As Big As You Think!

OK.   You requested, I promised.  Here they are.    Now…   these aren’t the “OOooo!  Aaaah!   Isn’t Kansas just the prettiest?!”   photographs, but well  – – I blame it on the weather.   And time of year (nothing is green in February.)   And not really knowing how to use my camera yet?     Don’t NOT visit Kansas based on these photos!   I realize that Kansas is rarely a destination on its own – and I do proclaim again, it has its beauty!   (Request your travel brochure and visitors guide from the official KS Bureau of Tourism here!  I got the title for this post from the official slogan to capture your interest in the 34th state…) 

I especially love the contrast of my home state to where I currently live.   I can get homesick for that big sky grandness…   

 

First photo shows me taking the pic (look in the side mirror) of the Rental Car Building at KCI.   Notice that the sky is white?   It was rather chilly….   We got a Dodge Charger.

This next scene is actually Missouri which is where KCI is:   Kansas City, Missouri…  We are heading southwest…

 This is on I-70 but it could still be I-435.   Another cool glimpse of my hands with the camera.    I’m pretty amazed how well these turned out.   It’s ~ 3 pm or so.

 

Most definitely on I-70 here;  getting flatter…

 

I can see for miles and miles…

 

This is looking east from the Lookout stop on 177 (the road from I-70 north into Manhattan KS which is where you can find Kansas State University)   The sky was a little too hazy.   We tried to get some height on this, but I was freezing and the wind was blowing and I just wanted to escape back into the car.

 

This is looking west.   For some pretty photos of Konza Prairie, check out this link.   

Curvature of the earth?  The sun was so bright, I had trouble seeing my horizontals…

 

This is Rocky Ford fishing area – we were touring around after the funeral.   It’s just barely outside of Manhattan, down river from Tuttle Creek Reservoir.

 

The view looking north from the top of Tuttle Creek Dam.

 

A huge statue of Johnny Kaw sits in the city park.    (Mythical figure, famous for planting sunflowers and wheatfields…)

   And for my Massachusetts friends, one of the early wealthy town founders was H. P. Wareham.   His name is on a few buildings.    I have no idea if he was associated in any way with the town of Wareham, MA.   This is in downtown Manhattan KS.

Then, coming back to KCI, we drove Hwy 24 and came up on the Kansas Speedway (any Nascar fans?)    It’s amazing what this has done to attract all sorts of mass commercialization in the area.   Am.Az.Ing.    “If you build it, they will come.”   

 

See me again?

 

This concludes today’s photo essay (minus the family at lunch, etc.) of my latest trip ‘home’.

Winter Doldrums, Upcoming Travels

I leave this weekend for Kansas.    A lovely state, really, with much to offer.   Yes, there are many flat parts.   There are also some lovely hilly rolling terrain parts.

I think what makes the flat parts feel so especially flat are the endless fields.  and NO TREES.    Oh, Kansas has trees.   Just not the kind that hide roads and Walmarts.   For THOSE kinds of trees, we enjoy New England.    You can’t see anything from the highways around here…

It’s cold and damp in my part of New England.   Dreary, gray, and depressing.    [and no, I’m not hungover.  I didn’t drink THAT many beers during Project Runway last night!   It’s just that I’m really focusing on cutting down, doing pretty good at that goal, and now I’m turning into a lightweight.    So when Hub is OOT, well…   one too many perhaps.   But I’m home, not out driving anywhere, and taking in lots of clean cold water, as well.   In fact, I’m proud to announce that I jumped on the treadmill ~ 7 am this morning and went 2.5 mile.   so there.]

 We fly out tomorrow and have one stop in a part of the country that had airports closed on Wednesday due to snow.   I’m thinking it will all be worked out by Friday.  Hope.

Then, later this month, Hub and I ‘take a HOLIDAY’!   I’m very excited to show off my somewhat svelter bod to the lads of Central America;  we’re going to Costa Rica and will be zip-lining, sport fishing, jungle touring, etc.    SUN!    WARMTH!    It’ll be a good time.   [woo hoo!  I only lost 1 pound in January but I lost an inch around my hips, waist, thighs!??!   whatever, it’s cool.  or I don’t know how to measure.  snort.]

After that?    I want to visit my Mother-In-Law.   and she wants me to visit her so I can help them go through years and years and boxes and boxes of crap.   They are moving from the farm to a smaller dwelling and….  omg.   It ain’t gonna be pretty.    I won’t be much help – I will be wanting to hear every story and probably squeal with delight at the treasures!     I can only imagine the decades of vintage sewing patterns AND FABRICS that she has stored away!    She calls it her ‘fibbermcgee’ closet.   I really don’t know what that means but I do know it has 40+ years of collections!  

I so bet that they will end up throwing things away that the ebay world love to get their hands on.    They are planning an auction, but still….       What treasures will be tossed into the smelly rubbish container that is soon to sit in the driveway?   It’s best I not think about it.  It’s not that I want any of this junk treasure…   I hope we get back for the auction only to show support, if nothing else.    I think it’s scary for my in-laws.  I know it.

And we have babies due to be born in March!   (no, not me.)  and we have… relatives in Colorado we should visit…   and my wonderful great aunt in Florida would love to have me come see her (and bring her beer – she’s so fun!)

Crap.   I need an income.   Such a drag.