11-9-10 Fall Colors

I love this time of year. The colors are so brilliant.

11-8-10 Enjoying the Day

Keilo & I went back to our favorite park, Swanson, and enjoyed some "bonding" time.

10-8-10 Kansas in the Fall

Keilo and I went back to our favorite park, Swanson, to see what fall colors we could find. On our way back, I saw this tree with the flag flying. Although today was windy, it was a good day to be outside.

11-1-10 Waiting for Goblins

(Keilo's thoughts...) "Where are they? I know they're out there. They come to the door, Mom gives them something, then they leave. Why don't they come in?"

10-31-10 Happy Halloween!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

10-30-10 Best Buds

My neighbors had to go out of town for the day, so Megan (Golden Retriever) came over for a visit.

10-29-10 Last Chance Store

This was taken at the Last Chance Store in Council Grove. In my 38 years of going up there, I have yet to step foot inside. Actually, I don't think there is anything left inside. It's just a neat, limestone building; one of many in the area.

10-27-10 Fall Festival: Repurposing

Last night I went with a friend of mine to a women's fellowship dinner at her church. Each year, ladies of the church sign up to decorate a table and host it. The food is catered and they have an inspirational speaker. This year's overall theme was "Repurposing Your Life". Each of the tables were decorated with items from the hostess' home. This one was one of my favorites as the hostess used gameboards as the placemats.

10-25-10 Autumn Sunrise

This was the sunrise this morning as I headed to work. The colors were so vivid, even the radio DJ's were talking about it.

10-20-10 Mums the Word

Looking for today's picture and noticed my neighbor's mums. The weather here in Kansas has been perfect for mums.

10-19-10 Burnin' Brush

On my way to work this morning, I noticed two large burn piles, one on each side of the road, burning a large pile of brush. They really stood out as it was overcast and kind of dark.

10-18-10 Reflection On the Lake

The day we closed down the cabin, the weather was perfect. Not a leaf was moving, and there was barely a ripple on the water. Weather like that doesn't happen very often in Kansas.

10-18-10 Kansas Fall Colors

This time of year in Kansas produces lovely colors of autumn. These leaves in northeastern Kansas are just starting to turn. Over the next several weeks, the Kansas landscape will transform into a wonderous view of colors.

10-16-10 How Old Is The Cottonwood?

Last week when we were closing up the cabin, my daughter and I walked over to the neighbor's property to look at the large cottonwood they had cut down. They were afraid with the erosion, that it might fall on their boathouse or the neighbor's boathouse. We counted 85 rings before we had to stop due to the trunk rotting.

10-13-10 Geometric Design

Just thought this was a neat looking shot. This is the sun coming through my neighbor's deck.

10-12-10 On The Outside Looking In

This is the view from the outside of my greenhouse window. I just love having this.

10-11-10 Birds On The Line

This time of year, the birds are gathering; getting ready to fly south, or maybe it's just convention time! Anyway, this group was assembling on the electric lines. I wonder if once they land on the line, if they put their wings out to get evenly spaced?

10-10-10 Cabin Season is Over

Cabin season is over. (sigh!) Every year, at this time, I get a bit sad as it is time to close down the cabin for another season. The track laying there has been put in and out of the water 38 times. We have to take it out of the lake each year as the lake will freeze over, and the ice will tear up the mining track. The track is used to put our boat in and take out of the water. The cabin has no heat and our water pipes are above ground, so if they are not drained, they will freeze and split. I have to say I am already looking forward to next May, when we open it up for another fun-filled season. Hibernate well, E-9. See you next spring!

10-9-10 28 Happy Years!!!

Today is our 28th wedding anniversary. Hard to believe we've been married that long. Looking forward to the next 28!

10-8-10 Season Past

The other day while looking for a picture to respresent "discarded or abandoned" I snapped this one of our deck furniture. With daylight getting shorter and the evenings cooler, sitting and relaxing on the deck doesn't happen as often. Sigh!

10-8-10 Medicine Man

The Daily Shoot suggested "a picture of something abandoned or discarded." These old bottles are displayed in my dad's (home) office. He is a retired pharmaceutical salesman and also collects antiques. It's fun to read the labels of these old bottles. They always tout, "Will cure anything!"

10-5-10 Selling of the Pumpkins

This pumkin stand works on the honor system. You stop by, pick out the pumpkin you want and pay accordingly, by putting your money in a metal ammo box that is locked and has a slit on top. It's comforting to know that there are still trusting people in this world.

10-4-10 Happy Birthday, Snoopy!

Snoopy and the Gang are celebrating Snoopy's birthday! Sixty years ago he and his friends debuted in their comic strip. As a kid, I enjoyed reading the adventures of Snoopy and the Peanuts gang. I have many statues, books and stuffed replicas of them. I would sit for hours and practice drawing them, at first tracing, then moving on to freehand. As an adult I had moved away from them, but over the past several years, I've started collecting again. Happy Birthday, Snoopy and friends.

9-30-10 Crepe Myrtle

The crepe myrtle in my dad's backyard is loving this cooler weather.

9-29-10 Very Interesting....

Remember Laugh-In? Remember when Artie Johnson would dress up like the German soldier, pull back the plants, and say "Very interesting..."or something to that effect? Well, that's what I thought of when I saw this shot.

9-28-10 Not What It Seems

I realize the photo is turned sideways, but I thought it made an interesting photo. Upon first glance, it looks like a photo of a glass doorknob. Can you tell what it actually is?

