Back in the saddle

Ok, so to put this delicately, we took a day's hiatus from driving...not sure if it was something I ate, but something certainly didn't sit right.  Anyway, we got back on the road again yesterday,  As usual on this trip, we saw lots of small towns and some cool old architecture.  They just don't make buildings with the same style they did in the old days.  I guess that makes me sound like an old codger but it's undeniably true.
One structure in particular that we saw was a round barn.  Pretty unusual and for the life of me I don't see a practical reason for round as opposed to rectangular or whatever, but the workmanship that went into this place was incredible.  Built in 1898 and restored in 1992, this place is really something.  The lower level is a museum and gift shop and the upper level is wide open, with the exception being a raised bandstand right in the center of the floor.  They rent it out for events and I imagine they do a nice business there because of the unique design, even though the place is kinda in the middle of nowhere.  The roof structure is all exposed and even though my picture isn't the greatest I managed to keep the camera still long enough to get an adequate shot.

We stopped in Chandler, OK at the gallery of the author of my guidebook (per the invitation in the book) and met him and his wife.  Nice people!  Jerry McClanahan and his wife Mariko were gracious and friendly and even let Buddy come inside with  us so he wasn't stuck in the car outside in the sun.  Jerry signed my book and updated a few detours and re-routes that have taken place since publication and we also got to see quite a bit of his artwork.  He's very talented and appears to have carved out a nice living for himself documenting the Mother Road and producing drawings, prints, and photos of 66-inspired stuff, including a very nice coffee table book.  I may order one when I get back home.
One of the things about following 66 is that in a lot of places Interstates have been built along the same general route, so frequently we are crossing over or under the freeway to the frontage roads, which are the old 66.  Crossing under at one point yesterday we saw hundreds of birds swarming around and as we got under the bridge, we saw that they had build nests.  We think the birds might have been Swallows and the nests almost looked like oversized mud-dauber nests.  It's amazing that with the number of birds flying, I didn't capture any on them going in or out of their nests, but I do have a picture of the nesting area.

A bummer that I have discovered on this trip involves lodgings.  I have developed an allegiance to LaQuinta over the past few years because of their pet friendly policies,  They have had a change of ownership recently and now they all have an upcharge for pets, versus it being a part of their regular cost.  Incidentally the regular charges haven't seemed to drop; it's more a matter of the overall price has gone up.  To put this in Buddy's language...GRRR!