A Hill in the middle of Kansas

This is what we call a hill. Actually, it may be just a slight rise. Another warm day with just enough sprinkles to make us want more rain.

Frozen Yogurt Bar

This photo is blurry. That's how I feel. We just went to the new yogurt self service bar.
"Half a cup is about $3.00," said the clerk as he gave instructions on how to serve yourself.
I barely covered the bottom of the cup with yogurt, spooned about a tsp. of chopped strawberries over the top and set the cup on the scale. Total?  $1.90. Wow!
I got that cup for L. but he declined so I ate it. There were many flavors and more toppings available.
I saw cups heaped up with yogurt and toppings and can only imagine the price of those.
Will it survive here? We'll see in a few months.

 I would rather waste my dollars on Starbucks.

Later:  I measured the amount of liquid the cup holds and it is 2 1/2 cups.

from the 1920's

This was a close friend of my mother's, Edith Colgrove Johnson. She lived in Dalhart,Texas, (with her husband Sidney Johnson) and maybe the cactus-like design on the left of the folder indicates that. There is no photographer's name on the stand up frame.
In those days we called friends of our parents "Aunt" and "Uncle" and not by their first names alone or Mr. and Mrs. I don't know how common this was in other areas but in our neighborhood it was done.
I think the picture must date from the twenties because of the marcelled hair.

3 boys from 1900

My dad is in the lower left; born in 1898.
His brother is in back; born 1896.
A cousin is on the lower right; age unknown but close to the others I would guess.

Boys did wear long curls then and how about the large plaid bows?

I remember reading in a book about Gen. MacArthur that his mother had him wear his hair in curls, making it seem that this was a unique thing she did. I believe it was just a sign of the times. 

Cicada Emerging from Shell

L. called me out to the back yard while I was still in my pj's. Luckily we have a privacy fence. He saw this cicada, which I have called 'locust' all my life. This little guy was just coming out of his 2 - 17 year time spent underground.
According to the dictionary, locusts are what I called grass hoppers. I guess that explains the locust plagues in the Bible.

Rosemary Cheddar Muffins

I saw this recipe in Taste of Home magazine.  It was 100 degrees today and I decided to try it even though it would mean heating up the kitchen.

They were pretty tasty as opposed to the Spanish Beef Hash I prepared. Hint: do not use Rotel tomatoes with green chilis in place of regular tomatoes without decreasing the amount of hot sauce the recipe calls for. Very spicy!

Here's the recipe for the muffins:

2 cups self-rising flour (to use regular flour, add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt to each cup flour)
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar chees
1 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary OR 1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 1/4 cups 2% milk
3 Tbsp. mayonaise

Method:
1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cheese and rosemary. In another bowl, combine milk and mayonaise; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Spoon into 12 greased muffin cups.

2. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick unserted in muffin comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack. Serve warm.

Small Towns

I really like small towns. Some people might think 40,000 is a small town but I am talking about just a few thousand. This shot is of the Main Street of Inman, KS, (population1180, according to Google) where we went this morning for home made cream puffs at the Harvest Cafe. I understand they have these every other Thursday. They are worth the drive on a nice cool morning and especially worth it to meet two friends who rode their bicycles from Hutch.

Yesterday I had lunch with a dear person and her husband. She is actually a relative and the relationship on paper is distant - 2nd cousin once removed - but not distant in feelings.
Her mom, Marcheta, and I were very close and we lived in the same area for Pam's first two years.

Now this evening I have a dinner engagement (!) with another friend and coffee in the morning with another. This is more social life than I've had all summer!

Box from Holland

We saw this at the green house Saturday. Surely tulip bulbs came in the box; not the little yellow flowers sitting there now! 

Odd Bird Baths

Is any comment needed? 

Fields of Sunflowers

Sunflowers facing the morning sun. 
 

These are facing the morning sun too, but from the other side of the road.

Silver Falls State Park, Oregon

This is a waterfall in Oregon. Although I have not seen this area, I have been in other parts of the state.
If you click to enlarge, you will see the dots are people who are walking on a path under the falls.
 