9-27-10 Lovely Plumeria

My dad has a sun room off the the back of his house. It gets the right amount of sunlight and the temperature is perfect for growing plumerias. In the summer, he takes them outside to flourish in the Oklahoma sun.

9-23-10 Lines of Symmetry

"The Daily Shoot" suggested taking a picture that shows "line of symmetry." Keilo's face is almost there!

9-22-10 The Junk Drawer

Do you have a junk drawer? You know, one drawer in your house, usually in the kitchen, that stores anything and everything that doesn't have a specific place to live? This is ours! I remember when we moved into the house 20 years ago, this was one of the first drawers I designated with a purpose. Oh, I clean it out from time to time, but nothing ever gets put back in any since of order. Just remember...if you can't find it, check the junk drawer!

9-20-10 Mountain Heart

This is another band at the Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival called "Mountain Heart". The band is from Tennessee. The festival has five "official" stages, and several "unofficial" stages located in the campgrounds that surround the fairgrounds. About a week or so before the festival starts, they have what is called the "Land Rush", which is where people stake out their campsites by putting up tents, setting up campers and RV's. We've never stayed out there, but I hear many people never make it to the actual fairgrounds due to all the "pickin' & grinnin' " going on in the campgrounds.

9-19-10 Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival

Yesterday, Tim & I went to the Walnut Valley Festival in Wellington, Kansas. If you like bluegrass, folk and rockabilly music, this is the place to go. The act on stage is "The Greencards". If you haven't heard of them, look them up on iTunes. Their music is great.

9-17-10 Black Eyed Susans

These black-eyed susan flowers grow wild all over the Flint Hills

9-16-10 Shimmering Lake

The sun was at the right angle when I spotted this shot. The tree framing it belongs to my neighbor and had blown down in a recent storm.

Hail! Ceasar....Hail!

Mother Nature's on the rampage tonight! Storms rolled in around 5:30p, with heavy rain and hail, eventually causing the tornado sirens to sound. I haven't seen hail like this in a long time. Glad we paid the extra to upgrade the shingles on our new roof last year.

9-14-10 Watch Out, Toto...

Looks like the Wicked Witch of the West is close by! This bicycle is part of someone's cabin marker at the lake. I love how they have made planters out of the baskets. So far, I haven't seen any flying monkeys!

9-13-10 Horse Shoe, Anyone?

There is a small park area down the road at the lake where three horse shoe pits were set up. Now by the looks of them, they have been there for quite a while. However, it gave us the inspiration to purchase a set and make our own pit. Many games were played over the Labor Day weekend.

9-12-10 Sailin' Away

The weather this weekend was great for sailing, or doing other things on the lake. We had warm days, but cool nights. (Sigh!) Weekends like this are numbered. We close things down the first of October.

9-7-10 View From Cabin

This is the view from our deck at the lake. The season is coming to a close. We only have a few more weekends before we have to close it down.

9-6-10 Mardi Gras (Council Grove Style)

This weekend was our big Labor Day Bash at the lake. This year's theme was "Mardi Gras." We had jambalya, Gumbo, red beans & rice, as well as other cajun-type dishes. Forty-two friends & family showed up for the event. Although the wind blew like crazy, everyone seemed to have a great time.

9-2-10 Impatients Being Patient

Captured these impatients blooming in a park flower garden. For as much hot, dry, weather we have had, they looked as healthy and refreshed.

9-1-10 Knocking Down the Old

This is part of the "Fairmont Creamery" building in Council Grove, KS. They are in the process of knocking down this building. I'm not sure what, if anything, will take it's place. In the mean time, it makes a good place to take pictures.

8-31-10 Tubular View

Was walking around a park in Valley Center the other day and noticed this view through some of the playground equipment.

8-30-10 The Fairmont Creamery Co.

This old warehouse building used to be the home of The Fairmont Creamery Co., located in Council Grove, Kansas. The best I can determine is that it was part of the Blue Valley Creamery Company, based out of Nebraska. This creamery has been shut down for years,

and is in the process of either being torn down or remade to house some other type of business.

8-29-10 Charlotte's Web

While taking pictures of something else, I found this great looking spider's web.

8-26-10 Put Money In the Box

Was on my way home from school and drove past this old wagon sitting out front at a farm. I'm assuming they had produce on the wagon to sell. Must be very trusting soles to leave the money box out there.

8-25-10 Water Fun

Went out to lunch today and discovered this park just down the street from the HS I am housed at. The green round thing (which from the other side looks like a frog, sprays water inside the circle; the orange, tall pipe with the snake head shoots out water from the mouth of the snake; there are jets in the concrete that shoot up water too! I'm sure this was a hit this summer.

8-24-10 Shimmering Pampass Grass

As the sun was coming up yesterday morning, and I was backing out of our drive, I noticed the flowering part of the pampass grass shimmering in the sunlight.

8-23-10 Morning Sun

As I was pulling out of the driveway this morning, I caught the sun trying to shake off the clouds.

8-22-10 Smokin' Pulled Pork

Today was "Smokin' Day". I smoked 18lbs of pork for our Labor Day bash at the lake. However, when you take away the fat and bone, it only netted 8lbs. However, that should be plenty with everything else we're having. This year's theme..."Mardi Gras"!! We'll be having jambalaya, gumbo, dirty rice, red beans & rice, Cajun music and of course...Cajun smoked pork.

8-21-10 Tritz Audio

This is the mascot for our son's DJ business, "Tritz Audio". He and his partner, Richie, were at a booth at the Maize South football carnival. For one ticket, they would play your request.