Smooth sailin'

To some, this might just look like a picture of any ordinary stretch of rural road.

(Yes, there is a chance that I might have taken this while hanging out the window of my car, driving 60 miles an hour. Hey, it was either that, or snap the pic through the bug-splattered battlefield of my windshield. I did what I thought was best. Plus, I did have my seat belt on. Safety first! But meanwhile, back at my point ... )

THIS is not just another road. This is about 28 miles of the paved streets of heaven, dropped right down in the middle of Northeast Missouri. I cannot be sure what we humble citizens could have possibly done to deserve such a gift, but IT IS GLORIOUS!! (Never mind that a couple of us almost perished in the terrific traffic hazards caused by the road-building heavy equipment. That is PEANUTS compared to the MAGNIFICENCE of this achievement!)

Truly. In the whole of my existence, I have never witnessed a smarter, more well-timed, perfectly-placed use of Department of Transportation funds. The pitted, potted, over-used, dangerously narrow rubble that got resurfaced had nearly crumbled back into bare earth. I personally was considering buying a buckboard and mules to make this trip. But not anymore, DOT. Not anymore. I can now glide breezily over the new, glossy surface of the asphalt like my car was a hovercraft. Or maybe a Buick.