Kansas Prairie Archives for September 2003

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Tuesday, September 30, 2003

HOT TIP FROM BROOKVILLE

The long awaited sewer project in Brookville may soon be launched. The pipe is on the site and they anticipate starting the project around Oct. 20th.

They don't have to tear out any brick or concrete surfacing on the streets so the work should progress rather quickly.

That is very good news. I'd think that would be very good news for the high school administrators as the school is sitting in a bowl, with not a lot of good drainage. I bet their septic tanks take a beating. Seems to me someone said the field and laterals are beneath the football field. That might get slushy some day if they weren't going to be able to attach to the city sewer.

Maybe we will soon hear something about a change in ownership of the old hotel. Cross your fingers. That will help all of us.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 05:12 PM CST [Link]

HOT CHOCOLATE AT THE ANTIQUE MALL

Georgie just made me hot chocolate to warm my toes. She mixed Ghirardelli chocolate syrup, which is more like fudge sauce, with whole milk and added two squirts of vanilla, at my request. She heated it until it was piping hot and then put a dallop of whipped cream on the top. It was just what I needed! Medium size which was more than enough, was $2.00. Stop in and give it a try sometime. Conversation with Georgie is always a pleasure.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:56 PM CST [Link]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TYLER AND ROD

Although they were born twelve years apart, my grandsons, Tyler and Rod, share the same birth date...Sept. 30th. Happy birthday, guys.

We're celebrating tomorrow night when all the family is free to gather except for my favorite granddaughter who's in Dallas going to school. We always seem to be missing one, but during dinner, we'll call and annoy her by telling her how much we miss her and how good the food is! She'll love that.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 01:04 PM CST [Link]

HAM AND BEANS TOO

I was reminded this morning, by my most faithful of readers that when mentioning cold weather and it's mental association with chili, I should also keep in mind ham and beans with "a generous dose of Tabasco and pepper". I agree and would also add a generous amount of chopped onions with cornbread on the side. I always like a little fresh fruit cup with it too.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:35 AM CST [Link]

BLASTED OUT OF BED

There is something inexplicable about the location of our house and the way sound waves encounter it. There is no accounting for it, trees or no trees. Distance doesn't even seem to be a factor. You just can't tell from which direction the sound is coming or how far away it is. Maybe it's because the house is so whopper jawed.

At precisely 8:00 a.m. this morning I was awakened by the EHS High School band, in all its glory. They are terrific. It's as if they were below my bedroom window… right below it...not 100 yards away, or wherever they were. I could hear every word Ken was telling them.

And then there was the relentless drum beat. It's a great beat with lots of syncopation and diversity. Actually, the beat goes on….

I well remember during many of the “old days”, not all that many years ago actually, when it was noise I heard, of the worst kind….cacophonously emitted through an assemblage of instruments. It was not the kids fault the product was so bad. The change can be directly attributed to an excellent music department, excellent teachers from Susan Keith right on up through the ranks to Ken Hakoda. Is it any wonder one would want this degree of excellence to continue?

I’ve been listening to the EHS marching band practice for almost 30 years, note by note, year after year, from my excellent vantage point and I can tell you, there is a huge difference between “then” and “now”.

... and the beat go on….

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:28 AM CST [Link]

JV FOOTBALL: SOUTHEAST OF SALINE 26, ELLSWORTH 6.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:50 AM CST [Link]

Monday, September 29, 2003

PULL THE BLANKET OUT OF THE MOTHBALLS

You can always check the weather on the splash page of my website. It's supposed to get a little cold tonight, with winds coming from the northeast later on. It's blanket weather if you open the windows at night as we are inclined to do. That makes for good sleeping.

One of the best investments I ever made was in a Therapedic mattress with a pillow top....well, and my sleeper machine (C-PAP). It's a toss up which I like most. When I bought my mattress, they were selling at least one a day at Millers of Claflin, and they were new on the market at that time. I bet that number has increased substantially. With those two things, sleep is insured. No more tossing and turning or aching shoulders and hips.

I bet half the people in town are eating chili tonight.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:20 PM CST [Link]

MIDLAND HOTEL OPENINGS

It is my understanding that the Midland needs both a manager and a head chef. Now is the time for all of us to start looking....bring that son or daughter home who could fill either position. We need for the Midland Hotel to be what the founders have planned for it to be. It is important to the entire area that they are successful in their efforts.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:01 PM CST [Link]

FOOTBALL...ELLSWORTH VS SOUTHEST OF SALINE, AT SHANELEC STADIUM, 6:00

It will feel like football weather tonight. Sit by me if you are bringing a thermos of hot chocolate!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:49 PM CST [Link]

YEA...OUR SHOWER IS FULL OF CONCRETE

Kenny, Delmar and Ralph arrived this morning to install the membrane (they ended up using the rubberized stuff they use on roofs) and pour a slab of concrete over it in the shower. It needs to set up for a few days.

I gotta zoom...time to carve my initials in it with a nail!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 01:23 PM CST [Link]

Sunday, September 28, 2003

FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP SOCCER...CAT REDDICK, JULIE FOUDY, MIA HAMM, SHANNON MCMILLEN, ALY WAGNER, BRIANA SCURRY, ETC...HEROES EVERY ONE

The only pro team sport that I like or watch is women's soccer. I think they are all amazing with their terrific athleticism. The sport has done so much for our young girls and now we are faced with losing all that inspiration for them. I think that is a real bummer.

USA is ahead of North Korea right now...3-0. All three goals were off of sets. Everyone on the team has contributed. Mia is on the sidelines as they are letting her rest for the game on Wednesday. They don't really need her for this game, but they will when they play Norway on Wednesday in Foxboro. I hope they can win the World Cup. There are 23,000 in attendance today in Columbus. They just need twice that many everytime they play.

Cat Reddick was sensational with two goals from the center back position. USA wins 3-0.

On Wednesday Sweden takes on Brazil. USA plays Norway.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:43 PM CST [Link]

WE'RE READY FOR WINTER

We're gearing up for winter, in case we ever have one. I figure the first winter we aren't prepared, we'll really regret it. It has been so long since we've had a long, hard, cold winter with lots of snow that I can hardly remember what one is like.

Randy came and changed the filters on our furnaces and cleaned all those things that need cleaning. Drew has mowed the prairie, perhaps for the last time this year. He also moved wood next to the front door and ‘down below’ so we'll have it handy for the fireplaces. We put in new fireplace inserts about 4 years ago and they really have improved our heating efficiency. I can remember how important they can be when the electricity fails.

Tyler cleaned all our plants that generally live in the house and moved them inside. All of them won't make it through the winter, but many have a good chance of survival. About the time I think “they’ve had it”, it’s time to put them outside again. It's crowded and we may get over-oxygenated but I like having plants around…especially when I have a grandson who is so good with them. I need him to water some of them as I can’t get up that high anymore.

And Jack is doing his part by trying to rid the yard of squirrels. That is an endless chore. I think all that we resettled early in the summer have relocated themselves back here and are feasting on the acorns….larding themselves up for winter and storing their stash for later on. I suppose there is something I could learn from them about the prospects for winter.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:10 PM CST [Link]

ESTHER KOOTZ KATZENMEIER

There was a lovely, large gathering today at the Lutheran church to honor Esther Katzenmeier on the occasion of her 90th birthday. She just radiated and had on a lovely new, long dress adorned with a pink rose corsage from her family. It was her day and she loved it.

We both recalled, at the same time, an incident when she was babysitting with our kids while we were out of town. Ally was always a challenge. She had climbed Gertie Kunkle's TV tower that soared above her three story house. Shudders still overtake me when I think about it. She was four at the time. Esther begged and threatened her to come down, but the only reply she got from Ally was, "You're not my mother." She finally came down when she was dern ready. That girl never was afraid of heights. Later on she became a licensed lift mechanic (the only woman to be licensed in Colorado) for the ski area in Breckenridge. Now those were towers of dizzying heights to climb and make repairs on. I think she isn't into that any more.

I sat by Karma Aylward who is 95 and doesn't look it. Karma and I go back a long way...we've taken many wonderful trips together, but both of us have slowed down since then. I don't see as much of her as I would like. Karma has had a lot of impact and has left her mark on many projects in Ellsworth.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 03:40 PM CST [Link]

Saturday, September 27, 2003

DONALD O'CONNER

Donald O'Conner died today. He was a fine man and a gentleman. He and Brit were in the same unit in the service and Brit played the drums in a band that played for his performances.

