We wake to a rainy morning, a good time to get some work done before heading out on the road again. Liesl is happy to snuggle on her heating pad after her busy day as a social media star. Low clouds skud over the prairie, with intermittent rain. Because I unexpectedly got some driving done yesterday, I decide to make a side trip to Ames, IA. Almost a decade ago, I applied to their MFA program for “Creative Writing and the Environment”. I made it as far as being waitlisted, but did not get a spot. I have sometimes thought about applying again, and figure I may as well go see what Ames is like, since it’s only an hour out of my way.