was actually great. We even watched a little of the game.



Go, Huskers!



And that, really, is the update. Next week I'll be writing you from Utah. I'm not sure where Corn Country ends, but I'm pretty sure Utah is past that boundary. But I'm also pretty sure they don't have a Book Vault.



Thanks for checking in, and for the comments you've been posting--I appreciate them more than you can know!