Boring Day

Sunday...August 30....too late in the season for much activity at the lake, I guess.

My son and I rode up around Kanopolis Lake just for something to do yesterday afternoon and it was pretty quiet! Very quiet! We were bored being at home, but I don't think the ride added anything positive to our day.

Schiz went with us...she's a good traveler. Gets in the back, lies down, and pretty much forgets about it...unless somebody rattles cellophane from a piece of peppermint!

When we went over by the outlet tubes at Kanopolis and I put her "little pink bra" (harness) on her and we got out and walked around for a little bit. She seemed to enjoy that...until a kid approached her. She just plain doesn't like kids. Not aggressive at all...not really afraid...just would like to avoid any contact if possible. I understand..perfectly.

So...if you think these pictures are boring...ya shoulda been there! You'd understand!

Saturday's Play

It's another gorgeous day in Kansas. August 29...this is normally the 100+ degree weather...and today we're in the 70's!!! Wow!! Beautiful.

About 8 this morning I took off on my bicycle and went to meet Concha and Carol. Then we three went to meet Mary over on the west side of town near the bike path. We decided to go to Nickerson...about 10 miles from the northwest side of Hutch. Light breeze out of the north, clear blue skies. Great ride!

We had heard from several different sources that there's a dog at the crest of Hendrick's Hill (between 69th & 82nd aves.). Hendrick's Hill is about the only "real" hill we have around here. We have a few overpasses, but Hendrick's Hill is a real hill. Ok..it's no mountain for a climber....but remember...I'm in Hutchinson, Kansas. That is totally flatlander's territory! And Hendrick's requires ALL the gears I have...including the grannie gear, so meeting a dog at the crest isn't good news! Well...when we started up the hill there was a large, looked to be maybe part Great Dane black dog lying at the edge of the road beside a driveway. He watched us, never made any attempt to even stand and barely looked at us. Appeared friendly and no problem. I don't want to be chased, but I hope he hadn't been hit or hurt. He didn't seem to be distressed so I'm trying to believe he's just cool and friendly and mellow. (And he wasn't there when we came back.)

I took this picture of some wild sunflowers in the ditch when we stopped so someone could water the weeds or something. I threatened to take a "Moon over Miami" shot but it was voted down! Where's the fun in that?!?!?!

We rode on into Nickerson and had cold drinks at the convenience store and then headed back to Hutch. Mary's husband, Wes, met us up on 82nd and rode with us briefly. (He tends to fall over when he has to go that slow, I think.) He's a racer...a serious racer...so he's not into the conversation and looking at the goats and little blue flowers, etc. But that's what makes the ride fun for us!

Anyway...we all once again got home safe and sound and better for the ride. I had 30.04 miles when I pulled into my driveway. Nice ride! ('Course, then I discovered that I'd missed a call from Patsy wanting me to go to Roy's with her....man, that sounds good!!!)

Now's just a beautiful time of year. Try to get out and enjoy the beauty of the season. It's awesome!

P.S. I came home, did a few laps in the pool while the charcoals were heating up, grilled me a hamburger, then made chocolate chip cookies!!! What a waste of those 30 calorie-burning miles!!! But it was sure good!

An August Day

What a gorgeous day! Temps in the lower 80's...and even less this a.m. of course. Yesterday Carol and Concha and I rode up to the Highlands and around. First time in several weeks I'd had the bike out. Got in 16.35 miles and felt great. So today, Carol and Mary and I decided to get out and try it again.

Carol and I met about 8:30 this morning and rode down between Carey Park and the Reformatory and met up with Mary. We left Carey Park and headed down to Highway 50. Catching a red light we stopped and waited for it to change. By the time it changed we were of course first in line and several cars behind us so we're trying to hustle to get to the other side and out of the way. Mary started laughing and said, "Well, I think I about mooned the cars behind us!" She'd caught her shorts on the nose of her bicycle seat and about lost them. Never a dull moment!

Then we headed out east on 50 Highway (sorry, but that's my least favorite place in the world to ride....can't explain that because I like riding 96 Highway...but that particular portion - about 2 miles - of Hwy. 50 I absolutely hate!)..but we rode out and then went a mile south on the Yoder Road. One mile south of Highway 50 Illinois Avenue intersects with Yoder Road and we took it east to the Buhler-Haven Road.

The temperature was perfect with a nearly clear blue sky and just a beautiful day. The first picture is of Carol and Mary and that one very lonely tree back there in the background. Illinois Avenue is kind of a "biker's delight" for a road to ride. Not bad surface, very little traffic, and virtually no dogs. (There is one dog on past Buhler-Haven Road but he's behind a fence and he'll run and bark...but when we come back past him, he'll have a toy that he'd really love for you to toss for him. That's a NICE DOG!!)

Then as we came back to town we came north of Highway 50 to that new street, Enterprise that runs from Yoder/Airport Road over to Halstead...also no traffic, no dogs. Mary experienced a tire problem...a little piece of wire...and I was taking pictures of egrets following the tractor and of the Hutchinson landscape. (That long elevator is one of the longest in the U.S....at least "longest under one head house" I've been told.) (Click on the pictures and it will greatly improve the view.)Mary finally announced that she "could use some help" and Carol went to help. They were unable to dislodge the wire..which was probably best, because then she probably would have had a flat tire.

But we all got back in safe and sound and better for the ride! It was a great day! I got home with 27 miles and felt wonderful.

Carol, Concha, Mary and I plan to get out and do a little longer ride tomorrow. Sure hope this gorgeous weather holds. Hard to believe it's August!

Count your blessings....they're bountiful!

