Mural On A Monday

 South West Missouri

 

I like to find murals in small towns. Murals are free public art that tell you a short story about the self image of the place where you are wandering through. They are celebratory, communal  and personal at the same time. In most cases they are a communities voice saying "this is who we were and have become". They are created sometimes by professionals but mostly just individuals or groups of self trained artists with a common vision. I like them.

My World Tuesday; Sweet Corn

Yesterday my wife and I paid a visit to the in-laws, they live in a 100 year old stone home surrounded by the glaciated hills of North East Kansas. My wife had promised to "put up sweet corn" when it was time. It was time so we headed out in the pre dawn light for the farm. They are both in their 80s and they still have a garden the likes of which would drive anyone with a green thumb mad with envy. Sweet corn seems to be my father in-laws weakness, each year for the past five he has told my mother in law "this is it for cor, too much work" and every spring she spots him out preparing the ground.  This year he was a bit disappointed with the yield not quite a pickup full.

We arrived and were pleasantly surprised  that the corn had already been picked by weekend guests.
There was still plenty to do. The production line began. My father-in-law and I sat out under a shade tree and cleaned the husks off. We sat and swapped stories as we worked, three hours went by like a New York Minute. I ran bucket after bucket of cleaned corn into the kitchen where my wife and her mom cut the kernels off the cobs and cooked the corn in huge pots on the stove. Soon all the tables were covered with cake pans of cooling corn. We had lunch while it cooled. There really is not much that can compete with fresh sweet corn with a little salt and real butter on it. Fresh cucumber salads, cherries, and sandwiches were the sides.

We finished bagging the corn in pint bags, and into the freezer they went. The work done we sat back and relaxed. My in laws are  remarkable people, they raise just about all of their food, make some of the best homemade ketchup, wine, and pies around.

I hope I am as resourceful when I am their age.

We headed home before dark with a cooler full of corn, with a few pints of blackberries thrown in to act as ice.

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Skywatch Friday

Some skies from a hike the other night out at Prairie Park.
For more skywatchers visit here.

Camera Critters A walk in the garden

The bees seemed very interested in these purple cone flowers this morning.

Some ants lost in a Day Lilly

Neighbors for a while.

My tomatoes went in late because of early rains, but they arent looking bad.

This is what happens when you leave a open pack of squash seeds alone with the compost.

Lots of grapes

What did Joni Mitchell say " hey farmer farmer put away that ddt, gimme spots on my apples but gimme the birds and bees."
For some great critters visit here.
http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/

Skywatch Friday

Last week we traveled up to North East Kansas for the Fourth. We celebrated at the family homestead. My wife's family have lived on the land since the 1850s, her mom was born in the small white house that once stood here.  My sister in laws family carries on the tradition of good food, lots of laughter and fireworks to celebrate Independence day. Around sunset for a very brief time the sun appeared and actually lit up the clouds, I grabbed my camera and ran down to the fence row to capture it. Later the rain that kept us all on the back porch most of the day stopped just long enough for my nephews to shoot off the fireworks. Lots of "oohs" and "ahhs" and cheers. A wonderful day.

For more skywatchers visit the Sky Watch Web Site here

http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Road Trip

Recently the wife and I loaded up the van and headed east to Pennsylvania for a family wedding. We logged a bunch of miles staying off the interstate as much as possible. Wandering in and out of small towns looking for and finding great architecture, food, flea markets, fly shops, brew, and folks. Gettysburg proved to be a incredible spur of the moment stop. " Hey its just an hour that way lets stop I said", we spent the afternoon there its an outstanding and moving place.  We actually did make it to the wedding on time. The entire trip took a lot longer time wise doing the two lane dance but was worth every moment.

The weekend in black and white

Dump No Waste

Cadiz, Kentucky 

For more monochrome images visit here.