Clouds and kite flying

We've had some pretty awesome clouds this past month!

This cloud formation above was producing the tornado which touched down just on the other side of Hutchinson 30 miles away  - see picture below (not my picture).  People said they could see it from the highway, but our trees were in the way.

 

If we had known, we would have jumped into the car and driven toward Hutch!  Kendall, Al and I are getting the "bug" for storm chasing!

Aren't they so beautiful??!!

Kansas has wind which is perfect for kite-flying!

Birding

I really enjoy going on the monthly bird walks by the college!

Cardinal - love the various songs and chirps it has.  A most beautiful bird!  I find it hard to get good pictures of birds on these walks, but I try.  Often we hear more birds than we can actually see.

There are regular birders who come most every month, but sometimes there are new people too.

 Mississippi kites - they sometimes will dive bomb a person

 Brown thrasher - they sing melodies in doubles.  A mockingbird will sing songs in sevens.

Make way for the Walton Breakfast Club on their bikes!

A family of thrashers - our guide likened their call to the smack of a wet washcloth

 We could clearly hear the red-eyed vireo although they were elusive and I could not get a picture.  They sing all day.  They were high up in the trees.

We could hear the tufted titmouse - peter, peter, peter!

I also could not get a picture of the Carolina wren although it too made it's voice heard.  Very loudly for such a small bird!  It is one of my favorite birds!

Chickadees were pretty abundant.

They are just so dear too!!

We were told that the red headed woodpeckers are in decline.

Squirrels are not in decline, however.

We heard a yellow billed cuckoo also.

When I drove home, at the stop sign I saw a scissor-tailed flycatcher.  I couldn't get a good picture of it.  There was no traffic at all so I was able to whip out the camera but then it flew away.

As I think  about birds, it reminds me of a hymn that I really love.

Under His wings I am safely abiding,
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me, and I am His child.

      Refrain

      Under His wings, under His wings,
      Who from His love can sever?
      Under His wings my soul shall abide,
      Safely abide forever.

Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort, and there I am blessed.

      Refrain

Under His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life’s trials are o’er;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,
Resting in Jesus, I’m safe evermore.

The banker

After looking over the cemetery plots, we drove into town to see the banker.

The banker happens to be Al's brother.

I was surprised to see this painting on the wall.

I painted this picture of the farm back before we had children and gave it to the folks as a gift.  Sid asked if he could have it after they passed away.  Since he lives on the farm now, I was happy to let him have it.

Sid pointed out that 3 of the 5 buildings in the picture aren't there any more.  The roundtop burned down, the barn fell into disrepair and I don't know about the shed.  The chicken coop and the house are still there.

 See the vault?  Back in the late 70s or 80s, Allen's mother used to work at the bank.  One day a robber came into the bank and locked up the workers in that vault.

Another year, some jokers tried to tunnel their way through into the bank from the building next door. They were caught before they could finish.

The restaurant in town closed shop so we went to Strohl's gas station for pizza.  The rest of the family joined us.

It happened to be Jared's 20th birthday!  In Japan, age 20 is when you are considered an adult.

 We had to drag Main of course.

We stopped to see Prairie Sunset Home.

We hadn't seen it since it was remodeled.  It was so pretty!!

 Our sister-in-law works there.

We saw that many of the couples who were friends of our parents are now residents.  These were people who were younger than we are now back in the day when we lived in town!

We took a different road home, going through Amish country.

We've had lots of rain.

 No real need for irrigation this summer.

 Prairie pots?  What an appropriate name for pots on the prairies of Kansas.