The Past Week

The inner voice that soothes the soul.  That's what I feel when around my family and any concerns or issues just seem to melt away.  This past week was so very enjoyable and not because of the Independence Day celebrations but because I was able to spend quite a bit of time around family.

My oldest son, Brad, and his family were here for 4 days which gave me an opportunity to get to know my grandsons a little better.  They are fine boys, and very eager to help gramma.  The eldest grandson, Jayson, wants to go to KU as a soccer player so I'll see how that develops since he's only 12 years old.
Both boys are into soccer in a big way.  The younger grandson, Christopher, says he want to play for the Barcelona team!  He's 8 years old.  Their family had a great time at Silver Dollar City and Branson and the boys favorite was the go-carts.


Sunday started a short adventure that I really enjoyed.  I met my sis, Barbara, in Topeka around noon.
Sis lives in a small farming community about an hour+ south of Topeka and I'm about an hour+ east of Topeka.  She left her car at our nephew's home and we travelled together to Abilene.  We checked into the Holiday Inn Express and then headed to the downtown area.  We found some antique stores and, of course, we just had to walk around a couple of them.

We were on a mission, so to speak.  Barbara was hunting vintage tablecloths.  In her town of Reading, there is a small cafe called The Miracle that the townspeople had gathered together to renovate and help setup for business.  They are now encouraging women's groups and seniors groups to visit The Miracle for teas, luncheons, meetings.  The tablecloths will add an air of 'time gone by' country gentility. 

In the late afternoon we joined our brother, Richard, and his wife, Kathy, who had also checked into the hotel.  They were travelling back from their vacation in Colorado and were stopping to spend the night and rest before heading on back home in Lenexa, which is very close to my home.  Anyway, we all went to dinner at the Brookville Hotel to enjoy their special fried chicken dinner which includes a starter of relishes, followed with fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, coleslaw, cottage cheese, and biscuits, and ending with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Wow! Were we stuffed by the time we walked out.  Remember, it's all you can eat and I had 3 pieces of chicken.  The whole dinner was NOT on my Weight Watchers, which I had put on hold for the whole little trip!

The four of us had a wonderful time that evening, laughing and telling stories that at our age we have probably told many times!!  Then again at breakfast before Richard and Kathy headed on out for home.  After they left we got packed up and checked out of the hotel but we headed back into town to visit at least one more antique store.  When we were all done shopping we went to an actual soda fountain which is at Bankes Drug, 304 N. Broadway, Abilene.  I had a huge real strawberry malt in an old fashioned tall glass container.  We sat on the stools at the counter!  It was the size of a super large and cost only $3.50.  That was lunch!  I mean it's dairy and fruit, so that's okay right?

We then headed home pleased with out 24 hr. adventure.  There's quite a bit to do and see in Abilene but we just couldn't do it this time...maybe next time.

May God Bless family and friends.
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A Purposeful Pest

In recent days I've read an article about the ever present dandelion.  Realizing that this poor wild flower is so terribly discriminated against, I was fascinated by some of the information in that article.

For instance, did you know that the dandelion is present on every continent including the Arctic?  In the not too distant past this plant was considered a wonderful spring tonic and was not so mistreated as in modern day industrialized America and Europe.  Everyone is busy trying to make sure that one of these poor plants never shows up in their yards.  That obsession didn't begin until the 1950's when suburbia became the new center of human existence and the perfect yard was the lifetime goal.  I wonder what homeowners concentrated on before the battle of the dandelion started?  Hmmmm...

The dandelion is a major contributor to the nectar gathered by bees for their honey.  The dandelion seeds are a major contributor to several native sparrows during their migration.  I remember that as a little girl my friends and I would pick a dandelion and twirl it under our chins.  The yellow mark (which I now know was the pollen) meant something or another, but I just can't remember what!  I also remember my son Mark, at about the age of 4, picked me a bouquet of dandelions and presented them with great pride.  Of course, I had to put them in a cup of water and put them on the table for a few days.

