HTBT: Sweet!

Or should I say Sorghum? Because the grain sorghum (milo) fields are alive and well all around us! I love to get pix of the prairie crops, wildflowers and grasses. I researched best I could for names. But, as always, please lmk if you have corrections for me!

we get to see a lot of touch and goes at McConnell Air Base from where we are

8-21-14: We drove over to Derby today to try out a "new" Mexican place for lunch. As we drove past McConnell, we saw what we thought was the usual tanker doing touch and goes. However, this time it was a big ole AWACS. And it was up close and personal!

today's treat was an AWACS plane

enjoyed it from every angle as we drove over to Derby

Yes, just call me Ellie Mae

saw some folks pulled over near the end of runway to watch it

but we were on our way to try a new Mexican restaurant!

David taking selfies as he tows Justin/Brooke's new popup

Later today, David went with Justin to pick up their recently purchased popup. Exciting to have them joining the rv world!

the boys promptly named it JJ and gave it a bath

Hoping they find a little time to take it out while we're still here!

this elevator was on 63rd st south of the city

8-22-14: David and I had some time before our Guardians of the Galaxy matinee, so he drove me down to Clearwater, KS. We love exploring the country roads in the Heartland. We'd been planning to take pix of the above grain elevator because it's one of the few that we can get close enough to.

tho the corn is browning up, the fields of grain sorghum is still lush and green

also known as Milo --- and there are milo's and milo's of these fields in the Great Plains

lots of pretty Indian Grass, Gamagrass, and Foxhair this time of year

various wild ryes

pretty barn out on 55th St -- maybe considered Hayesville

Big Bluestem

Showy Chloris

Chloris Virgata (Feather Fingergrass) -- these look like little brooms

this cemetery in Clearwater, KS has many of David's ancestors

this little one was only a year old

Clearwater was a neat little town that felt far removed from the big city life. The house David's great grandfather lived in is still standing. Pretty neat limestone house. I would've stopped and asked the folks if we could take pix, but no cars at home. It was a small enough town that we would've been noticed.

Camphor Weed

named because of it's smell (remember Campho Phenique?) Cattle won't graze it

Saw this new "bloom" on my evening walk at the rv park. Interesting blooms, buds, and seeds.

The Goldenrain Tree tips are turning brown

in spring/early summer these bunches of curled leaves are a beautiful golden green

8-23-14: Doug invited us to join them at the Black Top Nationals -- a car show in downtown Wichita. And what a car show it was! I've never seen so many refurbished cars in one place! Doug had his Cordoba in it. We had a blast spending the morning with Doug, Sheila, Heather. And we even ran into a couple of friends we met last winter in the TX Hill Country!

the Arkansas (Our Kansas) River as we walked across the Maple St. bridge

Bill Koch donated this America's Cup yacht after winning with it in 1992

from beneath the bridge

I'm thinking this could be a Night Heron

Pioneer Woman on bank of the river

We parked at the baseball stadium and had a nice walk along the riverside to where the cars started lining up. There must've been a few hundred vehicles in the show.