Surprise sculpture park

While wandering thru Coffeyville Kansas recently I came upon this really unique sculpture park.

It sits right across the street from the community college building with the equally cool mural.
They all to seem to be mainly wood and maybe the work of more than one artist. Very cool.

I believe its on 8th street, stop by the next time you are cruising thru the metropolis of Coffeyville.

Early Morning on the Prairie

I have seemed to wander away from this blog for a while, new job, weather so hot and dry that trees are dying. Finally a week of relief and a chance to get away for a while. I recently began teaching at the high school level again, fourteen years chasing middle school students around had left me worn out. I am back teaching physics and chemistry and must admit I'm a little rusty but at the same time I am loving it. Change is good.

Some good friends of ours visited last weekend, we fished, hiked, picnicked, swapped stories of our grown children now all living away from home. 

It felt good to get out at dawn and walk out on the prairie.

My World Tuesday, Roadwork

 Liberal Missouri

 

 

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My World Tuesday.

Kansas City Road Trip

Friday night we traveled up to Kansas City to take in a Royals game. Free tickets won by my wife.

We perched high above a sea of blue.

We cheered on the Royals who were in it right up to the last pitch in the bottom of the ninth, but came up short. Refreshments, old friends, the best weather all week and a competitive Royals team. What more could you ask for?

Well how about a free fireworks show after the game!

Amelia Earhart Birthplace

Last weekend we stopped and visited the Amelia Earhart birthplace in Atchison Kansas. It actually was her grandparents home. Her mother traveled there to give birth as her husband was gone a lot. Amelia had a room there most of her childhood and visited often.

It sits high above the Missouri River overlooking a wonderful valley.
 Built in the 1800's, its been restored to early 20th century and is an excellent stop if you are in Atchison.

There are many rooms filled with artifacts , photos, posters all excellently displayed.

One of the best parts about the house is this young lady, the caretaker who lives full time in a wing of the home. She greeted us like old friends, and proved to be an incredible source of information about Earhart and her family. Stop in and say hello sometime, you wont be disappointed.
Heres a link to the museum. http://www.ameliaearhartmuseum.org/

Fourth of July

 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.