Happy Face

This cheerful leaf was how our day started - a trip to the groomers to get Mork trimmed (plenty of hot weather left) and then a short jaunt to the family style restaurant where we could actually "eat out" together. A fine day, right?
After we ordered, we were engaged in trying to fight the swarm of flies.  It might have been a good idea to pick up and leave then.
But we didn't. After the food arrived, which was very good, we continued the battle. After flies landed on a straw in L's drink, he got a new straw and the same thing happened again. We just gave up. L. didn't finish his steak sandwich. When the waitress brought the check, we explained and she said they had been trying to spray to control them. L. assured her we knew it wasn't her fault. She asked if he would like something else. No thanks.
When the cashier asked how everything was, the reply was "The food was good but the flies were terrible."
No offer to reduce the check or apology. Oh well.

After that the day got worse. It was a little cooler today though - high 80's. Be thankful for small favors, as my mom used to say.

Roses

I
It's still August and the roses have come back on this bush.

At 10:30 a.m. it's 87 degrees, headed for 100. I don't know how these blossoms are surviving. They are the only thing blooming in the yard.
I'll enjoy them but I keep thinking Fall!

Stone Bridge

This bridge near Clemments, KS looks small until you realize the tiny yellow dot at the rail is a man.
These stone bridges are remarkable and are found far away from highways.

Orange Cones

Today when we left to buy bird seed, we were blocked just south of our street. More paving going on! An about turn to 30th street and on to the feed store. On the way back, L. offered to buy me a mocha. I was driving. We turned in to Starbucks and the first photo shows as far as we got.
You couldn't go on in and you couldn't go on out so I backed up to the Taco Hut parking lot. L. is in the red shirt walking to the coffee place. 
Coming home we reached 23rd. Some more paving happening.  We are grateful the city still has the money and resources to keep our streets smooth!

Silent movie

Yesterday TCM was showing the movies of Lon Chaney. This photo is from Mr. Wu with co-star Rene Adoree.
I liked Tell It To The Marines where Chaney was seen with no makeup at all. He was known as the man of a thousand faces but he wanted to look more natural in the film where he portrayed a marine sargeant.
These movies from the 1920's are amazingly preserved and the show what our ancestors were seeing on film; strange plots and plenty of action!

Some Flower on a Tree at the Dillon Nature Center

This is our 59th wedding anniversary.  Amazing that it lasted because some folks said it would not!

We knew each other three and a half months. For some that may not work, but it did for us.

 

In Memorium

After  hearing the entire moon flower plant is poisonous, L. removed all traces from our yard.

They were beautiful but evidently deadly. 

Delayed Dinner

I do like a crockpot. There are at least two blogs I read that have recipes and advice about cooking with one. Yesterday I was up at 6:00, peeling potatoes and putting the carrots and roast in ours.

Because of some delays, the guests arrived much later than I had planned.

The roast was well done but edible. Just turn the dial to warm for the last six hours.

Report from Reno County

This morning's paper included an insert that has twenty pages, single spaced, two column spreads of person who owe property taxes in Reno County, Kansas.

How does this happen? One name has 36 properties listed.

The grand total of unpaid taxes is $2,754,276.62.

I wonder what we could avoid cutting back if the monies owed were collected.

And why does this bother me? Our name is not on the list. How do others get away with not paying what they owe?  It seems to be a trend in the country.


Later: I have been told that many folks wait until the last few days to "pay up" thus earning interest on their money for a longer time. With the earned interest rate so low, it hardly seems worthwhile.

New and Improved

Last time I bought this shampoo it was 2 in 1. Now the label is 3 in 1. Not only a shampoo but a conditioner! Great, right?
But now it's a body wash.

Will the 4 in 1 include a cleanser for the teeth?

Big news of the day

After a few small showers in the last few days, we finally got some real rain last night - along with wind and the blowing of the tornado sirens.  The weather gurus on tv reported no tornado warnings in the area; only high winds. I hope this was a malfunction. I do not like to hear sirens when there is no cause.

Sunset

Not knowing how to delete a comment, I'll just repost this beautiful sunset.

Heat Stress

I know these cone flowers go to seed but I don't remember the petals turning brown in other years.
Watering a little bit must not be enough.

Front Porch Jungle

With dog in doorway.