Once, many years ago, our paths crossed in New Orleans. Donald asked me to dance. If I could have died on the spot, I would have. He took me out on the stage and we danced and talked, all alone, in front of a whole lot of people. Actually, it was very nice and I quickly forgot about what I was doing. He was so good that anyone could dance with him. I'll never forget it. He could make you feel like a queen when you danced with him. Nothing else mattered.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:19 PM CST [Link]

A DAY AT KANSAS ORIGINALS

It was a beautiful day full of delightful music, art and food at Kansas Originals during their Spirit of Kansas Art Fair and Fun Day. Linda and I spent most of the day there and enjoyed it thoroughly. I love the atmosphere it imparts...like a family gathering celebrated in typical Kansas fashion. It was great.

They had a silent auction and a real auction with an auctioneer. I bid on and won a night for two at Castle Rock B & B. Going there is always a winner. I think Todd and Karen will enjoy that as I'm giving it to them. Linda bid on a beautiful flower arrangement by Shirley Robl and is delighted with it. Shirley Robl bought a beautiful framed photograph by Marge Lawson who is a great photographer. I was very tempted but I have not an inch of wall space for anything else.

The food was catered by a group of men from Claflin....and it was delicious. They had smoked ribs, pork loin, hot dogs, fried fish (fresh out of Wilson Lake), baked beans, Cole slaw, homemade rolls, chips, homemade vanilla ice cream and cookies.

It was great to just sit and visit with friends....Sandra, Mysty, Linda Mc, Josh, Dennis, Eleanor, Adolph, Robin and Brian, Mike and Dawn, Mark, Hulda and Bill, Lu and Keith, all our friends who work at KO…the list goes on. There were many new people to meet.

But there is an ironic twist to this story. For many years I have corresponded with Susan Howell, a website designer, who, with her husband, constructs the Blue Skyways, Kansas Explorers Club, Kansas Sampler websites (and many more). Anyway, she's been very helpful to me on many occasions over the years and I've always wanted to meet her to see who this nice person was. Today the opportunity arose in a strange way. I was signing on the silent auction sheets for two quarts of honey. I kept a close eye on it and was sure I was the high bidder at a very good price. Well, the two quarts of honey just disappeared in the last second and I couldn't believe it. I went to the check out stand to see how that happened...I didn't really care as I had already purchased honey in their store, but I was interested who got the high bid....and guess what? It was Susan Howell. She was good! I had no idea what she looked like so Dennis pointed her out as she and John were walking to their car. I caught up with them and we had a delightful visit. I was so glad to meet them. We made a connection over Tony Gross’s honey. It was pretty funny.

Today was the kind of day that just makes you feel good all over and you hate to see it end. Two years ago Robin and Brian Boisvert hosted it at their farm home and it was one of those rare events that will probably never happen again…and I’ll never forget it. It's a good thing to support Kansas Originals especially on special days like today that are so much fun.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:35 PM CST [Link]

YEA.......KU 35, MU 14

We're on a roll!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:23 PM CST [Link]

FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL RESULTS: SOUTHEAST OF SALINE 43, ELLSWORTH 14

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:25 AM CST [Link]

KANSAS ORIGINALS OFFERS INTERESTING EVENTS TODAY

Wilson is the place to be today...specifically at Kansas Originals. Our neighbors and friends in Wilson have lots of activities planned for the Kansas Originals Spirit of Kansas Art Fair and Fun Day.

There is an auction at 1:00 p.m featuring beautiful one-of-a-kind items including a quilt, stained glass, wooden 1929 Ford, Mission-style oak table, hand-painted yard flag featuring a post rock, stepping stones, oil paintings and many other unique and beautiful items.

Native American, Dennis Rogers, will be dancing at 11:00 & 3:00 and a picnic with ribs, fish, and pork loin will begin at 4:00. There will be guest artists, and storytellers throughout the day. There will be free drawings every hour.

There are lots of events scheduled for kids. Including a free bouncer, post rock quarrying, face painting and lots of fun things -- and kids 10 and under get a hot dog picnic free.

I'm going and will meet other friends there. Two years ago this event was held at the home of Brian and Robin Boisvert and it was really a wonderful event. I'm not sure they can match that this year, because of the wonderful surroundings the Boisverts had to offer, but it will be a lot of fun. It takes a lot of work to host such an event so they deserve our support. It will be a good day to be outside with friends.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:13 AM CST [Link]

Friday, September 26, 2003

LION'S/LYON'S DEN ADULT SUPER STORE

Another adult store opened yesterday, the Lion's/Lyon's (I don't know which) Den this time in the old Stucky's Restaurant building just north of the Interstate in Abilene. I've been watching its renovation and wondering what kind of new business would be opening there. I had high hopes of something really nice and unusual.

Whoa...what a let down! That's a big building for an adult store and 'super large' compared to the one at the Wilson exit. They call it an "adult super store", so we know what that means... they handle the same kind of merchandise as the smaller adult stores except they offer a lot more of it with a lot more variety for those adults who want it.

The Lion's Den is owned by Lee Applegate of CRD Enterprises of Ohio. It's a chain operation of 10 superstores in locations throughout Ohio and it seems they are branching out into Iowa and Kansas.

They reported their Abilene opening day sales exceeded those of their store that recently opened in Iowa.

Letters to the editor objecting to the new enterprise are already flooding in to the Abilene newspaper. Instead of just being quiet about the whole thing (since they can't do anything about it anyway) and avoid drawing attention to the new business, some Abilene folk who proclaim to be messengers from God want to impose their ultra-conservative, moralistic, righteousness on others and are giving the new business exactly what they want....a whole lot of free publicity which, in turn, tends to increase their business.

We live in a country based on individual freedom and equal rights and we can't always choose our neighbors.

There is one thought to consider about the Lion's Den. People who frequent I-70 and stop at such adult places might pass by the smaller shops along the way and opt to shop the super store in Abilene.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 03:18 PM CST [Link]

ELLSWORTH HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TONIGHT AT SOUTHEAST OF SALINE, 7:00 P.M. SUPPORT THE TEAM WITH YOUR ATTENDANCE.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:43 PM CST [Link]

KANOPOLIS MIDDLE SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCORES

Sept. 25 at Southeast of Saline

7th Grade Kanopolis 44 Southeast of Saline 0

8th Grade Kanopolis 28 Southeast of Saline 0

Way to go Bulldogs! We have a lot of talent on our middle school football teams.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:39 PM CST [Link]

Thursday, September 25, 2003

SMU SHUTS DOWN AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION COOKIE SALE

Officials at SMU shut down a cookie sale yesterday in which cookies were offered for sale at different prices, depending on the the buyer's race or gender.

"This was not an issue about free speech," Tim Moore, director of the SMU student center, said in a story for Thursday's edition of The Dallas Morning News. "It was really an issue where we had a hostile environment being created."

David C. Rushing, 23, a law student and chairman of Young Conservatives of Texas at SMU and for the state, said the event didn't get out of hand. At most, a dozen students gathered around the table of cookies and Rice Krispies treats, he said.

Members of the conservative group said they meant no offense and were only trying to protest the use of race or gender as a factor in college admissions. "We copied what's been done at multiple campuses around the country to illustrate our opinion of affirmative action and how we think it's unfair," he said.

A sign said white males had to pay $1 for a cookie. The price was 75 cents for white women, 50 cents for Hispanics and 25 cents for blacks. The group sold three cookies during its protest, raising $1.50.

A 19-year-old sophomore, called the group's price list offensive.

"My reaction was disgust because of the ignorance of some SMU students," said Houston, who is black. "They were arguing that affirmative action was solely based on race. It's not based on race. It's based on bringing a diverse community to a certain organization."

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled universities could use race as a factor in admissions under limited conditions. In Texas, universities had been banned from using race as a factor under a 1996 decision by a lower court.

If you want to read this whole funny, crazy story, you can find it right here. Those conservative Texans have a whole other way of selling cookies.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:47 PM CST [Link]

PIGEON PATROL

Carry your umbrella and don't look up as you walk past the old Insurnace building...the future home of the National Drovers Hall of Fame. There is a BIG flock of pigeons...characteristically plump bodied birds with small heads and short legs... waiting to get you. They have lost their home in the old building and are stumped and angry as to what to do next.

John Curry and Jim Gray boarded all their entry holes into the building (one small one still needs attention) so they've been evicted and are perched on the roof like Hitchcock "Birds" ready for the attack. You remember that story.....

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:02 AM CST [Link]

THE SMU SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING e-PROFILES

Who are SMU engineering students and what do they do?

