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Monday, June 30, 2008

Celebration of American Spirit

Sunday evening we went down to KC's Liberty Memorial to enjoy the Edward Jones' A Celebration of American Spirit. We had free entrance to the museum, we meet General Richard Myers, free entrance to the tower, music by the Air Force Band and Fireworks. It was a beautiful evening, cool and breezy. Here are my photos of the evening. You probably all know who General Myers is, I didn't really, he is a 5 Star General was the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff he retired 2005. There have been fewer Chairmans of the military than presidents, it was a honor to meet someone of his status. He is from KC.
View from tower.

Band






The poem America written by Ray Bradbury was read to us by the MC here's part of it.
We are the dream that other people dream
The land where other people land
When late at night
They think on flight
And, flying, here arrive
Where we fools dumbly thrive ourselves.
Refuse to see
We be what all the world would like to be.
Because we hive within this scheme
The obvious dream is blind to us.
We do not mind the miracle we are,
So stop our mouths with curses.
While all the world rehearses
Coming here to stay.
We busily make plns to go away.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Waterfest

I didn't realize it was Monday since I posted last. I see the service works like it did Monday, I can't see my posted photos, just have to work around it.
We haven't been doing anything exciting anyway, Ken's been working on his wall and I started a new sewing project. My vacuum is still laying on the floor in pieces!
This weekend is EX's Waterfest. They have a few booths on a couple of blocks downtown, some arts and crafts, some business and some food. There is a quilt show and a few quilt vendors up at the Elms Hotel, we went up there yesterday.
This morning was the parade, mostly Shriners of course but the big hi-lite was the Marching Cobras from KC. I had never seen them perform in person so we and our friends went down to watch.



Last night the Krazy Kats performed in front of the Hall of Waters. They are a famous local area band, they have been performing together for 51 years. They play the fun oldies from 50 years ago, the Platters etc.


They have an Elvis routine, he does sing like Elvis. Ken bought me their CD, actually they were selling them in a group of 5 for $20 and I got Elvis' autograph.
Then the storm came in and everyone left around 9.

Here's the wall all finished, Ken even has it filled with sedum. We found the big plants on sale for $2.50 ea. at K-Mart.



Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Hard Days Work

I see the blog server still isn't working right, but it let's me post. Ken got his delivery of stones this morning and he has been working all day putting up his wall. He will be be stiff and sore tomorrow, but still has some more to do.


This is my vacuum cleaner, it wasn't working right the beater woouldn't work when I pulled the vacuum back. So Ken took it apart yesterday, don't think he can fix it so we'll be at Walmart looking for a new vacuum in the next day or so.


This was my project for the day, after I did some trimming outside this morning. I didn't have a summer robe so I thought why not make a caftain. The fabric had a nice looking fringe salvage so I used it as the hems, anything to make it easy and quick.



I heard George Carlin died yesterday, we enjoyed his humor.
Weather forecast for tonight, dark. Continued dark overnight, with widely scatterd light by morning. George Carlin

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Beautiful day

It was beautiful day, we didn't do much, I did do alittle weeding but the garden is still quite wet. We went out to lunch with Bob and Shirley, Bob is still alittle under the weather he had a bladder infection earlier this week.
I see the blog service still is not working like it did before, I don't see the photos til I view the post. They did a little 'maintenaince' and I see somethings changed or not working correctly like spell check. I don't know! I hope it gets back to normal soon.

I'm posting photos of the paintings I did for Kristi for her birthday, she received them OK.



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>My life flows when I'm in my art. Jean DeMuzio

Friday, June 20, 2008

MLTNS Garden Tour

Long stormy spring time, wet contentious April, Winter chilling the lap of very May: but at lenth the season of summer does comes. Thomas Carlyle

Today we went on the Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary Garden Tour in Liberty. We visited 6 gardens and the Sanctuary, here are a few photos.
Garden 1

Garden 2
Garden 3

Garden 4

Garden 5


Garden 6
MLTNS: had an art auction and native plant sale.

Giant Swallowtail catapillar on an ash leaf.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Shakespeare Festival

We have another storm coming in this afternoon, good thing we went to the Shakespeare Play last night, but we planned it that way knowing weather was going to good. We went down early to do a little touring around and for dinner at Fiorrala's BBQ. We find it's good to go early to set up our chairs in a good spot, and get a good parking spot. We then watch the pre-show entertainment the juggler below and puppet show.
Heaven me such uses send,
Not to pick bad from bad, but by bad mend. Desdemona, Act IV

The crowd was good. The play better, Ken thought it the best one!!! The play was Othello and the cast are professional actors who of course do a fabulous job.
The robbed that smiles steals something from the thief. Act I


The painting below I've been working on for a couple of days. I tried a new synthetic surface called Yupo for this watercolor, it takes a little getting used too, but it was fun. I like the look of running paint and accidents!!

