Whenever I read about someone traveling across the USA in the late 1800's and early 1900's, I remember my mother talking about traveling from Ohio to Colorado as a young child, maybe 1908? No cars of course. Although there were trains, her father drove a wagon and did a version of "camping out". There mostly weren't roads, just tracks across the prairies, which sometimes would curve around a hill and become a small town, and sometimes the track would just disappear. Her father navigated by keeping the morning sun at his back and facing the afternoon sun. More or less. Apparently the trip was expected to take a couple weeks and actually took most of the summer. Mum said that when they reached their destination, the place seemed so very, very crowded. Probably a couple hundred people lived in town.

bob_n_bernie: I mean EXACTLY like that; and it appears another Dove has been caught by a superior aerialist. I think I may have posted this in the past, but I was washing dishes in the kitchen of my farmhouse one morning, about 10 years ago, or so, and looking out the window and the 18 inches of snow that had fallen overnight. All of a sudden I heard a "thump" on the roof, above my head, and saw a Mourning Dove fall out onto the snow, right in front of the window. It wasn't dead, but it couldn't fly, and was thrashing about in the snow, wings outstretched. I just couldn't figure why the Dove would fly into the roof--the roof was also covered with snow, and it should have been obvious to a (healthy) Dove. So I put my boots on and went outside to see about the Dove, and no sooner had I rounded the corner of the house, than a Peregrine Falcon took of from the roof, where it was perched, and flew toward the woods. It looked back at me a time or two, and seemed to be giving me a dirty look--as though I had spoiled what would have been a just reward for superior hunting skills. And I also realized, that the next time I witnessed such an event, I should wait a bit before sticking my nose in; I probably would have gotten to see EXACTLY what you photographed. And although it may be "gory" to some, it's "Raptor Reality" to me--it's simply survival, for raptors. I agree with gailr--great photo of a most-interesting subject. A beautiful photograph of a beautiful bird is a beautiful thing: one that tells such a story, as the one you posted, is doubly ineresting and rewarding. I have a photo that I took 10 years ago, or so. It's only a silhouette--all in black, because it was too far away, taken with an inferior camera I had in the car, but I still think highly of it. I was driving down the highway, and saw a Sparrow Hawk ascend from a field, toward a power line, with something in its talons. First chance I got, I made a U-turn and went back, while getting my 35 mm camera out of the glove box. I stopped opposite the Hawk, now perched on the wire, and managed to take 4 or 5 pictures, from about 50 or 75 yards away, before it flew off--carrying its prey. Later when I got the pictures developed, one of the pictures was exactly what I had hoped for--a percect silhouette of a Sparrow Hawk sitting on a power line with a mouse, hanging down, in one talon. Of course I would have liked to have a close-up of such a thing--but the Hawk and mouse, clearly silhoutted on the wire, was a rewarding accomplishment, also. Hawks won't always sit still to have their photo taken, particularly when they're aware of your presence. I had the photo enlarged and framed, and keep it on my wall in the country, to show to all those who accuse Sparrow Hawks of eatinng their "chickens", or some other ridiculous assertion.

Sorry, but 1/8th is by far the most common royalty payment in the USA and is so by a huge margin. For certain, a 50% increase over that rate is very rare. Occasionally, I will see lease agreements that include 1% or 2% over-rides but not 6.25%. Only those private mineral rights owners who happen to own minerals in areas with very good potential or have control of large contiguous tracts of land will get more than 1/8th. By far, most who hold out for more than 1/8th royalty get to settle for zero instead, and that goes for the US government as well. For the Federal government, by far the largest mineral holder in the USA, to hold out for a substantially larger royalty than is considered standard by the industry would likely amount to excessive interference of the government in interstate commerce. In regard to Yellowstone Park and the grizzlies, no oil and gas drilling is currently active in the immeadiate vicinity of the park, that I am aware and that is the business I am in. In fact, I am not aware of any drilling having occurred in that area for many years. Sounds like environmentalist or wildlife activist scaremongering to me. Most drilling is at least 50 to 100 miles away, either to the south around Rock Springs or Wamsutter, Wyoming or to the east in the Big Horn basin. Neither of these areas is likely to be grizzly territory at this time. The immeadiate Yellowstone Park area itself is not likely to have conducive geologic structures or lithology for oil and gas accumulation. However, the average American is so geographically challenged today that mentioning drilling anywhere in Wyoming probably equates to drilling next to Yellowstone Park regardless of the fact that much of the state is hundreds of miles from the park.

Ooooh! More great advice! I LOVE the idea of Easter Brunch at the Kennedy Center! It is special enough for the occasion and unique to DC. Plus, I checked it out on Chowhound (thanks for the link!) and the reviews are very favorable. Oh, I'm getting excited now! I've also arranged for a Capitol tour with my Senator's office and requested a tour at the Bureau of Printing & Engraving. I passed on the White House tour because it seemed like a lot of security hassle for a short tour. Did I make a mistake - is it really not to be missed? Emma, you are not alone in your enthusiasm for Air & Space - I will go with an open mind! I booked our hotel at the Embassy Suites near Dupont Circle, but I'm not totally sold on that idea. It is a 5 block walk to the Metro which sounds kind of far to me. I'm wondering if I should change to the ES at either Chevy Chase (Friendship Heights) or Alexandria. Both have Metro stations very close by, and it sounds like lots of restaurants as well. Alexandria sounds very charming, I'm leaning towards that way. Will we miss anything if we stay too far out? (Are those places too far out?) I need good restaurants and shopping, don't need nightlife. We'll be there for a week. (I did check out the ES at the Convention Center but it is coming in at over $350/night including tax. I just can't bring myself to go that high!) Thanks again for the great ideas - keep 'em coming! Nicole