A few impressions...

It is thundering and pouring rain this morning. The storm sounds like it is hovering right above the motel. Indiana thunder has a sharp clap and cracking to it. It is a new sound to me. I have always noticed how rain and storms differ from place to place. In Mexico the thunder is a deep and voluptuous rolling bash. Mexican raindrops are huge and you can hear a heavy plop when they slap the ground. In West Texas the thunder is a booming wave that travels low across the sky.  It seldom cracks. The raindrops are tiny, at least compared to Mexico.

I am listening to Mike Nesmith and watching what looks like medium sized drops drench the motel parking lot. As I listen to my favorite Texan I think of how different parts of the country are from Texas. It is lush and green here with a tropic like humidity. The sunsets are these fiery pink events that ignite the corn lined horizon minutes before 9pm. The highways are curvy and rarely will you find an empty field, or livestock. Every possible piece of land is dedicated to a brimming corn or soybean field.

The houses all have basements here and look like the homes I have seen my whole life in movies. There are a lot of Colonial Revival with more American Foursquare than I have ever seen in Texas. There are also some impressive and well preserved examples of the Second Empire and Romanesque styles, all new to my eyes.

Yesterday I discovered a small Mexican community on the edge of Washington, IN. The tiendita was just like the ones found in Mexico. I bought cactus, mole and horchata. I have only a hot plate, pan, pot and microwave but would love to make chicken mole. There are quite a few Mexican restaurants here, all very good but also limited. You won't find horchata or agua fresca here. Mole has either never been on the menu or had to be removed because no one ordered it.

I really love Bloomington, Indiana. I walked away with the impression of a sleepy college town with friendly smiles. So much of it reminded me of my first few weeks in Austin back when Austin was nothing more than a small college town I had yet to discover.  It is funny to find old feelings again, not just the memories but to relive an entire experience. I didn't think that was actually possible. It was a pleasant moment.