3-31-10 A Staff Picnic

Each month we have a staff luncheon at school. It has started to become a competition as to who can come up with the best theme. This month we were treated to a chicken dinner picnic...complete with ants!! We had fried and baked chicken, potato salad, baked beans, fruit and yummy desserts. Luckily, the ants behaved themselves.

3-30-10 A Walking Path

When Keilo & I go walking, I like taking this route because of the trees. Although we have been in the area for close to 20 years, I don't remember if this tree-lined sidewalk is natural or man-made. At any rate, we love walking it especially in the early morning.

3-29-10 Get Lost

Went back to my new favorite place to take pictures, Scenic Landscapes. This is a great greenhouse where you could lose yourself in a book, music or just the sounds around you.

3-28-10 One Green & Speckled Frog

Remember this song:
One green and speckled frog
Sat on a speckled log
Eating some most delicious bugs
YYYYuuuummmm, YYYYuuuummmm

He jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Then there were
No green and speckled frogs,
GGGGlllluuuubbbb, GGGGlllluuuubbbb

3-27-10 Shadows of Character

Why are old barns and sheds so fun to shoot? Maybe because they have so much character.

3-26-10 View From My Rearview Mirror

This was the view in my side rearview mirror this morning. I love being able to watch the sun rise on my way to work.

3-25-10 Spooky Old House

The Daily Shoot said to make a black & white photo with high contrast. I have driven by this old, abandoned, farm house each day and thought it would make a great haunted house. I've also tried to imagine what the surrounding land looked like back when it was built.

3-24-10 Water Wheel Pump House

Wouldn't this view into your backyard look great? This is another "Scenic Landscape" design. This is a water wheel pump house that sits next to a koi pond.

3-23-10 Wheels of the Past

This is a wheel from an old farm wagon I found at a landscaping place called "Scenic Landscapes". This place is a photographer's dream! They have amazing ponds, old buildings and other landscape scenes that you can purchase and they will install for you. They invite you to stroll their 2 1/2 acres of "scenes"; take photos and enjoy what they have to offer.

3-22-10 Keilo's Friend

Golden Retrievers are one of the most laid-back breeds. Megan is my neighbor's dog and every time I go over, Megan is right there, waiting for a pat on the head or for me to throw the ball. She and Keilo (my Sheltie) love getting together to play.

3-20-10 Through the Looking Glass

This photo was taken looking through my dad's lead-glass front door. The subject isn't too exciting, but it gives an interesting perspective to the first day of spring.

3-19-10 The Doctor is In

These medical items are just a few from a collection my dad and step-mom have collected over the the years. Both worked in health related professions. Several of these items, or their more modern cousins, are still in use today.

3-18-10 The Ol' Red Pump

This hand pump, which is now in my dad's backyard, once stood at our family lake house. Back in the 70's, when we first got the lake house, this was how we got our water to use inside the cabin. I remember having to prime the pump several times before the water would flow into our bucket. Once the bucket was full, we'd haul it into the cabin, and put it on the stove to heat up for dishwater, or sponge baths. In the mornings, we could be seen standing around the pump, brushing our teeth and splashing the very cold water on our faces. If we were real daring, we'd stick our heads under the pump, while someone else pumped, and washed our hair. With the well water being so cold, that didn't happen too often! We used the pump for several years, until our neighbor, whom we shared the pump with, modernized the well so he could have running water to his cabin. We then tapped into it and had running water just to the kitchen. It would be many years later until we actually dug our own well to have running water (and indoor plumbing) throughout our cabin. Great memories!

3-17-10 St. Patty's Day

"May your heart be warm and happy
With the lilt of Irish laughter
Every day in every way
And forever and ever after." ---an Irish saying
HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

3-16-10 Orchids in Bloom

These orchids were given to my step-mom from my dad for Valentine's Day. She said the plant has been blooming ever since.

3-15-10 Signs of Spring

These crocus are the first signs of spring in our yard. If we continue to have mild temperatures and sunshine, I should see many more signs by the end of the week.

3-14-10 Hardy Daylilies

Each year I am amazed when the daylilies sprout. I am amazed that year, after year, they make a hardy return to decorate around our deck and all I have to do is thin them out about every 3 years and transplant them someplace else. This year, the transplants are destined for our daughter and son-in-law's new home.

3-13-10 Who's Going to Win?

Kansas University and Kansas State University play tonight for the Big 12 Championship. Who's going to win? It's pretty exciting since they are playing the game in Kansas City, which is just down the road from both universities. My pick?.....K-State!

3-12-10 Electronic Gadgets

These are a few of the many electronic gadgets I own. Some are old technology, while others are relatively new. However, like a car, once you purchase an electronic gadget and walk out of the store, it becomes old technology.

***Due to sickness, I have not posted for the past 2 days.

3-9-10 Reflections

After school today, and the rain, I stopped by SC Park to catch a reflection. I know it looks like I'm obsessed with the white geese, but I couldn't pass this up.

3-8-10 Swimming with the Geese

By the time I could take a picture today, it was pouring rain and hasn't stopped. So I looked back through my pictures from the other day and found this one of one of the park's white geese.

3-7-10 St. Marks Catholic Church

This church is located in a very small (blink of an eye) township called St. Marks, just west of Wichita. The only thing in this township is the church and public school, which is located across the street. I like the architecture of this old church.

3-6-10 White Goose

The geese in Sedgwick County Park are the meanest. When we pulled up, this guy and his friends came towards the car and were "honking" about something. As soon as we got out of the car, they started to leave, hissing all the way.

3-5-10 Long on Shadows

With the weather hitting 69 degrees, Keilo & I took full advantage and headed to Sedgwick County Park directly from school. The park was full of people and sounds...white geese honking and hissing; children screaming and squealing on the playground equipment; even bagpipes playing off in the distance. There is also this very tall hill that people ride their motor bikes and other things up and down. Since I had never been to the top of this hill, Keilo & I ventured up. This is what my shadow looked like after we got there.

3-4-10 Stripes

Daily Shoot suggested that stripes have a natural pattern. These stripes are in my dining room.

3-3-10 Where Does the Path Lead?

Didn't have much time for a picture today, but I found this one from this past weekend when we went to Chisolm Creek Park/Great Plains Nature Center. We didn't follow this path, but if we go back, I'd like to see where it goes.

3-2-10 It was a Seuss Day!

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive, that is Youer than You."
Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

3-1-10 A Piece of Farming History

As we walked the trail at Chisolm Creek Park, we came across this old, rusted out, piece of farm equipment. After we got home, Tim looked it up and found out that it was a 1930's Massey-Harris combine. We're guessing it was left behind when the farmstead was sold to make the park/nature center.