Our students are studying everything - from biomedical engineering to structural engineering. And they're involved in lots of activities outside the classroom - from the tennis team to Greek life. Browse the following "e-profiles" to get a feel for the many talented engineering students at SMU, both undergraduate and graduate. Mackenzie Britton Profile:

Name: Mackenzie Britton
Hometown: Salina, Kansas
Majors: Computer Engineering and Math
Class of 2005

"Mackenzie Britton says she has loved computers since she was little. She currently is pursuing degrees in computer engineering and mathematics. She decided on computer engineering because she likes the mix that it offers between computer science and electrical engineering. “I like the technical side of hardware as well as the programming and design involved in software,” she says.

"After completing her undergraduate studies, Mackenzie plans to go to graduate school and pursue a career in either industry or academia. She has already gotten a taste of both. She spent the summer of 2003 working on a research project at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) outside Washington, D.C., as part of the National Science Foundation’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program. In the fall of 2003, she began an internship at EDS after being selected to participate in the school’s Industry Scholars Intern Program.

"Mackenzie’s other activities include leadership in two of the engineering organizations. She serves as president of Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society, and vice regent of Theta Tau, the professional engineering fraternity. She also has served as a resident assistant on campus."

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:45 AM CST [Link]

DR. GEORGE WILCOXON

Here is an interesting letter from Jesse Manning that should be of particular interest to K-Staters:

Peg, I thought this might be an interesting piece about K-State that very few people know about. It just goes to show you that dedication to students really does reign supreme for some of K-State's excellent faculty.

Three of my classes here at KSU have between 30 and 40 students in them: International Relations, The American Presidency, and History of Christianity. With this small number of students, questions can easily be raised in class and discussions can quickly arise. Another class, Natural Disasters (a science requirement for me), has upwards of 500 students, or so I've been told. Students visit, read the newspaper, or catch up on sleep in this class where contact with the professor is virtually impossible.

Naturally, I prefer our smaller groups to a huge lecture hall filled with inattentive, often-times hungover, college students. However, there's one class that takes the cake over my small group/discussion courses - The History and Culture of Rome. I sit alone in this class...in fact, it's held in the professor's office on Monday and Wednesday mornings instead of a classroom filled with desks. The professor sits just a few feet from me as we discuss ancient Rome. And I'm in this unique learning situation not because of favoritism or supreme intelligence - nope, I'm having a one-on-one discussion because of one extraordinary professor's dedication to ancient history and those who wish to learn it.

Dr. George Wilcoxon will turn 90 years old next month. He's been retired from Kansas State University since 1984 yet has continued to teach, often free of charge, in order for KSU to keep their ancient history classes. For a more in depth look at Dr. Wilcoxon's time at K-State, you can read this 1996 article about him here: Dr. Wilcoxon

Needless to say, Dr. Wilcoxon has been going above and beyond the call of duty for nearly 20 years now. Since I started college at K-State, I had kept an eye on the Greek and Roman History classes that were offered once a year. Of course, as a freshman I had no hope of joining either of these upper level courses (History 565 and 566, respectively). It was no matter, however, as Dr. Wilcoxon didn't offer his courses in the fall of 2001. As the fall 2002 semester neared, though, he was on the agenda again, and with the right timing and a little luck, I secured a seat in History of Greece, where I shared the room with 19 other fortunate students.

Those "fortunate" students didn't think themselves quite so lucky, though. Dr. Wilcoxon's classes were hard. His questions on exams were picky and peppered with minuscule details about the more obscure facts of Greek culture. I, on the other hand, loved it. After a rocky first exam, I came out of the class with an A as well as an even greater love for ancient history. I was eagerly looking forward to the History of Rome in the fall of 2003.

But when the course schedule for this fall was released, Dr. Wilcoxon's classes were missing from the lineup. It seemed he would no longer be teaching classes of any kind at KSU due to many considerations - failing health and lack of connection with students chief among them. Even a class of 20 (just about the smallest class possible at the University) would be too much to handle again. I asked the head of the History department whether anyone would be taking up the subject in the near future, but she had her doubts.

Then I thought of something that, at that time, seemed completely out of the question, but I had to ask anyway. Would Dr. Wilcoxon be at all interested in meeting with me one-on-one to assign readings and discuss material? The head of the department treated the subject very questionably, and my adviser had deep doubts about my prospects. But by the end of the spring semester, tentative plans for one-on-one sessions had been made as Dr. Wilcoxon was "happy to do it".

Now on Mondays and Wednesdays I attend, not so much a lecture, but a discussion session with Dr. Wilcoxon. True, I listen a great majority of the time, but in this face-to-face situation, my immediate questions can be dealt with. Our conversations may stray from Rome's battles to Roman psychology to Greek philosophy to K-State football (we were both depressed by the results of last week's poor performance by the Wildcats). It is truthfully the most unique academic experience that I've had thus far at K-State, and next semester I'll miss our meetings and my near-exclusive access to a great mind - Dr. Wilcoxon has probably forgotten more than I will ever know. He's truly a great professor dedicated to his profession, his specialty, and his students.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:32 AM CST [Link]

Wednesday, September 24, 2003

MORE ABOUT KANSAS ORIGINALS SPIRIT OF KANSAS ART FAIR AND FUN DAY, SATURDAY

Please don't forget the Kansas Originals Spirit of Kansas Art Fair and Fun Day, Saturday. We have absolutely beautiful one-of-a-kind items for the Auction at 1 p.m. including a quilt, stained glass Country Scene from Lynn Schneider, wooden 1929 Ford from Harry Hunsley, Mission-style Oak Table from Paul Oberle, Hand-painted yard flag featuring a post rock from Wanda Haney, Stepping Stones, Oil Paintings and many other unique and beautiful items.

Native American, Dennis Rogers, will be dancing at 11:00 & 3:00 and the Picnic with Ribs, fish, and pork loin will begin at 4:00. There will be guest artists, and storytellers throughout the day. There will be free drawings every hour.

There are lots of events scheduled for kids. Including a free bouncer, post rock quarrying, face painting and lots of fun things -- and kids 10 and under get a hot dog picnic free.

Please pass this on to anyone you think might be interested.
Thanks, Marge

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:47 AM CST [Link]

Tuesday, September 23, 2003

"YOUR DRIVEWAY IS FULL OF CARS"

You know how it is when you just set your heart on sleeping in a little late some morning...like maybe until 8? You feel tired when you go to bed, you haven't had enough sleep for a week and you finally see a nice dark tunnel that you can climb into and float away? You know what that is like.

Last night I had such a night. I just needed a long hard sleep instead of the fast shallow ones I've been having. I even encouraged it a bit with one Tylenol PM, which I do just occasionally for this very reason. They kick in where you want them to and let you go dead like a box of rocks. I'm sure they could be habit-forming.

And, sleep was wonderful, as planned, until the phone rang with this cheery voice at the other end rattling on something about our newspaper. You have to realize I have on my sleeper machine head gear with the long gray tube trailing from my head to the C-PAP machine on the night stand. I can't talk and be understood with air rushing into my mouth and the gear pressing down on my upper lip. I do look like Hannibalette Lector in my finest hour.

So, I disengaged myself from all those hoses and straps (which is a lifesaving devise and I wouldn't part with it for the world) and started over with the conversation. She was very nice and obviously had been up for hours. She was mentally alert and a bit of a challenge for me.

I asked again what it was she was she wanted to tell me. She said....again....that the paper delivery person couldn't get in my driveway because of all the cars that were blocking the driveway. I thought that was what she said the first time! Nonsense I think. We've NEVER had so many cars in the driveway you can't get to our house.....well, maybe until this morning. I told her that we live in the wide open spaces and you could drive a semi and trailer to our front door almost anytime of day...laughing of course.

Not being convinced (as you'd expect) and with my curiosity now piqued, I asked her to hold on while I go take a look I traipsed barefoot through the house while carrying on a conversation with this delightful person who was also growing curious about this event. I opened the garage door and stepped into the garage for a full view of this odd spectacle and....well, there isn't a sign of a car anywhere. Two in our garage. None in the driveway....and it's a very long driveway. I explain this to the woman who says she doesn't know what is going on except that "there were cars there earlier". Probably so. I knew she wouldn't call if she weren't sure of what she was saying.

The light started to emerge. She mentioned Todd's name and said the carrier couldn't get to his house either because of some football breakfast they were having and she had to leave his paper by his mail box...same as ours except we don't have a mail box.

More confusion. Todd and Karen just helped with a football something or other over the weekend....with hamburgers so I'm sure we're not talking breakfast at their house this morning. Puzzled, I just thank the lady. It didn't matter, but I was curious about it. Inquiring minds.... Brit found our paper down by the highway next to our neighbor’s mailbox.