The entire dandelion plant is edible, including the prized roots.  European herbalists believe that the dandelion root is a good treatment to diminish anemia.   It is a good source of vitamins C, A, and K.
The dandelion has far more calcium than the same amount of spinach.  The young leaves are added to salads giving an added flavor similar to chicory.  The older leaves can be steamed or sauteed like spinach.

So while some herbs and wildflowers have some undesirable effects, a few are even poisonous, that just isn't the case with the much maligned dandelion. 

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Olathe Bird Sightings

Over the years I have gained more and more of an interest in bird-watching on a very amateurish basis.
I document the birds that visit my back yard but haven't been able to get any decent digital photos with my little camera, however, I'm still working on that problem and will continue to attempt to capture some of them on camera.

I try to give the birds ample tree and bush cover so they feel safe and can visit the feeders and the water.  By using a heated dog bowl during the winter, they can still get their water daily.  Our yard has some flowers, especially the purple cone flower that the finches just love.  While we have been trying to get the yard at a point that won't need much manicuring, we also hope to leave the needed safe haven coverage the birds seek. 

Even with the efforts to provide some safety for the birds, we have a frequent visitor that is a danger for the birds but is fascinating for us to observe:  the Coopers Hawk.

We have a juvenile that, for the past 3 months, has been spending time in our 40 ft. scotch pine.  One Sunday around noon this magnificent bird landed on the deck rail about 12 ft. from our kitchen door and about 2 ft. from the large water container at the corner of the railing.  The hawk sat there for about 10 minutes and then went for a drink.  He was there for a total of about 15 minutes and it was awesome to be so close, as Don and I were sitting at the table just inside the door.  Every time we moved his head snapped around to try to get a look at the movement he must have perceived with his 'hawkeyed' vision.

Then, just 4 days ago, the hawk (we assume it's the same one) did a swooping dive at a black bird that was sitting on our railing.  Both birds flew a fast 360 around our patio/deck area and then flew off.  The hawk was in the pine tree last week having his dinner and, I'm sorry to say, feathers were flying everywhere.  I hope we aren't enticing the birds to come to our yard for food and water only to become the hawks supper.
I know that's how nature works, I just don't want to be the responsible party. 

On a much more inspiring note, about 6 days ago, while outside the Toyota dealer's workshop, I spotted a flyover of trumpeter swans.  I have never seen the majestic birds in flight before this and it was so exciting.
There were 10-12 of them and their flight is a graceful choreography.  Just beautiful.  I wish I knew where they were headed and if they had a layover in Olathe at one of the lakes or if they moved on south to one of the lakes in southeastern Kansas.

The trumpeter swan flies in a V shape and their movements seem effortless.

We will continue to search out our native birds and those that are passing through to a different part of the country.  But, I must say the trumpeter swan is a reminder of how gentle and beautiful are some of the creatures of nature.

Beyond Physical Disability

William "Deafy" Boular

BY BECCY TANNER

The Wichita Eagle

Courtesy of Atchison County Historical Society

While the world may have come to know and admire Helen Keller for her ability to overcome disabilities and become a famous author and lecturer, there was a Kansan who made headlines for his own skill at overcoming adversity and setting records.

His name was William M. “Deafy” Boular, and he was a champion bricklayer from Atchison.

On Jan. 7, 1933, Boular was featured in Ripley’s “Believe It Or Not” syndicated column for setting the record in 1900 for laying 46,000 bricks in less than eight hours — and that was only one of his jobs.

Boular was born Sept. 9, 1869, in a small community south of Atchison called Sumner. His family later moved to Atchison.  When he was 4 years old, Boular was diagnosed with spinal meningitis, leaving him deaf and unable to speak.  He later, at age 10, was involved in a railroad accident that severed his legs — he wasn’t able to hear the train’s whistle.  The legs were amputated just below the knees. He owned a pair of artificial legs but didn’t like to wear them. So for the rest of his life, he wore specially designed and fitted boots, allowing him to walk on his knees.

According to the Atchison County Historical Society Museum, Boular led a fairly active life, working 35 years at a local foundry and 17 years at an Atchison recreation center as well as being a beekeeper and hunter. Townspeople called him “Deafy,” pronounced “Deefee.” In 1900, he laid 46,000 bricks in one day. Famed Kansas newspaperman E.W. Howe affectionately featured him in a lecture on May 10, 1904, called “People I Have Known.”

