What Are You Doing For Excitement Today?

[Wilma]

I know----what?  I don't know anything.  Aren't I still planting roses?  Didn't I just plant a catalpa tree that I can't wait to see bloom.  Come to think of it, maybe I won't wait to see it bloom.  They tell me that is part of life.

I spent the day delivering flowers to cemeteries, which involved a trip out west of Wichita.  Almost too much riding for me.  This little country cemetery is across the road from a wheat field.  It has always been interesting to see how far along the wheat is each year.  Today the wheat is almost ready to cut.  We did see a couple of fields that had been test cut and followed a big wide combine down the road a bit.  The reel of the combine stretched across the entire road.  There was no way to get around it.  Being an old farm gal, I didn't mind the delay at all.  This is pheasant country and we always see at least one pheasant, beautiful bird.   The ripe wheat fields are something to see but they don't compare to our green hills.

[Janet Harrington]

Several wheat fields around Independence have been cut. The wheat stubble is the most golden yellow I think I have ever seen. Or then again, maybe I am just appreciating life more as I get older.

[Wilma]

FIRST SIGHTING: 

I just saw a lightening bug, the first this year. 

However, as warm and muggy as it is outside tonight, I am not as enthusiastic about the first signs of summer as I was.  I did enjoy watching the birds and butterflies in my flowers today.  I have a butterfly flower that resembles the wild ones and there has been quite a variety of butterflies visiting it.  The birds are visiting the bird bath, which I have filled four or five times today.  Thirsty birds?  Dirty birds.  They were doing more bathing than drinking.  Another thing they are enjoying is the dry dust from the tilling that I had done.  They love their dust baths, too.

[W. Gray]

Wilma, I have always been disappointed that we have no lighting bugs here.

For whatever reason when I was a youngster we would catch them and put them in a Ball jar and punch holes in the top lid. Seemed like it was an annual ritual.

[larryJ]

We went down to Newport today to celebrate our son's birthday.  His birthday isn't until Monday, but today was a good day to celebrate.  As usual our daughter-in-law had a lot of food prepared and the granddaughters went to the bay side beach to play.  We all went down to watch them.  We will go again next weekend to go on a little boat ride around the bay and then that will be it until September.  They are in the process of moving to her mother's house for the summer and will return back to the beach house in September.  The beach house becomes a weekly rental after June 5.  The family that owns it will spend some time there and rent it weekly the rest of the summer. 

We exchanged our van for his car so they can move some things tomorrow and we will be watching #3 granddaughter while they are moving. 

All in all a good day. 

Larryj

[Wilma]

Another first sighting for me this year.  A bluebird is visiting my bird bath.  And not just to drink the water.  It is so dry here that quite a number of wildlife is coming here for a drink.  The resident turtle was getting his drink the other morning by getting into the old skillet that catches the overflow and relaxing for a time.  I haven't caught the rabbit actually at the bird bath but it was stretched out in the dust close to it the other evening.  I think there might be babies somewhere close.

[patyrn]

Today was a beautiful Memorial Day in Howard.  We were involved with the American Legion/Auxiliary activities beginning with breakfast followed by putting up the Avenue of Flags at the cemetery.  Each flag flown had been a casket flag of a deceased Legion member whose family members had dedicated the flag back to the local American Legion Post.  A beautiful memorial service was held at the cemetery mid-morning.  Then a community luncheon was held at the Cox  Building.  Later this afternoon all the flags were taken down and prepared for storage until next year.  All these activities involved an abundance of volunteers, both Legion members and community members and Boy Scouts who are not members but just caring and concerned citizens.  The blue sky set off the waving flags for a special day of remembrance. 

[Wilma]

Today's treat.  A nighthawk has roosted all day in our pecan tree.  We suspect that his usual roost is around the fair grounds which is very busy with the Bible Rodeo Camp this week.

[larryJ]

We will be off to the beach again today.  We are going to stop at the American Legion Hall for lunch and meet our son and his family there.  Then my son is going to rent a small boat (holds about ten people) and take us on a tour of Balboa Bay.  I am not a real big fan of small boats and he has been bugging me for months to do this, so today is the day.  (If there are no more posts from me on this forum, you now know what happened!)

This will be our last trip to his place by the bay until September.  The house he rents will be used for renting on a weekly basis, as well as a place for the owner's family to spend some vacation time.  My son and family will move to his mother-in-law's condo for the summer and then back to the beach house in September.  As mentioned before, we will probably see a lot more of them as the condo is closer to us than the beach. 

Larryj

[Diane Amberg]

That boat trip sounds like fun. I'd like to go too!
I just dragged my weary bones back from Main Street and our big "Take back the Town" party, since UD just closed until summer school starts in a few weeks. Main Street gets closed and everybody sets up and walks in the street.
   We had at least 300 people stop by our fire safety tent and a bunch that stopped at our fire house open house, one block off Main Street. It was a perfect 72 outside with a light breeze that waifed all the good restaurant odors all over town. They all set up outdoors in front of their places and try to outdo each other for interesting food choices for their customers.
   Many also donated food that gets set up in our firehouse basement for all of us who work the event. This year there was a huge bowl of salad with honey lime dressing, a big cheese and fruit tray, cheese burgers, piles of hot wings, a big tray of Ziti, 18 pizzas from several different shops and a sheet cake from Bings, our local bakery. It was great and our local police who had been at it since 6:00 this morning were really grateful.