Later I asked Karen what was going on. She said the Buchholz's hosted a breakfast for the cross-country team. The driveway probably was full of cars parked any which way. At that hour, it wouldn’t matter. It wouldn't matter any time. But, there wasn't anything going on around Knuckle Drive in the early morning hours. So I never did understand that part of the story. She didn't know where their paper was this morning....maybe by their mailbox.

We have a very good paper delivery person, whose name I don’t even know. But she is good and I appreciate her timely deliveries. And….I thank them for the call even if I must have sounded pretty stupid. I know I did thank her for calling. I hope she doesn't call tomorrow.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 05:48 PM CST [Link]

KANSAS ORIGINALS SPIRIT OF KANSAS ART FAIR AND FUN DAY, SATURDAY

Don't forget the Kansas Originals Spirit of Kansas Art Fair and Fun Day, Saturday. We have absolutely beautiful one-of-a-kind items for the Auction at 1 p.m. including a quilt, stained glass Country Scene from Lynn Schneider, wooden 1929 Ford from Harry Hunsley, Mission-style Oak Table from Paul Oberle, stunning fall plant arrangement from Shirley Robl, stepping stones, oil paintings and many other unique and beautiful items.

Marge Lawson

Posted by Peg Britton @ 01:47 PM CST [Link]

WE NEED SEWER TO OPEN

All the brown paper window and door coverings with "WE NEED SEWER TO OPEN" printed on them are gone from the old building that previously housed the Brookville Hotel. That is ...unless they put them back up after the shoot on Saturday.

It makes me wonder what the problem is with city officials building the sewer in Brookville. You'd think they'd be working feverishly to get that done if there are prospects before them of new businesses and employment.

At least we know what the signs meant. They weren't advertising for Ditch Witch work, but how could you tell?

Posted by Peg Britton @ 01:22 PM CST [Link]

MIDLAND HOTEL REVIEWS

The reviews about the food, service and atmosphere at the Midland Hotel continue to be mixed....from "above and beyond" super excellent to "they need a lot of help".

There is no doubt in my mind that John is a very good chef, but what a chef sends to the dining room isn't always under his control or the way he wants it. There are many factors involved. John is a talented young man who can turn out beautifully presented and delicious food. I hope they make every effort to keep him there. But he can't be there all the time, as any restaurant owner knows, and what happens in his absence is also his responsibility.

As a case in point, if there is prime rib on the menu, people expect it to be fresh, slow roasted and hot out of the oven, especially if the price beside it brings on that expectancy. If it comes to you and it's gray, you have a good idea it has seen the inside of a microwave and that is not a good thing. You must have good numbers of diners ordering it in order to sell that particular item. The same goes for KC strip and porterhouse steaks, etc. There isn't much profit margin in either. Most people don't complain about the price if the quality of the food they are served meets their expectations.

We will continue to patronize the Midland as we want it to be successful in all aspects of their operation. There are several things that need their serious attention. I don't know if they are being addressed or not as I haven't seen any changes, or heard of improvements from others. Some of the same complaints of problems regarding the training of wait staff persist.

It's nice to have a competent bartender if they are going to operate a bar. I suppose they sell mostly the more common variety of mixed drinks and beer. But I know they don't do well beyond that area. It would be simple for them to buy a bartender's guide so they could look up what it is the customer wanted. Sometimes they aren't even close!

The last person to mention this to me wondered how acceptable they were to suggestions about improvements. I simply don't know. I sent one item back the last time I was there as it wasn't even close to what I ordered....and I can only remember doing that one other time in my life. Since their success or failure affects all of us, maybe they need to put out a suggestion box if there is no other way to communicate these concerns. They have a very difficult job and we all need to be supportive while they get the kinks out. Meantime, we need to be assured we can depend on consistency in the quality of food and service when we choose to go there.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 01:09 PM CST [Link]

CAPT'N ALLEN AKA GREG HELLER

You might want to bookmark this website of living history as a reference when you are in need of someone to present a program or make an appearance at one of your gatherings. Among others, it features Greg Heller who re-enacts the life of a made up composite in the form of Cap'n Allen. Click on "Players" (at the bottom) then "History's Spirit".

Greg and Cee are moving to Ellsworth sometime in the next few days and will live, at least for awhile, on Forest Drive with all those other good folk. Happy Trails, Greg and Cee!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:45 PM CST [Link]

FROM ANN IN COUNTY DURHAM ENGLAND

Well got my egg out today and gave the balancing egg a go,It took me all of about 30 seconds to have the egg standing on it's fat end only trouble is,I was all alone,so,your just gonna have to take my word for it

Ann

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:25 PM CST [Link]

IT'S TIME TO MAKE SOME OLD-FASHIONED SAUERKRAUT

There's a reason for everything, even if we don't understand it. It's likely the old timers of 200 years ago didn't understand many of the reasons they made sauerkraut except they knew this was a good way of preserving their cabbage through the winter. Today we know that fresh, raw cabbage is very rich in vitamin C, containing enough in 200 grams (that's about a cup) to supply a whole day's needs. Cooked cabbage and sauerkraut have about half this much. Sauerkraut is also an excellent source of Vitamin K. In the old times, Vitamin C was hard to come by during the winter. Beyond their conscious knowledge, sauerkraut was one of their very few sources.

Here is a sortakinda reasonable-sized recipe, as kraut goes, from Mabel Mertz of Southern Alberta:

* 5 lbs shredded cabbage (About 6 quarts, pressed)
* 2 oz salt (3 tablespoons)

Shred cabbage finely, put it in a large pan. Mix cabbage and salt with your hands. Pack gently with hands or potato masher. Repeat until crock (we use a 6 gal plastic bucket) is nearly full. Cover with cloth, plate and clean rock or something heavy. During the curing process, kraut needs daily attention. Remove scum as it forms and wash and scald cloth often to keep it free from scum and mold. At room temperature, fermentation will be complete in 10 to 12 days. Pack into jars adding enough juice to fill jars. Often there is not enough juice. If this happens, make a weak brine by dissolving 2 tablespoons of salt to a quart of water. Screw bottle lids on tight and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. After bottles are cool be sure they have sealed before putting them away.

That should do it. I haven't made sauerkraut in a long time and I miss the flavor and texture of the homemade variety. Chef John served what seemed to be homemake kraut at the Midland during the Czech festival. I know it was very good and I've been hungry for it ever since. Now to find the old cabbage shredder and get to work. Oh for a mandoline! I bet Caleb has some kraut cabbage hidden away somewhere that I can buy.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:20 AM CST [Link]

Monday, September 22, 2003

JUNIOR VARSITY AT MINNEAPOLIS: MINNEAPOLIS 34, ELLSWORTH ZIP (I think)

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:42 PM CST [Link]

THE WEATHER COULDN'T BE ANY BETTER

To all you former Ellsworth residents, where ever you may be.....PLEASE MOVE BACK HOME. We need you living here with your spouse, partner, friend, children etc. We have room and welcome all.

If you had been here today you would have found it a perfect day. The rest of the week is supposed to be more of the same and we haven't even entered Indian summer. Of course, we throw in a few days of bad weather now and then just so you'll appreciate days like today. It was just a beautiful day to be living here. There are many other reasons to live here....come and enjoy each and every one of them.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:27 PM CST [Link]

WE'RE DOWN TO THE LEAD PAN

It will soon be time to start re-building a shower. Yea! Delmar and Ralph took the concrete...a good two inches of it...out of the lead pan that Peck Ranker built for us close to 30 years ago. We thought we'd have to scrap the pan too, but it appears there has been no moisture in it and no deterioration has occurred. Unbelievable. Let's hope it passes closer scrutiny later. We could fill it with water and see what happens, but if it leaks, there goes the basement!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:10 PM CST [Link]

ABOUT THE EGG THING...

Janis Gore knows a lot about the egg thing and has evidence it works. I'd suggest you just go to her website and have fun with her tales about eggs. It would be better that way. She has a great website.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:28 PM CST [Link]

GOOD SAMARITAN VILLAGE NEWS RELEASE

Good Samaritan Village, a non-profit retirement community in Ellsworth, Kansas, is having a benefit auction on Sunday, September 28, 2003 from 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm at the Hoeger Chapel on the campus.

There will be over 40 items auctioned at this time. The auctioneer is Eric Blomquist. Among the auction items will be works of art, a weekend at a hunting lodge, Salina and Hutchinson entertainment packages, KSU & KU football tickets, memorabilia from The Oak Ridge Boys and Brooks and Dunn, and many other items.

