This Friday finds Frank still in Kansas for perhaps 4 days or more, before he reaches Colorado. He called his office and gave an update on some of the missing details mentioned in my last few reports (to follow soon).

He is in a place called Holcomb, scene of a sixties book called "In Cold Blood" about a local murder. He has got used to the never ending flat landscapes though he is already at about 500 metres above sea level and the land is gently rising. In another 150 miles of so he will reach the Rocky mountains and look back on these flat plains with envy! He is still following the Santa Fe trail which leads to New Mexico. He is re-experiencing the trail of the early settlers heading West. The wheat has given way to Sorghum, which is used to feed the cattle before slaughter in the "Meat packing plants" of Dodge city. Whilst in this "Wickedest City in the West" he visited a reconstruction of the old time city complete with the remains of Boot Hill costing around $6 complete with mock gun fight (as if the Americans don't have enough of these already). Baseball caps have given way to Stetsons in these parts and Frank's straw hat certainly makes him stand out from the crowd! He is still making 18-20 miles a day on the flat despite the temperatures still being in the high 80's F. The Rockies represent his next major challenge to his nerve.

Far in the future a family re-union and meeting with an Australian are planned, Frank will need a bit more assistance in the remoter areas. For now he looks forward to his first sight of the Rockies knowing he will still have a week after seeing them until he reaches them.