Hosta

I just googled hosta plants...and then some...and that white lily-like blooming hosta in a blog a few days ago....it's called Funkia babkowata Hosta plantaginea. Funky, huh???? Well, now we both know.

Garden Bounty

Last Friday two of my cousins, Shon and Becky (they're sisters) and my own sister, Jude came to visit. We had a grand time. We ate, we swam, we ate, we giggled, we ate, we talked about old memories, and of course, we had a bite to eat!

Several days before their visit we had emailed back and forth and then I finally had an actual telephone conversation with Shon. I said I was just going to grill some hamburgers and have stuff to go with those. She said she'd bring Brookville Cole Slaw (you'll notice that's capitalized....it DESERVES to be!!!! Wow...delicious!) I said then I'd make some baked beans. She said, "Oh...I make the best baked beans. I add chopped up pieces of bacon, and chopped onion, and some hickory sauce, and then put them in the smoker." I said, "I open a can and heat them." She cracked me up...she said, "Welllllll, aren't you just a wizard!?" Then without much hesitation, she said, "I'll bring the baked beans too!" Score one for me, huh?!!??!! (Jumping ahead here...but the baked beans were the best baked beans I've ever tasted!!) Then a few days later she emailed and said she also wanted to bring a dessert. This cooking out thing is getting easier and easier all the time!

Well, when she and Becky got here, it was good they'd brought a van. They brought cole slaw and baked beans and two kinds of delicious homemade pickles and a pina colada cake and this (pictured) big box of absolutely perfect tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes, and several kinds of peppers, and two huge canteloupe. Shon lives in the country and she has a huge garden. (Along with taking care of the garden [and she has even more varieties of veggies], she also is tending and bottle feeding 5 baby calves!) Everything was absolutely delicious! And we had a great visit and a great time laughing at times past. And I had it pretty easy...throw some hamburgers on the grill and open a bag of chips!! Oh...I did make Oatmeal Carmelitas too. Is it any wonder that the American population is so overweight?

Good friends, good food, good times!!

Blooming Hostas

I had guests all day today and several comments were made about the hostas I have blooming. Seems no one in the group had ever seen a hosta with this type of bloom.













It appears (to all of us) to look more like a lily blooming.
























And especially since right next to it (well, around the corner in the same planted area) is another large hosta with remnants of its blooms....they were the "standard" hanging down little purple lantern type.

Any answers, anyone????

An Email I Received

A few days ago I received the following email...with some great pictures which won't be posted here ('cause I don't know how!)...but I absolutely love what this email says....and even more absolute, I LIVE what this says:



If I Didn't Have a Dog... Or Cat......I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety.

My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated. All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture & cars would be free of hair.

When the doorbell rings, it wouldn't sound like a kennel. When the doorbell rings, I could get to the door without wading through fuzzy bodies who beat me there.

I could sit on the couch and my bed the way I wanted, without taking into consideration how much space Several fur bodies would need to get comfortable.

I would have money, & no guilt to go on a real vacation. I would not be on a first-name basis with numerous veterinarians, as I put their yet unborn grandkids through college.

The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: out, sit, down, come, no, stay, & leave him/her/it ALONE.

My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates or barriers. My house would not look like a day care center, with toys everywhere.

My pockets would not contain things like poop bags, treats and an extra leash.

I would no longer have to spell the words B-A-L-L,, F-R-I-S-B-E-E, W-A-L-K,, T-R-E-A-T,, R-I-D-E,, GO.

I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside.

I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog/cat ties them down too much.

I'd look forward to spring and the rainy season instead of dreading 'mud' season.

I would not have to answer the question 'Why do you have so many animals?' from people who will never have the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by someone as close to an angel as they will ever get.

How EMPTY my life would be!!!



Now...I do only have one dog..and no other critters co-exist in our home (that I know of!)...but this is still ALL so true it's somewhat scary!

Old Barns

I read Patsy's blog today and felt I needed to enter something on mine. I too, love old barns!!! This one on the way up to Ellsworth has always been one of my favorites. One used to be able to read "OH EARL" on the right side...it's still dimly there, if you'll double click you can probably see it. Wonderful old barn. If you've read Patsy's blog, she mentioned that if she had a barn she'd find something to put into it. Me too. Makes me remember when "we" (a life long ago) used to have a pickup truck. My spouse at the time said, "Just because you have a truck doesn't mean you have to fill it up everytime before you come home!" Men....they're so silly!

Referencing Patsy's Blog

Wow....Patsy has really "hit the nail on the head" this morning. Each morning I read several different blogs...just to see what's up in their worlds. Patsy is always insightful and interesting! This morning she opened my eyes a lot. Hopefully I'll be able to take part of her words and incorporate them into my life. I talk too much. Everyone who knows me, knows that! It's not a little too much...it's a LOT too much. But here's just a short excerpt from Patsy's blog today that I felt I related to very much:

I've always wanted people to know who I am, so they can make an informed decision about if I'm the sort of person the want in their lives. And I've always wanted that sort of "bare bones," just tell me who you are, in return. Perhaps the finesse of a relationship is to spend more time in discovery.
It's exceedingly rare that anyone really wants to know how you feel at your core level about anything. I've always thought to be in relationship with anyone on any significant level you have to be totally honest and part of that was to express yourself with the passion you felt for anything. Is it honest to explain yourself with a level of intensity less than what you really feel?
I guess it boils down to if the message is heard at all. And that brings us back full circle to listening. The light dawns slowly for me sometimes.

Enough said? I hope I can use those words, those thoughts to help me become a better person....and just SHUT UP!!!!!