4-9-16: David and I were invited to join, Rod, Lisa, Justin, Brooke, and the A's to the tulip fest at Bartlett Arboretum in Belle Plaine, KS. David and I wanted to visit it last year when we were here after hearing the owner sing at the Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival. Little did we know at the time that the arb owner and the lead singer of Cherokee Maidens was also a former Dixie Chick.
Really an interesting story (google it) about how she came to the rescue of this wonderful place and is now the steward of it. We saw her running about today to make sure all was running smoothly.
One of the first things that greeted us inside the arboretum was a stunning pink dogwood tree. So we stopped for some pics against it.
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| Justin, Brooke, Asher, Andrew |
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| Brooke's parents, Rod and Lisa |
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| my fella and me |
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| Legend of the Dogwood |
I shared with them the legend of the dogwood. Really a neat thought:
At the time of the crucifixion, the dogwood had reached the size of the mighty oak tree. So strong and firm was the wood that it was chosen as the timber for Jesus' cross.
To be used for such a cruel purpose greatly distressed the dogwood. While nailed upon it, Jesus sensed this, and in his compassion said. "Because of your pity for my suffering, never again shall the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used for a cross. Henceforth, it shall be slender, bent, and twisted, and its blossoms shall be in the form of a cross–two long and two short petals.
"In the center of the outer edge of each petal will be the print of nails. In the center of the flower, stained with blood, will be a crown of thorns so that all who see it will remember."
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| tulips |
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| tulips |
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| and more tulips --- and a Weeping Redbud Tree |
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| lace leaf Japanese Maple |
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| such a beautiful setting |
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| got to listen to some bluegrass |
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| Asher got to check out the pond |
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| Brooke and me |
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| Lisa, me, Brooke |
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| the famous treehouse ..... sometimes singers perch here for a concert |
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| fairy garden |
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| Andrew and his dad |
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| lunch on the grounds |
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| our guys |
What a gorgeous day with family, friends, and Nature!
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| Dian tries her hand at "cleaning" some of the fiber so she can do some dying |
4-21-16: This morning David and I visited our fave alpaca ranch -- Flatland Ranch in Rosehill, KS.
Dian and Steve Trainer are the owners. Dian gave us the grand tour a couple of years ago along with Greg, Linda Sue, Justin, Andrew, and Asher. She does a great job of educating folks about the alpacas and really makes it fun.
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| the first step, with all the hay and dirt in it |
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| now it's looking much better in step 2 |
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| and in step 3 it's literally softer than cotton |
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| eventually it'll look like this -- that's when I want it! |
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| Diane introduced me to Blossom -- I'm holding Blossom's yarn |
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| I also got some of Teka's yarn. She has the biggest, prettiest eyes! |
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| Rella --- last time we came out she followed Andrew and Asher all over the farm. She's peculiarly small and is precious! |
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| the girls waiting for Dian to let them out to the pasture |
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| there, that's better |
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| This is Kelty. She's Dian's largest animal and really didn't want to snuggle. |
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| But I'll get to snuggle her when I knit something with her yarn |
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| the grass is always greener......... |
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| da boys |
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| Soldier and the big boys are behind them |
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| on the left is Storm Chaser, appropriately named because he was born during a Kansas storm; in the center is Rella's brother |
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| Dian and me |
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| Storm Chaser, Rella's brother, and an adorable black alpaca |
I've followed Storm Chaser on facebook since his birth. Happy to get to meet the little guy.
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| the boys are keeping an eye of David |
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| This lovebug is Bella, their new Maremma |
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| these dogs are in the Great Pyrenees family and great herding and protection dogs for alpacas |
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Bye, Bella Baby
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We really enjoyed our visit to Flatland Ranch. Got my yarn fix, visited with Dian, and played with the alpacas and Bella. Can't wait to visit again ---- maybe in October!
In the meantime, we will visit Shepherd's Mill in Phillipsburg, KS on our way to SD in a couple of weeks. This is the mill that many alpaca ranches, including Flatland and Wildflower Ridge (which we visited once in the hill country), send their fiber to be spun. Hopefully, I'll get to take a tour and see some of that process.
Enjoying our April in Kansas! So far, no tornadoes!
Much love,
Glenn Bartlett, Robin Macy, and Bella Plaine
