We traveled this past weekend up to North East Kansas for the annual 4th of July family gathering. Along the way we decided to take a look at the swollen Missouri River as it passes through Atchison.
We stopped up at a point at St. Benedictine College, they have a really nice vantage place set up there. There were several folks gathered talking about the river. The group consisted of passers through and some locals. The conversation shifted back and forth between several "my Gods" and "Man that's high" to "Its higher than 93" and "My neighbor farms ground over there under the water".
Apparently a levee to the southeast had broke releasing covering land as far as we could see in that direction.
We headed down through Atchison where the water was just below the old railroad bridge.
Another phenomenon that has also flooded the area are the fireworks stands, we stopped and loaded up.
The it was back in the van across the hills of Jefferson county
The farmstead sits on land that has been in the family for over a hundred and fifty years. The new house that my sister in law and brother in law have recently built is where it happens these days. Fireworks, barbecue, hamburgers and hot dogs, home made pie, cold beer, catching up, trying to figure out who all the new grandchildren look like, telling jokes mostly about the rivalry between Alma maters, its one of my favorite days of the year.
Free rides on the four wheeler.
Basketball games that were once played in the loft of the old barn, by the folks doing the cheering from lawn chairs, have been moved outside and played on the new cement. At dusk we all gather to the back deck for the fireworks show which is never a disappointment.
Early the next morning my nephews and I were off to a few farm ponds to fish. Jacob showed off the 4 pounder he caught.
After good byes we headed home.