Today, I thought I play with my scraps and sewing machine and make a few cards.


O! beware, my lord, of jealousy. It is the green-ey'd monster which doth mock The meat if feeds on. - Iago, Act III Othello




Monday, June 16, 2008

Chasing Butterflies

We went to Watkins to check on the Hawks, they were gone. Hope they have a good life.
We then went up to the church and school where we usually see various butterflies. Here are a few photos that I took today. Red spotted Purple
Northern Pearly Eye

Mourning Cloak


Hackberry, which is everywhere on the roads, liteing on us and the car.


Fritallary





Checkerspot





Admiral
Then there were the whites, blue hairstreaks and sulfars which I have a hard time getting in focus.
I saw my first baby Blue birds, they were sitting on the fence with a parent. Cool!!
We also spotted a new bird for us and we are trying to decide what it is, it's between great crested flycatcher or western kingbird, it was darker on top and yellow underneath and as big as a thrush . Our books differ on coloring. So back to the nature studies! I was a beautiful day to be out chasing butterflies, the temp about 78.
If you would learn the secrets of nature, you must practice more humanity than others. Thoreau






Sunday, June 15, 2008

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day
Ken had a relaxing day so far. We went to the golf course for breakfast with friends Bob and Shirley. They invited us to go for a ride, the old fashion Sunday drive, we saw countryside and tiny villages we didn't know existed. Bob seems to know all the little back roads!! We drove thru Rebel, Tina and Millville and others ( Shirley and Bob grew up in the area) and we drove in the rain.
Ken received this game from Lara, he enjoyed playing it when we were out visiting them this winter. It is Rush Hour, you pick a card, set up the vehicles according to the card and try to get the red car out with just moving the vehicles (not picking up and moving) just moving. These were my creative projects I did this week. Shadow boxes made from old cigar boxes that were given to me by Francis Vadjic (a Red Hatter) and fellow artist.
I think I will add this quote to the one I made about my gram: From the manner in which a woman draws her thread at every stitch of her needlework, any other woman can surmise her thoughts. Honore de Balzac




Enjoy the day!!

Saturday, June 14, 2008

We're still here

We've been out and about between rain storms, but we have been lucky and the bad stuff has missed us. Here is one of Ken's Hawk photos, we went yesterday to see them and there were only two in the nest so two have taken wing. Mom was trying to coax out the remaining two yesterday, we believe. We went to Stroud's yesterday with this crew, Ken's Ford friends. Last night, we went to the local production of 42nd Street. They did a good job, lots of tap dancing and the main singer was very good. ( Two of the performers were working at Subway when we stopped for lunch today.)
Today, a housing division (Kings Addition) was have a neighborhood garage sale. I got Ken to go and he couldn't believe the cars and people hitting the sales. I found a box of old sheet music and magizines, that is all I found.

We then went on the Ex. Sprgs Garden Tour, 5 residents and the English Garden Shop. Here are some of my photos.
























Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity. Lindley Karstens







Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Checking on Hawks

We went to Watkins to check on how the babies are doing, all 4 are still there and they are of a good size now. Ken took a neat photo of mom and babes, he'll have to send it to me so I can share it. I chased butterflies there today, there were several kinds but most would not stop for a photo. This Little Wood Satyr was the only cooperative one, there were fritillary, checkerspots, hairsteaks, comma, and swallowtails. Most seemed attracted to this one bush or tree. The naturalist was there so I asked if she knew what it was, she had to look it up.
It took three people with several books to decide it was a type of dogwood (alternative?) it looks like the grey twig dogwood from one of the Internet sites. We have enjoyed visiting with Brooke just about every time we go to Watkins, she's the Naturalist and works for the state. You all are probably tired of all our nature talk, maybe in the next couple of days I'll get creative and share that.
The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes. The earth's beauty grows on man. If you foolishly ignore beauty you'll find yourself without it. But if you wisely invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life. Frank Lloyd Wright

Monday, June 9, 2008

The night shift

We went to the library this afternoon and learned that they were hosting a program on owls given by Operation Wildlife. So here are a few photos I took. This is a Great Horned owl, it can not be released in the wild as a 15 year old took it as a baby and feed it until the wildlife agents heard about it and gave it to OW. It has bonded as a human rather than owls so it can not make it on it's own in the wild.
This one is a Barred owl, it was hit by a semi and is now blind.

This is a Barn owl, it was rescued from a barn that was being torned down it's siblings were released in to the wild but this one had a broken wing. They will not nest in metal barns so their numbers are in danger. He brought a Screech owl and Short-eared owl too which I didn't get very good photos. The Screech and Barred owls have fostered many orphaned owls at the center.
We enjoyed the program very much.
I did do a drawing Sat. for Drawing Day, I caught up on my bird journal. The quilt is finished too.
Nature gives to every time and season some special beauty all its own. unknown