There will be a viewing of auction items and a food bar beginning at 1:30. Entertainment will be provided from 2:00 to 3:00 by the piano quartet, Forty Fingers. This group of ladies is from Delphos, Kansas, and are known throughout the area. It will be a real treat just to listen to them! Following the entertainment will be the auction. After the completion of the auction there will be a dessert and coffee bar.

Tickets to the event are $15.00 per person and may be purchased by contacting Georgina Bates at 785-472-3167.

Please plan to spend the day with us and enjoy a fun time!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:12 PM CST [Link]

DID YOU KNOW THAT . . .

600 of the 627 towns in Kansas have fewer than 10,000 residents.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:59 PM CST [Link]

Sunday, September 21, 2003

JANIS GORE SAYS IT BEST ON GONE SOUTH

Remember the West Wing episode that featured C.J. trying to balance the egg on end during the autumnal equinox? She couldn't convince any of her White House co-workers it was possible and when she achieved the feat at the end of the segment, no one was there to see it.

Well, Janis Gore of Gone South knows just how to do it, has done it and knows others who have done it. Read on. Then get your eggs out of the refrigerator so they can warm up and give it a try. Let me know your results.

CLUCK HERE or read what she has to say below:

Ah, the autumnal equinox is coming up on the 23rd. Now is the time to warm up your raw eggs and practice standing them up on their fat ends.

Achh, just legend, you say. Not at all. I can count seven people right now to bear witness that at this latitude -- 31.58 N -- you can, indeed, stand an egg up during the equinox. I've done it myself.

Make sure your egg is at room temperature so the yolk can settle naturally, and choose one that has a single yolk. Medium eggs work best. Local jumbos tend to have two yolks, which will cause your project to fail. Pick a level surface on a stable floor. The smallest vibration will cause it to fall. Balance the egg on its fat end with the slightest support of your two thumbs and forefingers. Steady the egg until you can take your fingers away and the egg remains standing.

That last step will take some time. You must make sure not to vibrate the chosen surface with your arms. But with some practice, the egg will stand. Not every egg works, so you might want to warm three or so to practice with.

This isn't a hoax. The first time I saw an egg standing, I thought it was a trick. It's just a question of balance. Why does this happen during the equinox? I don't know.

It will work two or so days on each side of the equinox in both spring and fall, but is easiest closest to the equinox.

Our eggs are warming right now.

LATER: My friend Glenda, the earth science teacher for sixth grade, is going to try this in her classes this week. Do you engineering types have an explanation?

LATER: This scientist has evidence that you can do it at any time. Has nothing to do with the equinox. Never tried that. I can have fun all year!

So, to correct my original post, it IS a legend that you can only stand an egg during an equinox. Experimentation proves that it can be done at ANY time you have the patience for the project. I'm still going to balance some eggs today.

posted by Janis Gore at 12:21 PM

P.S. Janis has one very interesting blog....with chatter from Lucy too.

Later by me: Maybe it hasn't anything to do with the equinox. Have fun anyway.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 03:40 PM CST [Link]

DENA STOLTZ'S YOGA CLASS INFORMATION

Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to update all of you on the changes to the Ellsworth Yoga Class.

There will be no class on Thursday, September 25th. Mom and I are going to the Yoga Journal Convention in Estes Park Colorado. I'm very excited about this. There'll be some great stuff to learn and bring back to class.

Starting Tuesday, September 30th, we will be meeting at the Antique Mall, upstairs, still from 730-830, Tues and Thurs. You need to come in the back door and pleeeeease don't be late because we have to lock the door when it's time to start for the obvious security reasons. I hope that this doesn't cause any problems, but we're going to try it out and see!

I still have yoga mats available for sale for $6.00 if anyone is interested. I can get as many as we need.

See you soon!
Dena

Posted by Peg Britton @ 03:27 PM CST [Link]

SMALL TOWN CAFES HAVE WINNING RECIPE

Today in the Salina Journal there was an excellent article on small town cafes and what makes "slow" food preferable over fast food. It was written by Carol Crupper who did a great job with it. The right person who knows as a certainty about those things was quoted.

That is what Marci Penner, director of the Kansas Sampler Foundation, has been crowing about for years, and she was often and well-quoted in the article. She says that good home cooking served in a clean, inviting environment can pull visitors to rural towns. Marci is co-chair of the Governor's task force on rural development.

She suggests we should do more to tout such places that we have in our area. "If you have a place like this, sing about it from the rooftops in your brochures," she says. "Don't just tell them you have a restaurant but tell about the entrees that make it famous or desirable." An example is the famous chicken-fried steaks, cooked from scratch, and served at KC's Cafe and Paden's Restaurant. You can't get that just everywhere as most restaurants use frozen prepared steaks and throw them in a French fryer. Anything thrown into a French fryer is off my list. And I like it when the mashed potatoes still have some of the skins in evidence and some lumps here and there. That’s a dead give-away they started with a real potato and a peeler.

That is true with Jesse Orozco who makes everything he serves from scratch at his restaurant, down to the tortillas and hot tamales. We appreciate knowing we’re being served the same good food that he serves his own family and friends.

Marci suggested we consider the following criteria:

Does your cafe serve "real" mashed potatoes?
Does the meat come from a local locker?
Is the food actually made from scratch?
Is the chicken or chicken fried steak pan-fried?
Is the homemade crust made with lard?
Are the apples peeled on the site?
Is the tea brewed?
Is the cafe clean and does it offer friendly service?

If the answers are "yes", Penner says, your community has a winner.

If the answer isn't “yes” in each case, then I think we should encourage our restaurant owners to try to comply so as to make the dining experience more personal and enjoyable. What do you think?

Posted by Peg Britton @ 03:19 PM CST [Link]

Saturday, September 20, 2003

SOMETHING NEW AND WONDERFUL FOR THE OLD BROOKVILLE HOTEL BUILDING

It seems to be general knowledge around these parts that something new and exciting will soon recapture the old hotel building in Brookville. A lot of "some things" actually. It's very, very exciting.

I visited with Judith and John Dobson in Brookville today. They were serving a lunch to the re-enactor/movie people on the patio at the north side of the old hotel. I only visited with them a short while, but I think I can be safe in repeating what they told me. It is what others seem to know. I will add that they aren't ready to make a press release divulging all their plans until the middle of next month. There is the issue of 'THE BROOKVILLE CITY SEWER' hanging over their heads, as it did the Martins. That's one of the reasons the Martins left Brookville. No city sewer.

Judith and John have two sons...Brent 28, and John 22 and a grandson. John attends Ft. Hays State University. Judith at one time owned and operated the Garden Restaurant in McPherson. Don't quote me on those specifics. I just know it was a high-end dining facility with loyal patrons who enjoyed fine food and she was in charge. It is no longer there and I haven't any idea why.

But, it is our good fortune that they are purchasing, so it appears, the old Brookville Hotel building from Mark and Connie Martin. The gal who previously owned it and who got involved with an elderly man in California in an internet sex room intrigue of some kind and relieved him of a great deal of his money is in jail/prison in California. The hotel reverted by to the Martins.

So, the plans that Judith, John (a retired engineer) and their two sons have, rather loosely interpreted, include an area for fine dining, a tea room and a third eating establishment. There will be stores there ...and other things too. From the way it sounds, there will be many little adventures to explore. John says his wife is an endless source of ideas and that is the impression she leaves, one of enthusiasm and adventure.

I went through part of the hotel and it is as I'd heard...gutted. There is nothing left from the Martin era that indicate 100+ years of history. There are just bare rooms. Nothing nostalgic, nothing to remind you of the fried chicken and Cole slaw days. I cut my teeth on chicken legs there 75 years ago, but that's hardly a memory.

Judith told me she won't sell her house in McPherson, but she did indicate they'd be living in Brookville part of the time. Maybe they'll fix up the upstairs into living quarters. Certainly there are ample bedrooms for family and friends.

Let's hope all their plans and dreams come true. They seem to be a wonderful family and able to make those things happen. Judith will have more to say about all of this about the middle of next month after the sewer is a sure thing. Stay tuned.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:41 PM CST [Link]

BROOKVILLE KANSAS...THE PLACE TO BE TODAY

It was quiet, slow activity on the sidewalk in front of the old Brookville Hotel today. Cowboys ambled around and chatted between photo shots. They very much looked like a scene out of early Brookville days when the Hotel first opened and served such notables as Wyatt Earp.

Cowboy guys, when they have all their gear on, tend to spit a lot. I guess it's like ball players when they put on their uniforms. It transforms them. People revert to someone else, a pretend life. I remember not too many years ago they "put people away" for pretending to be someone other than who they really were.

