And, we're rolling...

 

After cleaning up and having breakfast, we hooked up the circus train and said "Buh-bye," to Hart Ranch...

 Except for Mother Nature beating the snot out of our vehicles, it has been a good summer.  Out to Hwy 79 and pointed the coach south...

Four lane road to start our trip.  Rufus settled in right away and hopped up on Joan's lap...

When Ruf laid his head on that blanket next to Joan, his glorious mane was tucked underneath - doesn't look like the same cat...

An hour south, and we said good-bye to the Black Hills...

Checking weather along our route, it was supposed to get warmer as we headed south, and wind out of the northwest (giving us mostly a tailwind) at 10 to 15.  They lied.  Oh, it got warmer, but the wind was out of the westsouthwest and blowing like stink.  More on that.  We stopped for lunch (for all of us) at the Wally World in Chadron, NE.  I fixed Rufus his usual, Joan made lunch for us people...

Onward.  Less fall colors as we continued south...

The wind really kicked up by the time we were close to Alliance, NE - I'm guessing gusts of 35+mph.  It is more driving effort but the motorhome handles it.  With a quartering headwind, I could see our gas gauge dropping.  And, blowing dirt...

Lots of blowing dirt.  By the time we got to Ogallala (our stop for the day), the blowing dirt combined with smoke from the western fires... by 4:00 in the afternoon, it was looking like night... the lights on the electrical pedestals came on.  Good time to be off the road, plugged in with the a/c running, and not having to be outside.

 

So, not what the weather weasels said, but we are on our way.