Homer's Travels: Blisters, Lakes, And A Golden Spike

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Blisters, Lakes, And A Golden Spike

I went out for a short walk today to see how the blister would affect my walking.  I decided to walk around Lake Manawa, a left over from a Missouri River Flood back in 1881.  The walk was short and sweet, clocking in at 6.46 miles.  It was probably a little too chilly for a good walk and the trees still look pretty drab without their leaves.  I'll have to come back later in the spring.  I did manage to find a geocache ("North Shore").

My feet faired well.  Yes, I can feel the blister on my right foot (the bigger of the two) but it didn't really bother.  I'm thinking about doing a longer walk on Friday and, if I do, I will try wrapping the ball of my foot to provide some extra cushion.

On the way home, after a quick lunch, I decided to stop by a monument in Council Bluffs.  The monument, a large golden spike, is located in a somewhat rundown part of town in a park sandwiched between industrial sites and a trailer park.  The plaque affixed to the base of the monument says that it commemorates the eastern terminus of the Union Pacific railroad (i.e. the transcontinental railroad).  The truth is a little less dramatic.  The monument was erected to publicize the 1939 movie "Union Pacific".


6 comments:

  1. Did you try moleskin, or just go raw?

    Strange, I always thought the golden spike was, you know, smaller... ;)

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  2. GH: On this walk I went raw with no problem. When/If I do a longer one Friday I will probably wrap the foot in a tight bandage to protect the ball of my foot. I don't have a piece of moleskin large enough.

    Remember, this was for a movie. This one is some 57 feet tall.

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  3. Do you think they're compensating for something?

    Hope your feet feel wonderful again soon.

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  4. Miss McC: Council Bluffs has always felt inferior to their next door neighbor Omaha.

    My feet ... well, I made them worse yesterday.

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  5. While coming through Council Bluffs on a train, I heard a conversation from a new railroad cab driver and the dispatcher. The driver was lost, trying to find 9th Avenue (where the spike is located). The driver said, "On one corner is a trailer park and on the other is a junkyard". The dispatcher responded, "Hell, that could be any corner in Council Bluffs". :)

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  6. Jason: I completely agree. Council Bluffs is in need of some major spring cleaning and re-zoning.

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