Kids ran in the streets in their turn-of-the-century clothes. The cavalry, riding in tight formation on the dirt street in front of the old hotel, looked very nifty in their uniforms astride well-groomed horses. I thought the buffalo soldiers, including Barry Tompkins, might be there, but they weren't. Many wore sunglasses which sort of defied the attempt to mimic the 1880s.

Drovers, men, women, children, Orientals and Indians were dressed in period clothing and posed for photographs. Still shots were taken of small groups. It was very casual, very friendly type of shoot.

Hank Price, the doctor with horse and buggy who was in several shots, hails from Goddard as does his son Nathan, who took some pictures for me for the INDY. They had seen the ad in the Wichita paper and were asked to submit a resume of their experiences, but since they had none, they were asked to appear anyway. They needed a doctor with a horse and buggy. My friend, Greg Heller, was there in all his cowboy gear in addition to 30 or more other participants. The weather was perfect and they all appeared to be enjoying the day.

Since they were only taking still photos, I presume they are preparing for some kind of documentary. Yesterday, they filmed outside Tescott. Kansas is an idea place for this kind of activity. I went to see Ryan and Tatum O'Neal when they were filming 'Paper Moon' in Wilson in 1972. That was a big deal for Wilson and Hays. There used to be quite of bit of that kind of activity in Kansas and a revival would be welcomed.

I left after a couple of hours and headed over to Castle Rock to visit with Terri and Judy, Wauneta, and Susanna. They were preparing for a big crowd tonight and over 30 tomorrow for their Sunday fried chicken dinner. They had wonderful apple pies, warm out of the oven, ready to serve for dinner tonight. They serve wonderful food...and it's always fun to go there and eat. If you haven't been there, you might want to call and make reservations for that.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 03:11 PM CST [Link]

MINNEAPOLIS LIONS 52, ELLSWORTH BEARCATS ZIP

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:24 AM CST [Link]

Friday, September 19, 2003

CARS COME NEATLY PACKAGED

Conversation as we are driving down Broadway:

Brit, looking from afar: "Look at those new cars on that transport. The are all dripping wet. Surely the driver didn't go through the car wash with them."

Me, as we draw closer: "If they are dripping wet, they should be dripping and they aren't. It isn't water."

Brit: "Is too."

Me: "They look to me like they are wrapped in Saran Wrap."

Brit: "Like calves when they are born?"

Me: "Yes. Like when Mackenzie was four and saw a calf being born at 'Mitchell's' (Virgil Huseman's...she called him Mitchell for reasons known only to her) and told us it came wrapped in Saran Wrap. Yes, new cars come the same way."

Brit: "I don't think so. It has to be water."

Me, two miles later: "Don't you think the water would have evaporated by now?

Brit: "Well, you do have a point there."

Me: It looks to me like they have created a job for a Saran Wrap wrapper person at the car factory."

Finally we over-take the transport and draw along beside it.

Brit: "By golly, they are wrapped in Saran Wrap. That's a new one on me."

We don't get out a lot.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 03:23 PM CST [Link]

ERSATZ BROOKVILLE HOTEL

I pulled in Brookville on the way home and saw no activity around the hotel. They had removed the brown paper covering on all the windows and doors that announced, in quizzical terms, Brookville needed a city sewer system. Either that, or they were soliciting Ditch Witch work.

If they are filming something there tomorrow, Hollywood style, there was no indication of it. Two other cars with gawkers passed by the hotel as I was doing the same, if that is a sign of something. In giving consideration to such things, that was a lot of traffic for Brookville.

It's a most beautiful day today. Such days are the reason we appreciate Kansas so much. We deserve such days now and then and know how to treasure them.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 03:05 PM CST [Link]

FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL...SHANELEC FIELD, 7:00

Try to attend the Bearcat vs Minneapolis football game tonight if you can. Another win would boost Ellsworth's team confidence. They are an eager group of players so we wish them well.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:55 PM CST [Link]

THE SHOWER PROJECT

Today I have to defend my selection of tile for the shower. Yesterday I was in the classroom of learning about the advances of tile and grout in the past 30 years. In each case, my instructor was a woman, and both were well-informed and helpful.

I got conflicting information about grout and how to apply the rubberized membrane. One told me all grout had a latex base and was waterproof the other said it wasn't. I guess if you really want to be sure, you use epoxy glue/grout which is quick setting and difficult to work with. Epoxy it is. The membrane, which would be a perfect solution to prevent any leaks, may be a problem to install. It goes on the lead pan and under concrete. Our concrete is already in place and we can't take that off without going through the lead pan and falling to China. There may be a way to handle that, but the floor slope and accessibility through the door limits what we can do about an additional layer of concrete to accomodate the membrane.

I picked out the first style of tile I saw and stuck with it after glancing at a few others. The color is light and mottled a bit to prevent total boredom while showering and will blend with the bland colors in our house. I've always relied on colorful friends to take care of the rest of the decorating.

Brit and I are going to Salina today so he can see it. Not that it matters a lot, but he is very good at such things and I want him to enjoy his morning/evening rinses too. It has to be ordered and Kenny will do that for us, once we determine what we want. Then in a couple of weeks they can start hanging it. We're also putting in all the handicapped balance bars and an additional shower head positioned lower on the wall so that we are prepared for the time when we get old.

Brit is looking forward to having lunch in Salina. That's a big thing for him and has precedence over most other events, such as tile selection. He has his favorite places, La Casita being at the top of the list. We've eaten with Lenore almost since she opened. I imagine that's where he'll want to go.

Actually, I had planned to meet Mike Boss of Hill City in Lincoln for lunch today, but I squeezed out of that to settle tile issues and will see him instead at the gala in Ft. Riley next month, the 4th. He's one of my favorite Kansas artists/musicians...and is an extremely interesting fellow.

Football game tonight!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:24 AM CST [Link]

Thursday, September 18, 2003

WALNUT VALLEY FESTIVAL

I wish I had a comfortable chair located in front of the stage at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield. Right now. I've never gone and always wished I had. Some of my friends never miss.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:12 PM CST [Link]

30s AND FROST

It may get frosty tonight. What a change from the 90 degree temp yesterday. I can handle it, but I'm not sure about all our outdoor plants and whether or not they will survive. Early frosts always catch us by surprise usually at a time we are least energic to do something about covering the plants or bringing them inside. Tonight won't bring on an Indian summer as it won't be a hard freeze, but that event shouldn't be too far down the road.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:08 PM CST [Link]

A SUB SANDWICH AT THE SCHEME

The Scheme in Salina offers a great sub sandwich, a Royal Sub, with Italian ham, sausage, pepperoni, swiss, a shot of mayo and...Dane's suggested addition...sauteed mushrooms. It was really good. Their pizzas are supposed to be the best in Salina...or elsewhere. It's a neat place .... great pictures and copies of old letters from Abraham Lincoln to the owner's grandmother that are hung by the front door. It's fun to eat there, but they aren't open all the time. Try on Thursday, Friday or Saturday.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 05:46 PM CST [Link]

THEY ARE FILMING A MOVIE IN ELLSWORTH?

Last night Linda said, "Someone is here filming a movie about cowboys."

I said, "How can they film a movie about cowboys when Cowboy Jim is drilling wheat?"

P.S. Later. I guess the filming is to be in Brookville between 10 and 2 on Saturday. The individuals who own the old hotel are involved. The movie is being prepared for TV but will first be available on the internet as a "series" with the hope it will be purchased by a network for TV viewing. Or someting like that.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:02 AM CST [Link]

Wednesday, September 17, 2003

NATIONAL DROVERS HALL OF FAME

The National Drovers Hall of Fame, Ellsworth, Kansas, is "taking hold" at record pace. The National Drovers Hall of Fame Association was formed June 3, 2003, with intentions to the preserve the historical cattle drive era. The association has just received it’s designation as a 501( c ) (3) recognizing the organization as exempt from federal income tax. The designation is essential in establishing a world-class museum allowing donors to deduct contributions to the National Drovers Hall of Fame as provided in section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code.

The National Drovers Hall of Fame Association seeks to acknowledge the endeavors of the drovers as the founders of the Great American cattle industry. The association proposes to recognize the unique history of the cattle drive era by honoring the drovers, the cattle, the horses, the men, the women, the railroads and the cattle towns which made it all happen by sharing the legacy, promoting the beef industry and preserving the cowboy way of life.

The organization plans to create a world-class museum with Ellsworth’s 1887 Insurance Building as the cornerstone of the project. The banking institution originally housed in the structure was a significant supplier of credit to the cattle industry. The building’s unique architecture has gained the reputation as the "signature building" of Ellsworth which was an "end of trail" cattle town for Texas cattle in the 1870's.

