life on the ground

A story on the Travel page about the Flint Hills: Old Kansas, Still Growing Tall – a basic overview, but nothing personal and chummy in the piece. And then there’s this cheery (not) story in the Times from Wichita: Killing of 3 Ducks Alarms School.

It’s always a joy to cross that line from Oklahoma. This sign is at Caney on U.S. 75. Gas is cheaper, however, in Oklahoma. Bartlesville, where Phillips 66 began, sold it for $2.72 yesterday. When we got to Emporia, I noticed one station with $2.99 posted. Bartlesville has a lot of Phillips 66 stations.

The birthday pinata. Before. Dave even put a hula hoop inside the pinata! (It came in 3 pieces, the hula hoop did, and has lights!) Never was good at hula hooping and it turns out, I’m still not. There was also Pla-Doh, 10 colors, inside. Love Pla-Doh.

Yard ornaments. Me and my brother, Leon, ages 1 and 3. It’s funny how birthdays (yes, today) send us back in time. I remember one year, it was the year I turned 30 …(insert harp music) … that was the year that it didn’t rain on my birthday. The sun was shining, it was warm, …

Yep, just checked. She’s still here. There are muddy footprints in the bathtub. My sweatshirts once again have a smear of cat hair down the front. Life is good. My brother dug out an old black-and-white photo of Cheryl and Princess, (it follows his German food comments.) Princess was my first cat.

…the Missing Cat posters was a whole lot more fun than putting them up! Tiger seems to be adjusting well to being home after being trapped somewhere for 17 days. She thinks she deserves tuna every time the refrigerator door is opened. I’ve petted her so much that I think her fur will rub off …

Oh. My. God. I heard a meow at the door 15 minutes ago. Thought it was Elvis (the name Dave gave to the visiting neighbor’s cat – aka False Alarm, aka Better Than Nothing.) I peeked out the door and saw WHITE FEET. I didn’t say anything to Dave, just let Tiger in. “Tiger?” Dave …

It ain’t the news from Lake Wobegone… But, today’s story from the edge of the Flint Hills: The four inches of snow we received yesterday evening and overnight is all but gone. Poof. One day in the 50s will turn snow into mud. This morning (after reading Roger’s comments that he had taken a broom …

…has my kitty cat gone? Oh where, oh where can she be? It’s cold. It’s rainy. Tiger is still missing. Dave caught her on top of the kitchen cabinet recently – a mere four-foot vertical jump. One friend told me that her cat was gone for a month and they found him. Another friend said …

Because I had never had Dippin’ Dots ice cream, Dave bought me a pack of the pricey ($3.25) ice cream at the Cosmosphere. It was fun to eat. And the chocolate flavor was good.