Aspens

I am smitten -- and forever will be in love with Aspen trees. I love the white smooth trunks, the fabulous fan/heart shaped leaves, and I love the way they sound when the mountain wind blows through them. It truly is musical! I think I have Aspen envy!

One of the very smart tour-guide-type people in Colorado told us, that a grouping of Aspens is actually grown from one root. So, I am picturing one giant runner root, all the way under the ground. Then new trees pop up along the root.

Plus another bonus, is the beautiful show that they provide in the fall. They are blazing yellow along the mountainside. Absolutely stunning! I think we totally need some in Kansas!

A Bit Batty

Shortly after we arrived home from vacation, we discovered a few more residents at the homestead. For one, we opened the kitchen deck door and were greeted by a bat. I guess that explains the unidentifiable droppings in the carport. Which, just for the record, have been appearing for the last few weeks. An open roof must have been too tempting to call home! I can't quite imagine that it was a "cool" cave though, since temps have been well over 100.

Mr. Fixit headed out to the shop to grab some tools. He tossed a piece of paper into the trashcan, only to find the trash moving! Upon further investigation, it appeared that a possum took a hankering to hanging out in that spot. So, the trashcan spent the rest of the afternoon on its side, by the pond.

I could tell that the critter instances were going to be much cause for pondering on Mr. Fixit's behalf. By morning, he came up with a plan: he would be closing up all open roof spaces immediately.

So, that last few days have included the construction of a new closet, lots of plywood, tin and screws. So long bats - you are not welcome here any longer!

Flowers

I really do love flowers -- growing them, landscaping, and trying to see if I can make a challenging plant thrive. It is an awesome feeling when there is a successful plant in your yard!

We arrived home from the beautiful, arid Colorado to the scorching, triple-digit-plus heat of Kansas. Needless to say, the perennials that were planted in the coolness of May took a bit of a beating. We made arrangements for the heifers and cats to be fed, but thought the flowers could fend for themselves. Eeeeekkk, what a sight!

Instead of showing you the french fried landscape, I thought instead we would reflect on cooler temps, and fonder flower moments. So, enjoy this "paintbrush" plant. This wildflower sure loved residing in the Rocky Mountain National Park!

Summer Vacation

I love to go somewhere awesomely cool during the most hottest part of the summer! We spent five days in Colorado, and had a wonderful time. The weather could not have been better! Here is a run down of the stuff we did and saw:

• Lots of mountains!
• Horseback riding in Rocky Mountain National Park.
• A day hike in Rocky Mountain National Park.
• A chuckwagon dinner complete with Cowboy singers.
• The famous Stanley Hotel from "The Shining."
• A Cowboy Poet/Singer.
• A train ride and mine tour in Georgetown.
• Lots of delicious food!

We logged about 1,200 miles on the car, and I think I will be calling to make the next oil change appointment soon!!

Fair - Why Kids Love It

When my youth members were asked what their favorite part of the year was-- and these were members of all ages -- an overwhelming majority responded with Fair!

So why do kids like the fair? Well, it could be because of this photo. You get to hang out with your friends for 5 days straight. It is like one giant party, complete with every treat you could ever imagine: cotton candy, funnel cakes, fries, sno-cones, popcorn and more!

Some kids like the fair for other reasons. They like to bring work that they have created. I love seeing the talent that comes to the Fair! It gives you the warm fuzzy and goose bump feeling all at the same time. Take a look at this project - a bread-shaped cornucopia. Amazing!

I like the fair because it is a time for me to connect with all the youth members and catch up with their parents. Each year is unique, and etches memories that last a lifetime!

Tired Tires

It has been a week -- and I realize that we are only into day 3 of this week -- of tire flats. I know that gravel comes with some concessions, but this one has been extremely eventful.

Sunday started with a low tire on my vehicle. I had thought it looked low for awhile, but not that low, right? It had 10 psi in it, whereas the other tires contained 32 psi. So, ok, perhaps it was a bit on the low to flat side. Mr. Fixit pumped it up, and it will be off to be fixed on Friday. In the meantime, we just add a bit of air each day.

Today Mr. Fixit had the tire excitement. He hopped out of his work truck to hear a "sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss." That is never good. Yup, the front driver's tire was practically shooting air out of it. So, the tire was flat in a matter of minutes. Needless to say, that tire will be taken to the repair shop in the a.m.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that all other tires will remain inflated the rest of this week. After all, we have a tire iron by the door, and potentially only 10 more tires could possibly go flat yet this week. That is pretty good odds, right?

The Moving Wall

About a month ago, I accompanied a group of youth to Washington, DC for a Citizenship experience. While we were there, we visited the many memorials, monuments and historical sites that many tourists tend to visit in DC. One of the more impactful sites is the Vietnam Wall.

Well, last night as Mr. Fixit and I were watching the news, we learned that the "Moving Vietnam Wall" was in Seneca for a stay. We were planning a day trip to visit his Mom, and he had chatted with her on the phone about the wall. By golly, no summer hot/humid temps were going to stop us!

So, we did venture to the park. It is amazing how comparable it is to the actual life-sized memorial. The wall size is scaled smaller, and the lettering is smaller as well. The "traveling" lettering is raised whereas the actual wall font is carved. Folks did leave tributes at various spots along the way, so that reminded me of the actual memorial.

It was really neat to see a group of motorcyclists come and pay respect and honor to the memorial. I hope this scaled down version helped make it real for many, that Americans fought and sacrificed in an unpopular war on both country soils. Thank you Veterans of all armed forces!