The National Drovers Hall of Fame will be singularly unique in that the museum will recognize and honor those people who made the era of the cattle drive synonymous with the development of the United States. The Texas drover rode over the rim with all of the abandon, energy, insolence, pride, carelessness and confidence, epitomizing the booming West. As the popularly recognized cowboy he was largely responsible for creating the greatest nation on earth through the development of the western two-thirds of the United States.

The National Drovers Hall of Fame Association is rapidly moving forward with museum development plans, fund raising endeavors and promotional development. A Founders Club has been established for the purpose of generating initial funding for the project. A $100.00 donation to the Founders Club allows the donor to participate a nominal level, yet be recognized for the all important task of founding this far-reaching museum of cattle and western history. With the 501 ( c ) (3) designation larger contributions from both the private sector and industry can be accepted allowing federal tax deductions.

For additional information contact the National Drovers Hall of Fame, 119 N. Douglas, Ellsworth, Kansas, 67439; phone 785-472-4703 or email kansascowboy@informatics.net

Jim Gray, president, National Drovers Hall of Fame.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 01:40 PM CST [Link]

CHANGES CONTINUE AT THE MIDLAND HOTEL

Marian Vaughn left Wilson and her job as manager of the Midland Hotel about the same day I headed to Denver. I know where I went, but I don't know where she went, or why. I presume they are searching for another manager. I also understand they have increased their food prices.

They'll get things in order one of these days. We just need to be patient and continue patronizing and supporting the hotel and restaurant and all those good people associated with it.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:25 PM CST [Link]

DANE BRITTON IS THE NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE SALINA PLANNING COMMISSION

Now he can get yelled at a lot more.

Congratulations, Dane. You've been a good commission member and you'll make a great chairman. Mother's know those things.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:21 PM CST [Link]

Tuesday, September 16, 2003

2003 NATIONAL RURAL LEADERSHIP AWARD PRESENTED TO MARCI PENNER, DIRECTOR OF THE KANSAS SAMPLER FOUNDATION, AT RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE IN FORT MYERS, FL.

A delegation of over 120 members of National Rural Economic Developers Association (NREDA) attending the Association's annual conference gathered in Fort Myers, FL last week. Honored at the Association’s Annual Business Meeting was Marci Penner, Kansas Sampler Foundation, as the “2003 Rural Leadership Award” recipient. The Rural Leadership Award recognizes innovation and leadership, resulting in the improvement of quality of life, creation of new jobs and opportunity for growth in rural America. Penner was nominated by Pottawatomie County (Kansas) Economic Development director Robert Cole and was then chosen by a selection committee representing electric and telephone cooperatives from across the nation. NREDA is a vital network of rural economic development professionals providing expertise and national leadership on rural issues. The conference, which was held September 6-9, supports the association's mission to provide education, advocacy and networking opportunities to rural and suburban utilities and affiliated organizations.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:16 PM CST [Link]

PEACE AND QUIET

This is our last day of peace and quiet. Tomorrow the Kohl's crew will arrive at 7:00 a.m. to tear out our shower. This is no small matter and will be very noisy, messy and downright ugly.

We've waited a long time for them...like years....as they are the best and built this house 28 years ago and know where every nail is placed. We really didn't want anyone else messing with this rather complicated project it so it will be worth the wait. Just hope the lead pan doesn't fall on my head in the basement.

I don't know much about ceramic/glazed/porcelain tile and grout and need to learn fast. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. I think I'd like to go with the 12" tiles since the shower is very large and will accomodate that size. Other than that, I'm clueless.

A batch of chicken and homemade noodles my help my thought processes. It's off to the kitchen I go!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:41 PM CST [Link]

CAREER CHOICES

It seems the summer spent as an intern at NIST in Gaithersburg was time well-spent for my favorite granddaughter as it gave her direction in what she wants to do in life.....teach and do research at the university level. That's a good thing and I think suits her very well.

She's already investigating the possibilities and will be making applications this time next year to get admitted into a PhD program at Carnegie Mellon, Stanford or MIT. It will follow her dual degrees in computer engineering and mathematics at SMU.

That is her goal. It is interesting to follow her progress and watch all of this unfold.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:31 PM CST [Link]

AMZANIG HUH?

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Amzanig huh?

Chris Morgan; Graduate Assistant
P.O. Box 110540; 310 Rolfs Hall
The University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611-0540

Posted by Peg Britton @ 01:07 PM CST [Link]

Monday, September 15, 2003

CHAI TEA, HOT OR ICED, IS A REAL TREAT FOUND IN DOWNTOWN ELLSWORTH

Chai has been a favorite tea in India for thousands of years and now you can try the real stuff at the Ellsworth Antique Mall. Beware...it's so good you'll want more.

For the most part, Chai Tea is blend of black tea and spices with the distinguishing flavor of cardamon. Cinnamon, cloves and herbs are other common ingredients. It's hard to tell exactly what is in the Oregon Chai that Josie brews. I just know it is very, very good.

Josie mixes the Chai Tea with equal parts of milk to make a creamier beverage, but it is excellent alone. It can be served either hot or iced and I don't know which I like best as both are so good.

There are many ways to make Chai tea if you want to go to all that trouble. It seems better enjoyed with friends in the Mall.

Stress reduction, enhanced relaxation and a digestion aid are qualities associated with Chai Tea. Now there are many good reasons to give it a try.

The iced Chai tea is $2.95. The hot tea comes in three sizes: $2.55, 2.95 and 3.30.

Another great drink is their Caramel Mocha Ice Milk Frappe with a shot of espresso. It is really wonderful. I think I'm going to be spending a lot of time down there....unwinding and all.

Mark and Josie Roehrman are doing a spectacular job of restoring the Wellington building. The upstairs is about finished and ready for additional vendors.

Stop in and take a look...and have something from their extensive offerings at the espresso bar. This is a wonderful addition to Ellsworth and we owe them a lot of thanks for their contribution and hard work in making Ellsworth a better place to live.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:49 PM CST [Link]

JV SCORE: BELOIT, 22; ELLSWORTH, 0

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:13 PM CST [Link]

APPOINTMENT TO U.S. SERVICE ACADEMY

The deadline is approaching for U.S. service academy applications. For any students interested in attending the U.S. Air Force, Military, Naval, or Merchant Marine Academies, Congressman Jerry Moran is still accepting applications for nominations. Each year, I have the opportunity to nominate some of the finest young men and women Kansas has to offer to the Service Academies.

Interested students need to send their application forms to my Hutchinson office, postmarked no later than October 1, 2003 for the next class, which enters in June 2004. The selections are based on SAT or ACT test scores, class rank, grade point average, school records, extracurricular activities, leadership potential, motivation, recommendations, and interview evaluations. Applications may be sent to:

Congressman Jerry Moran
Attention: Service Academy Selection
P.O. Box 1128
Hutchinson, KS 67504-1128

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:37 PM CST [Link]

DON'T FORGET THE JV FOOTBALL GAME TONIGHT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, 6:00 P.M. SHOW YOUR SUPPORT AND ATTEND IF YOU CAN.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:43 AM CST [Link]

Sunday, September 14, 2003

CONNIE AND TOM SCHMITT WIN BEST WESTERN AWARD

Connie and Tom Schmitt, owners of the Best Western Garden Prairie Inn, have been recognized with the company’s international director’s award for outstanding quality standards. Those of us who are familiar with how Connie and Tom manage the motel realize how well-deserved this recognition is. We are fortunate to have such an outstanding motel in Ellsworth. The owners/managers provide a very favorable first impression to visitors coming to our community.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:48 PM CST [Link]

GOOD SAM FUNDRAISER

Our good friends and neighbors at Good Sam are hosting a very creative fund raising event on Sunday, September 28th from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The agenda is:

1:30 – 2:00 Viewing of Auction Items & Food Bar
2:00 - 3:00 Entertainment by the “Forty Fingers Piano Quartet”
3:00 – 5:00 AUCTION
5:00 – 5:30 Coffee & Dessert Bar

Tickets to the event are $15 Per Person. Tickets are available at: First Bank Kansas, Citizens State Bank, Robson’s Card & Gift or by contacting Georgina Bates at the Good Samaritan Village.

WE WISH THEM MUCH SUCCESS!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:41 PM CST [Link]

CHAMBER GATHERIN'

The Citizen’s State Bank and Trust Company will host our Chamber Gatherin’ on Thursday, September 18th. There will be some informative announcements, eye-opener refreshments, door prizes and good social mingling. A special guest, Darnell Holoirek, BCCC, plans to attend and get acquainted. She is the new Executive Director of Institutional Advancement. There will be prize drawings so bring your own coffee mug to receive an extra ticket and/or bring a guest (especially a prospective member) and receive an additional ticket. The fun starts at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 9:00 a.m. If you do not attend you will be missed.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:38 PM CST [Link]

SUNDAY IS...OR WELCOME HOME, PEG!

