Great Plains and Great Heroes

Arrived Wichita!  We miss the Ozarks and our peeps.  But very excited to see family!  We really have to get re-oriented.  Rocky, too!  Tonight when train whistles woke me up, I thought it was the dam horn, getting ready to generate.  Rocky is pretty adaptable, but I think even he is looking for his swimming hole in Table Rock Lake.

November KS sky

A gorgeous afternoon Kansas sky

11-1-13:  I do love a Kansas sky! Day and night.

I think Mac likes his Chrysler owl

After setting up at Air Capital RV Park in the city, we ran over to visit David's daddy.  Mac looks great and seemed kinda excited that I brought him a new hooter!  A Chrysler hooter at that!

The boys immediately got into the Sibley app on David's phone

they don't forget anything!  love that they love birds!

David gave them some awesome bird books -- Asher still prefers the app!

Rocky is keeping watch so the guys can concentrate

Asher's K teacher, Mrs. Vance

11-2-13:  Went to see our boys today.  Surprised them!  Brooke had an Origami Owl (jewelry) party to go to so she took me with her.  I was extra points for her.  haha. Asher's K teacher was the one selling it.

Giant Ichneumon Wasp

Sat next to a lady who was trying to identify this wasp on her tree (there are 3 in this pic) with a ridiculously long "tail".  After much googling, I finally found out what it was.

Heather and Doug

she's so proud

Sheila kicking back at Mac's

11-3-13:  Got to visit a little with Doug, Sheila, and Heather Louise today.  One of our fave families!  Cannot believe our little Heather is soon to be 18!!

 mermaid we found for Gala - that's her spirit animal

11-4-13:  David and I did a little treasure hunting (thrift store shopping) today.  We found quite the treasure for Gala.  She has a funny mermaid story so we couldn't resist!

Love

exploration

sweetness

11-5-13:  David picked up the boys from school today while I did a little laundry at their house. Enjoyed an evening with Andrew and Asher!  Always entertaining.  Andrew has his own treasure box.  When he finds something he thinks is interesting, he saves it in a special shoebox.  It was fun looking at all the cool treasures he has accumulated. Once their dad got home, we went to eat supper at the Triangle and enjoyed some hilarious dinner talk!  Someday we'll get to remind them of some of it.  Love those boys!

Panties!

11-6-13:  Played 2 hands of Panties this afternoon at Greg and Linda Sue's. And she fixed us a delicious lunch!  She's such an awesome cook!

Justin teeing off at the Winfield course

Eagle!

11-7-13:  David, Justin, Greg, and Voyt played 18 today in Winfield.  Usually, when David and I text each other with "Eagle!", we look up cuz that means one of us just saw one!  But today he attached the above pic with his "Eagle!" text and I knew he was having a hot game of golf!  Congrats to the hubs for his Eagle!

Asher and sock monkey, Donatello

Andrew with sock porpoise, Rafael

Justin took the boys the sock animals I made for them (they picked out the ones they wanted over supper the other night from my pix).  Justin said before school he asked them "know what day today is?" Meaning the day of the week.  They said "the day we get our sock animals!" How cute is that?  Brooke sent the above pix of them sleeping with their sock critters.  Love those boys! (have I ever mentioned that?)

Avery and sock monkey

Avery also snuggled up with Asher's sock monkey.

Eastern screech owl -- one of them albino

demos of the 9-10 ft roots of tallgrass

zebra mussels attached to a boat prop

interesting

bone picking history

used to see these at ElDorado KS State Park

caps on these acorns are as big as a golf ball

a stalking coyote display

new word for me

starting on the trail

Great Blue Heron

one of the boardwalks thru the prairie wetlands

yellow

tallgrass

doe under the canopy

healthy girl

spotted us

not too worried about us

and she's off

Chisholm Creek

finally found a prop

Wichita Wild man

plains wild indigo

wonderful day with a wonderful man

11-8-13:  David and I finally made time to visit the Great Plains Nature Center in Wichita.  It's smack dab in the middle of town, but you'd never know it. The visitor center is outstanding.  Very educational.  They reseeded Plains grasses in the 1980's to recreate prairie land that was once here.  They're preserving some wetlands out there, too.  Lovely trails!  Tho the winds were about 300 mph, the temp was perfect for spending the day on them.  Chisholm Creek was named after the first frontier trader to settle on the present site of Wichita, Jesse Chisholm.  The famous Chisholm Trail also bears his name.

11-9-13:  Very relaxing day of football on tv and sewing!  I won't even mention the Razorbacks.  And I probably shouldn't mention that I finished my first 2014 Christmas gift.

my pop - Gerald Goff, WWII Air Force

David's dad -- Richard McClintock, Korean War, Army

my stepmom - Edith Goff, homeland, WAC's

11-11-13:  Veteran's Day never ceases to make me sentimental!  What heroes our great country has!  And some right here in our family.  James Gentry, World War I.  Gerald Goff, World War II.  Richard McClintock, Korean War.  Edith Goff, WAC.  Bryce McClintock, Afghanistan.  Thanks to each of them!

11-13-13:  David and I did a little running around today and went to a few resale shops.  We were in a Goodwill and our song came on!  Phil Collins' Groovy Kind of Love.  I sprinted across the store to David and pointed at the speakers and said "our song, our song!"  He's like, "Yeah.  This shirt is only $3.99!"  He's so mushy!

One thing I'd never noticed in Wichita before today, is the abundance of cigar shops and lounges!  And several advertise "hookahs".  I had to google that one!

11-14-13:  David and Greg played golf today at Sim Park Course.  No pix, but David enjoyed the day -- a little windy, but great company.  I think he enjoyed the memories from his hs days of playing that course.

Looking forward to the rest of November here!  We've had some coooold days and nights already (cold enough to unhook our water). Yet we've had gorgeous days as well. Such is the Midwest weather -- thankful for it all.

Much love from Doo-Dah!

Jesse, Eliza, and Cattle Dog