Seems like this past month has had its share of grey days, with some snow now and then.

St.George

Railroad Tracks by the River

St. George Kansas 1980s

My new toy is a slide scanner that I am having fun with this week.

County Fair

Its getting near the end of the summer and County Fairs across Kansas have been happening all month. I went to the Crawford County Fair at the end of July.
Here are  a few images from my walk about at the fair.

Linking up to the good folks over at; Our World Tuesday.

Skywatch Friday

Typical Sky these days in SE Kansas. You can count on hot temperatures, (not as bad as some years) humid afternoons (the kind that influence long naps in the cool of the house) and lots of field corn.

We helped our in-laws put up sweet corn a few weeks ago.  They are in their 80s and still grow a garden big enough to feed a small elementary school. The break of dawn found us dividing up the tasks-who would pick, who would shuck and who would take on the kitchen duties (the hardest it seems to me). Two of us settled under a shade tree and played tag team pick-shuck while we swapped stories. My wife and her mom commanded the kitchen assembly line; cut, clean, blanch, cool and bag.  Seventy five pints of corn and six hours later we all decided we had had enough for the day. Taking a long drink from a cold beer my father in law stated " there's still half the field that will be ripe next weekend". We all looked around and rolled our eyes. "Well" he said "maybe I'll just call some folks to come pick what they would like." My mother in law sat for a moment sort of giggled and said just loud enough for her husband to hear; " I'm gonna just come out tonight and take that electric fence down and let the coons have it".

The day begins.

The first of many bushels headed into the kitchen.

For more skywatchers check out this link.

ABC Wednesday The Letter C

 This week is the letter C. C is for Cactus or Cacti. These are a few images from a recent trip down to Austin Texas. We visited the East Side Succulent Market, a  very cool place.

While my daughter and wife gleaned several succulents for their collections, I followed my little granddaughter around dodging pointed leaves.

For more ABC Wednesdays Link here.

Skywatch Friday July 31st

Sunset from Helen and Elmer's Place 

Leavenworth County, Kansas

Link here for more sky watchers.

Out By Cato

 Old School Building

Cato, Crawford County Kansas

 The view out back.

 Under the old cedar tree out behind the school.

On the road back home.

School is about to get rolling again for young people here is SE KS, just a few more weeks and summer will be over. Well the hot weather wont change but the routine will. I saw this quote on another blog today and it made me think of what we learn about as we go through and leave school. Hopefully we keep learning.

" Anything that is in the world when you’re born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works. Anything that’s invented between when you’re fifteen and thirty- five is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it. Anything invented after you’re thirty-five is against the natural order of things."

--Douglas Noel Adams

Regal Prairie

 Last week we had unusually cool temperatures for Kansas. I took advantage of the beautiful weather to take a stroll out at Prairie State Park. Did not run into any buffalo.

I was accompanied on my stroll by a few quail, many dickcissels, both of whom you hear more than see. On the way home I stopped when I spotted this doe in the roadside, she was in no particular hurry neither was I.