All Things Corn

And nature. And Kansas history. And mooning.

Summer Tanager at Chaplin Nature Center near Ark City

a 39- star flag used to stake a claim in the Cherokee Strip Land Rush

Supermoon July 2014

7-7-14:  Sometimes at work we meet the most interesting folks.  Today we met a Dreamliner (787) pilot.  David asked him if he accidentally landed at Jabara recently. LOL. He assured us that wasn't him.

captive audience?

Got this pic from Emily today.  It's Gus strumming a tune for baby Ava!

Spring Creek

7-9-14:  We took a little daytrip down to Arkansas City today with Greg and Linda Sue.  First we visited the Chaplin Nature Center.  The center itself is interesting, tho much smaller than the one here in Wichita.  We took a short hike down to the Arkansas River.  It almost looked clear!  Most of the rivers we see here in KS are pretty muddy.  So this was a welcome treat for us.  Because of an abundance of rain this year, the river was flowing nicely.

One of the prairies near the river -- Giant Sunflower patch 

Greg, Linda Sue, and me on the sandbar

Even walking on the sandbar was decent exercise for the ankles.  Didn't seem to be any quicksand anywhere like I always hear about on the Red River sandbars down south.

Arkansas (Our-Kansas) River west of Ark City

David's panorama looking upstream

some trees that drifted downstream

#davidlovesselfies

Watched a mama turkey and her baby scurry out from behind the nature center as we approached.  The baby headed for an overhead limb.  It flew away before we could get any pix, but that was neat to see. Enjoyed a bit of a breeze on the balcony of the nature center and caught sight of the hen again as she grazed.

looking for Stephen King

Stopped at one of the cornfields as we headed out of the nature center area. When the breeze blows through the stalks it sounds like someone or something is headed your way.  The corn in Kansas is really looking tall and green right now.  Hoping we're still here "come harvest."

Stalkers

I posted the above pic on fb (thx for the shot, Linda Sue).  Loved the replies: corny, American Gothic, stalkers, Grandparents of the Corn, where's your pitchfork, etc, etc. 

Greg and Linda Sue wanted to be corny, too

Carolyn Jackson in Texarkana gave me some interesting info about work in the cornfields.  Her grandsons do some summer work in MI "detasseling" corn.  Detasseling is removing the top or the pollinating tassel of the corn plant to cross-pollinate for the following year's corn seed.  Certain rows are detasseled so it will be pollinated by rows of tasseled corn of different varieties to create hybrid corn. Teenagers in Michigan, Indiana, and Iowa work for contractors who hire them to detassel during summer months.  It's hot, dirty, tiring work, but pays well and sounds like a great learning experience!

Cherokee Strip Land Rush Museum, Arkansas City, KS

David found a fun little diner in Ark City called Daisy Mae's.  We stopped there for a sandwich, peanut butter pie, then moved on to the Cherokee Strip Land Rush Museum.  I know very little about this piece of history other than David's great-grandfather Rife participated.  We'd like more info on his involvment.  We really enjoyed this museum.  The Land Rush was crazy!!  Not only were the Native Americans, once again, pushed out of their land, but the people trying to stake out claims went through something like today's Black Friday on crack!  Many camped out ahead of time so they'd be there when the starting pistol fired.  Even more folks -- the Sooners -- went out ahead of the legal starting time and claimed their land. And defended it fiercely. The Rush began near the southern border of Kansas and continued into northern OK.

surveying equipment

the folks camping out before the Rush begins

in many cases it was a family affair

once the starter pistol fired, off they went to stake a claim

Ark City back in the day

These nails with numbers on the head were pounded in the upper end of railroad ties. They indicated the date the tie was laid. Numbering railroad ties started in 1901. 

antique corn sheller -- it shucked the whole cob and later the farmer had to separate thecorn from the pieces of cob 

teletype machine

Once again, many were displaced

One of the chiefs

pedal-driven sharpening stone

this pretty guy met us outside the old school -- I think he expected us to feed him --- or he was school security

David and I found a huge earthworm outside the school, which David tossed to the chickens and rooster.  They devoured it!

think I'll rest a sec

sign? what sign?

cool old globe

lillypads on the pond

Bland Schoolhouse

this sign is taller than Linda Sue thought!

Fun to learn some more about David's home state of Kansas!  And always great to be with Greg and Linda Sue.  They are a fountain of info.  And always game for a good time!

Exploration Place Science and Discovery Center on the West Bank 

7-10-14:  Lovely night on the River Walk in Wichita with my fella and my dog.  Cool breeze, gorgeous sunset, ring of fire, and a shiny moon -- the start of July's Supermoon.

went down to the River Walk to see the lighting of the "Ring of Fire" that surrounds the Keeper of the Plains statue. Weather permitting, the ring is lit every night at 9 for 15 minutes

Don't Spit on the Sidewalk

The River Walk has so many great memorials and signs along the way.  This little sign, tho comical, is a great piece of history.  Dr. Samuel Crumbine - said to be the model for the dr on Gunsmoke - began a couple of campaigns to fight TB.  One was to replace drinking cups on trains with paper cups.  The other was to encourage brick makers to imprint "Don't Spit of the Sidewalk" into their bricks, which were shipped out all over the country.  Good ole Doc Sam also invented the flyswatter while serving on the Kansas State Board of Health.  He encouraged the public to swat flies to prevent the spread of disease!

Downstream shot of the 1st street bridge over the Arkansas River.

The Keeper of the Plains is in the center near the sunset

Yellow Crowned Night Heron fishing along the bank.

The ring is just starting to burn in this shot.

The Keeper of the Plains is a 44 ft tall steel sculpture created by Black Bear Bosin.  It stands at the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas Rivers in Wichita

Keeper of the Plains & the Pedestrian Bridge over the Arkansas River - and
several herons doing some fishing.

Where the Little Arkansas River meets the big one.

Pedestrian Bridge over the Little Arkansas River. The weather was perfect and there were lot's of people out this evening.

Black Crowned Night Heron

Romantic summer night!

Gettin' corny

7-12-14:  Found a Gaeddert's sweet corn stand today.  Linda Sue was just telling us about how great this corn is.  Got a dozen, shared a little, cooked a little, and stuck some aside for our upcoming camping trip. She wasn't kidding!  YUM!  These ears still had the tassels.  I noticed the guy working there, kinda spread the tassels and looked inside as he was counting them out for me.  So I asked some questions.  He said one thing he does is to make sure the tassel is still there.  If it's not, that's a good signs worms have gotten to it.  He also checks to see that the corn is mature and not mushy (another sign of worms).  I tried the microwave version of cooking it that I'd seen posted on facebook.  So simple.  After cooking for 4-5 minutes, you can slide the shuck off very easily.  And the corn is TASTY!!

love the color of a rising moon

Supermoon from our campground

Gotta love a Supermoon.  Wise that the Native Americans named the moons so they could keep up with what season it was: Wolf Moon, Hunter's Moon, Strawberry Moon, Harvest Moon, also known as CORN MOON.  And of course many, many others.

We refer to the full moon that is very close to earth in proximity as the Supermoon.  Hope you enjoyed July's Supermoon wherever you are!

Much Love,

Moe, Larry, and Curly (Super Cornballs)