Boular died Jan. 6, 1953, and is buried in Atchison’s Mount Vernon Cemetery.
Many of the brick streets that Boular laid more than a century ago in some of the community’s oldest neighborhoods are still in use today.

An exhibit on Boular is featured in the Atchison County Historical Society Museum.

Kansas - The Scenes and the Seasons

Those of us that are lucky enough to live in the center of the country and get to experience all four seasons are among the blessed humans that witness God's handiwork whenever we wander about.  It really doesn't take a grand trip that is hundreds of miles in the distance, but, rather, just a look into the back yard or a city park or out the car window while driving to shop or work.  There are, of course, locations around the country that are home to indigenous plants and animals that aren't at home here in the mid-America. 

Within a few hundred miles, we can view mountains, prairies, hills, creeks, huge rivers, small rivers, sandy desert soil, misty green glens...

Two weeks ago, while I was sitting at the kitchen table watching the birds, a huge hawk landed on the deck railing about 12 feet from the house.  It was about 20 in. in length and a reddish-brown with quite a bit of white on the breast and legs.  I had a hard time identifying it in my bird book, but it looked to be a juvenile.  The hawk stayed for about 15 minutes, took a drink from the 16 in saucer I keep on the railing, and then just flew away.  This was so unexpected in our residential area and an amazing thrill to watch.

The following photos show various aspects of Kansas and her many attributes.

Enjoy your state and look for the beauty around you.  The prairie states have much to offer and a beauty that can not be found in any other part of the country.  Be an explorer of your area.  If you're in Kansas then think about becoming a Kansas Explorer at www.kansassampler.org
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Sometimes we get 10-12 inches of snow with temperatures below zero.  Yet, in the summer, we get temperatures that reach for 100 with a humidity of 90+.  In the fall the air has that special autumn fragrance of drying leaves, ripening fruit and squash mixed with a cool breeze from the north and it's heavenly.  Our normal late spring season will have several severe storms as well as tornadoes.  Each piece makes up the whole, and the whole is our life...

Kansas Sampler Festival and Explorers

On May 1st and 2nd, the Kansas Sampler Foundation(KSF) hosted a festival to promote places, people, and things to do and see in Kansas.  There were several thousand people in attendance, it was held in Leavenworth, Kansas, where it will also be held next year.  The festival moves every two years to a different area of the state.  One of the main activities of the KSF is the Kansas Explorers, a group of adventurers that literally 'explore' the state.  There are just under 6,000 members that spread out across the state with the aim of discovering places and people that were unknown to them previously.  My sis, Barbara, her hubby, Charles, my hubby, Don, and I are members of this group and enjoyed attending the festival.

There is a segment of society that chooses to poke fun at the 'flatness' of the Kansas prairie, not realizing, apparently, that many of us find the subtle rolling hills, sculpted stream beds, prehistoric rock formations, and a horizon that exemplifies heaven and earth, as a thing of beauty.  We have a little of everything; a hilly forested eastern region, a rolling productive central area, and an arid archaeological treasure trove in the west.  At the festival, the various regions of the state were represented by cities and counties set up in huge tent pavilions ready to show you where they were and why you should visit their area. 

Pavilions were filled with artisans goodies to taste or smell; there were bakeries, jams, BBQ sauces, salsas, mustards, meats, chips, cheeses, soaps, herbs, cremes and much more.  There was a tent for sheep shearing, one for Kansas brewed beers and Kansas vineyards.  There were living history exhibits "Freedom's Frontier" included the Mahaffie Stage Coach Station, John Brown, Alexander Majors the Santa Fe Trail merchant, Wyandot Nation of Kansas, LeCompton Players and the state's first capitol, and others depicting pioneer struggles.   There was a tent honoring all the Kansas authors/poets and one that exhibited the works of our homegrown artists. 

From time to time there will be some reports here regarding places and things in this wonderful state, and with good fortune, some recommendations for anyone wanting to explore the great prairie state of Kansas.