Desert

It is hot as hell. The needle looms closer to the "H" as we chug uphill, or I forget and heavy-foot it to 65 mph.

In previous times, the rest stops used to have warning signs, reminding outsiders we are traveling thru the desert and water is precious, imploring us to conserve water. The toilets used to be self-composting with more signs beseeching us to shut the lids, not to throw anything but tp down the only eddy of cool air in the desert along with questionable smells and maybe flies, if travelers left the lids open.

Now the rest stops are "modern", flush toilets, sinks with running water, manicured landscapes, some with that green grass even.

Such is "progress" in the u.s.