An adventure using a deck of cards and a truck!

Some time ago, I thought up a game that maybe, just might be, sort of fun.  

It involves a deck of cards and a truck with 4 wheel drive.

We determined which suit would be which direction.
The hearts would be south.
Spades - north.
Diamonds - east
and Clubs (we call them puppy feet) would be west.
The object of the game is to have a starting point, draw a card and you go the number of miles by the number on the card and go the direction determined by the suit.

Al shuffled the cards.

We got all packed up.  I took a sweater incase it got chilly in the car.  We took snacks and lunch because we had no idea where we would end up.  A book incase we had car trouble and we had to sit awhile.  And of course my camera.

We took the GPS because we knew we might be out of cell tower reach 

and the phone map wouldn't work.

\

Al checked tires (and the spare) and filled up with gas.

Off we go!

 Our first card took us north into North Newton.

We had decided that J, Q, K would mean that we could decide how many miles.

We chose to go just out of town going west.

 The next card took us south 1 mile.

East

Al:  I hope we don't just drive around town all afternoon!

And south again

We were 1 mile away from our house (as the crow flies)

but we'd gone 14 miles already!

 A mile south of 96, we drew a spade which meant going north on the road we had just come south on!

After that, we made the rule that we couldn't just turn around 

in the same direction you just came from.   

But if you would want to do it, you sure could.  

We just decided we didn't want to. 

Hi Jen!  Again!

We got to 48th street and Spencer then got a turn east 9 miles.

Someone got a ride with us!

It was such a pleasant day!

This is August in Kansas.  

It could have been 110 degrees! 

We even rolled down windows!

Unless we met another vehicle!

We'd just had 3 inches of rain  so there were a few mud puddles

We saw a deer and her fawn!  The mommy ran into the field but the fawn stayed ahead of us for quite a while.  She had a very long tail we thought.

I thought it was a hawk until I put the digital card in my computer and realized it was an owl!

 Some roads were paths for tractors.

 

turkey vulture 

 We kept picking spades so we kept going east

 We saw so many scissor-tails!

barn swallows 

 more going east!

Don't know the story of this little "church" building in front of the house.
It was just down the road was the Burns church where our pastor's father pastored for so many years.

He has also translated the whole New Testament into Low German and translated the Back to the Bible broadcast into Low German also.  And he is in his 90's!  God has really used this man!!

The road ended.  No more east.  

We turned south and went into Burns for a restroom break.

Since there was no more east, we went north on a road called Zebulon.
That's the 6th son of Jacob and Leah in the Bible!

 We had to go north on Highway 77 just a tad to get back on an east road.

 When there was a dead end or not a road going the direction that our card said we should go, we just picked another card.

 It wasn't flooded.

But we weren't sure where we were going.
More to come on another post.

92

 Wednesday morning started off rather cloudy and chilly.

                                    This is August and this is Kansas.

Usually we are having 100 degree weather!  Not in the 60s!  I LOVE it!

-Dad as a baby-

It was Dad's 92nd birthday and we had a celebration!

We had planned to have an outdoor picnic but it was too chilly!  Ha!

Luckily I had reserved a room just in case of rain.

 Linda, Gracie and Dave came down from K.C.









Linda tends to have her eyes closed in photos.
Just like Mom.







"Keep them open, Linda!"

See?  This is last year on Dad's 91st birthday and I told Mom to keep her eyes open because the photo prior to this one, her eyes were closed.  And she really opened them big!

Last year.  We celebrated with Mindy, but Mindy is in Denver this year.  Boo hoo.

We gave Dad some gifts.

A pillow for his recliner from me 

(his last one got lost so I sewed him one with a Japanese print

 and I asked them to iron his name on it)

Some chocolates from Dave's and some salmon from Dan in Washington!

The girls made pictures for their great-grandpa Pete.

Linda brought a delicious lunch for us! 

"Were my eyes open?" asked Linda.

Good thing for digital cameras where we can check right away!

I do not miss the camera 35 mm film days!

 Linda also brought a cake for Dad!  Already cut up and put in cupcake holders.

 "I love you" he told her.  So sweet!

 The girls wanted to go for a walk.  

We asked Dad if he'd like to go and he said he would.

Jackets - in August??

It did begin to warm up a little and we took the jackets off, 

but it was such a very pleasant day!  

Hardly any wind.  Again - Kansas??

 We took turns pushing the wheelchair.

The girls called the horses over.  Last time we had sugar cubes, but since this was an unexpected trip, I didn't bring any.  I will need to begin keeping some in the car!

 Look at Dad's smile!  I wonder when the last time he saw a horse up close was!

 

Gracie, meet a horse!
The girls have given names to each horse...Diamond, Chocolate, Brownie and Caramel.

The girls thought that Gracie was getting tired and needed to be carried. 

Claire learning to jump out at people and "boo" them!

Dave suggested the girls get a ride on the wheelchair.

 We took Dad past their old place.  Hard to see someone else living there now.

 What a fun day we had celebrating Dad's special day!