Fly-Over Country....

Yesterday was Election Day and I was honored to sit on our local election board serving at my first General Election at the Community Hall with the Outdoor Toilets.  This is how we roll in the Sticks.  The first time I voted in Rural America 35 years ago, we all voted at the Little Missouri Lutheran Church which also has outdoor toilets, but that polling place is no more.  Folks come from approximately a 50 mile radius to exercise their right to vote at the Hall.  And boy, do they turn out!  Although we are a small community of souls, our voter turn out was 96% according to my calculations.  How about that?

There are lots of smiles and handshakes and "How ya doing?" at the Hall on Election Day.  Its as much a celebration for us as it is an exercise of our rights as citizens of the USA.  These fine folks are proud to be Americans and they'll gladly let you know it.  We don't get many politicians coming to our state or our communities to glad-hand for our votes.  We live in Fly-Over Country.  It's big, it's vast, it's rural, and our population is small so we tend not to be heard so much, but we take our right to speak through our votes very seriously.

Today, the day after the election, I was appointed to deliver the counted ballots to the county seat, a 72 mile drive, one way, through Fly-Over Country.  I thought it would be fun to take you along so here's a little photo journal of my trip. (And here's a little road trip music for your listening pleasure -- a song I woke up with in my head yesterday!  Peace of Mind by Boston.)