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.

Red Oak

 I have been to Carthage MO many a time but have never wandered outside of town to Red Oak. Its tucked away on a country road just a few miles to the northeast. Red Oak is the creation of Missouri artist Lowell Davis. He began moving old buildings from his boyhood town of red oak to his farm Fox Fire in 1987, restoring them and adding things. Its a wonder to see. There are now permanent residences, a farm and what seemed like an RV park out back with new construction.

 This water feature was titled "Plumbers Nightmare".

 A wedding was happening while I was there under the shade of this tree.

From inside the feed and seed store.

On Saturday nights there is "Pickin and Singing" in the old restored church on the grounds, and services on Sunday mornings. I need to get there on a Sat. nite to check it out.
Heres a link to the website; Red Oak II Missouri.

Downtown Murals

I went for a walk the other morning around downtown Pittsburg. I have been neglecting my camera lately, I took it along for the stroll. There is something about murals that I really am drawn to as an art form, maybe its the public aspect, free for all to think about, maybe its the folk art aspect, some of these artists are what some might consider naive, but I consider wonderfully talented.

Looking for Swans

We went looking for some Trumpeter Swans this morning. I have received an email from the local Audubon Chapter with some pretty specific directions. After convincing my wife to be the second pair of eyes we set off west towards the goal. Unfortunately we did not see any out where the email lead us. But we did see a Bald Eagle, about a dozen Red tail Hawks, a Kestrel, dozens of Canada Geese, Eastern Meadowlarks, Mockingbirds, Common Crows and a herd of White Tail Deer. Not bad.

Somewhat recently

 

From a walk with a friend along the Missouri River, late October.