Sunday was a fairly busy day around here today. Probably a busy day around your house today too, huh?

Sunday is 'bath day'. Everything that lives in or ambulates through the house gets a bath. This includes a dog and a fish. (well, ok, the humans bathe more regularly than once a week, so I'm talking about our non human companions)

So the dog was washed and the fish got a cleaning and now we are all sparkely and clean. Until next week.

Not much else was happening today. Mostly busy work.

Here's hoping our vacationing blogger arrives home safe and sound (today, tomorrow, the next day) soon.

UPDATE: (As soon as I went out to put this up...I see that our travellers ARE home...)

Welcome home, Peg! Ally!

Posted by The Mystery Blogger @ 10:01 PM CST [Link]

YEAH! I'M HOME.

Ally and I rolled in about 5:00 p.m. It's so good to be home again.

Stay tuned and I'll try to get up to speed tomorrow.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:53 PM CST [Link]

ELLSWORTH'S NEW OUTDOOR CLUB

Hi everyone!

Dan Ives has started an outdoor club here in Ellsworth. We had our first meeting Friday night to get an idea of what would be going on. He's going to plan many great adventures for us: hiking, camping, outdoor survival, orienteering, canoeing, archery, rapelling, and many others that I can't remember right now. We set the time and date of our first outing for Friday September 19th, 5pm at the City Hall. From there we are driving out to Kanopolis Lake for a short (3 mile) hike.

There are no dues for this club, it's just a chance for people to get together and enjoy mother nature. Hope you all can come and if you're not interested, please forward this on to someone you think might be!

Dena Stoltz

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:50 PM CST [Link]

Saturday, September 13, 2003

TREES AND FENCE LINES

Another beautiful day. I'm still cutting up those trees (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, anyone?). Cooler mornings mean more work with less sweat.

I see that the rededication of the Ellsworth Jail is less than a month away. (October 11, 2003 at 6 North Court Street) You shouldn't miss it.

Congratulations to the Bearcats on the win over Beloit last night. I knew the Bearcats could do it. Good job.

Today's other activity of choice was a pleasant ride around the outer property fence line. I arrived at one corner to discover a large tree had toppled onto the fence. Fortunately, in order for the cows to escape their little piece of heaven here, they would have to walk along the steadily rising tree trunk and then drop off the tree on the other side of the fence, a drop of about 20 feet. Thank goodness for deep ravine creeks and small favors.

The cows do not seem inclined to attempt climb the tree in order to leap to freedom on the other side. At least, not yet. (And why would they? They have a pretty sweet deal here...well, you know, except for that teensy hamburger issue)

Moo.

Posted by The Mystery Blogger @ 04:59 PM CST [Link]

Friday, September 12, 2003

RAIN AND PAINT

Looks like it is still raining in Colorado, according to our vacationing blogger.

The phones were out most of yesterday. That happens from time to time when we get rain and wind.

So here's a question: How many times have you done something stupid? As for me, I do it all the time. Doing things I 'know better' than to try. As I get older (and this may be a function of the ability to actually get older), I find I am a little slower to get things done, but more thorough and careful in doing them. Some years ago, although I knew better, I sprayed insecticide without wearing gloves, repirator (I had one stored for just such use...but did I use it? Nope!) or eye protection. After I sprayed, I felt sick. Queasy. Nauseated. I recovered without a trip to the ER, but I can tell you I never sprayed again without wearing protection. (When we're young, we think we are invincible, I reckon.)

I heard from an acquaintance the other day. Said he had a frightening headache. Did he think I was a physician? Naw, he said, but he couldn't understand why he felt so terrible. I think it was Ramazzini who said if you want to know what ails a man, look at what he does [for a living]. I asked him what he'd been doing. Turns out, he'd been painting a car body in his garage. So here are some tips on painting (these sound like common sense, of course, but my friend has advanced degrees in the biological sciences and still he went ahead and painted without any protection. It can happen to any of us.).

Read the directions, read the warnings and read the MSDS (material safety data sheet). Paint in well ventilated areas. What's 'well ventilated'? Painting in the garage with the garage door open is not 'well ventilated', that's just a big room with the door open. Ventilation is 'air moving'. If air isn't moving (and moving at a certain rate) through the area where you are painting, then it is not well ventilated. And ventilation, believe it or not, will make a better paint job because the solvents can evaporate more efficiently. Inefficient drying of solvents often causes patches or holes on the paint surface.

Wear gloves and get as little paint and solvents on your hands as possible. Wear the right kind of gloves. All materials will not protect against all chemicals. Wear the glove made of material that will protect you against the particular substance you are using. How do you know which materials protect against which chemicals? Read the label on the paint or solvents, read the MSDS and ask the seller (and of course, you can always look on the internet!).

Wear a respirator. I'm not talking about the little paper masks similar to surgical masks. While those might keep a few paint droplets out of your mouth or nose, they won't protect you against vapors. (Or fumes. Fumes are formed when a volatilized solid condenses. Put another way, this means fumes can be formed when metal or glass is heated. While in common parlance people speak of 'gasoline fumes' and 'paint fumes'; they really mean 'gases and vapors'.) Respirators need to be fit tested, too. (Gets more complicated as we go along, doesn't it?)

The best idea I could suggest to my friend was to rent a paint booth. Many body shops, and sometimes marinas, have paint booths they will rent on a per day or per hour basis.

He called around and found a booth for rent at $15/hour or $50/day. The major result of using the paint booth was that he didn't come away with a six-hour headache after painting his car.

Well! There you go. More than you ever wanted to know about painting that old car body.

Posted by The Mystery Blogger @ 09:23 AM CST [Link]

Thursday, September 11, 2003

LUCY'S DIGS

Here's a picture of Lucy in her her digs:




"Hey," she asks. "What you doing?"

Lyman said, "We should have taken this picture during daylight."

"What?" I asked. "And show all those people the food on the window?"

Posted by Janis Gore @ 10:26 PM CST [Link]

Wednesday, September 10, 2003

The weather is getting warmer again, as we knew it would. Rain seems to be heading this way. I'm hearing thunder so this might be short. Keep your fingers crossed, we can use the rain.

I spent most of today out in the pasture winding wire, a job I really, really hate. But it has to be done, otherwise, I'll have old rusting wire scattered all over the property and you can guess what that means to digitigrade, plantigrade or unguligrade feet. (digitigrade-walks on toes (paws), like a dog or cat, plantigrade-walks on sole of foot (flat-footed) like a human or an alligator, unguligrade-walks on an ungula (a hoof) like a horse or cow) That about covers every creature on the place here, except the house fish, I reckon.

Now I have 12 neat coils of wire of varying sizes. I can reuse the wire, but mostly it won't be under foot in the pastures and pens. That's enough about wire.

Our wandering blogger, although enduring snow and cold rain in the mountains to the west, did manage to locate a computer. (We knew she would, didn't we?) Stay warm, Peg. We don't want ya blogging with a cold when you return.

One more word before I close. I wanted to say thanks to Nick Slechta for serving as the Temporary Executive Director for the Chamber of Commerce. Glad to have you aboard!

Posted by The Mystery Blogger @ 09:06 PM CST [Link]

BLIZZARDING

We woke up to blizzard conditions this morning in Vail...about 4 or 5 inches accumulated, Vail pass was closed for awhile...then we drove to Breck/Silverthorne and now it is snowing here as well. It has rained every day we've been here, some days just off and on, others all day. We had a wonderful storm Monday night with lots of lightning and thunder and I love that, particularly in the mountains where the rumble of thunder echos through all the canyons.

It has been a restful vaction...not doing much. We're living on cheese and crackers, cold cereal, bacon and eggs, and lots of fresh Colorado fruit. The Rocky Ford melons and Colorado peaches are wonderful. I don't know if we'll be able to get any to bring home or not. The peaches are small at the City Market in Vail and are about 50 cents apiece. Pricey like everything else.

I see the Mystery Blogger is at work and some of the rest of you have also helped out. I appreciate that.

I'll be home Sunday....so you all have to keep everything going until then.

I only have this computer for a few minutes...it's very old and keeps crashing...so I'm out of here.

The mountains are beautiful, the air is fresh and invigorating....lovely place to be for a few days, but I already miss the prairies.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:28 PM CST [Link]

Tuesday, September 9, 2003

I guess Peg has been soaking up that mountain sunshine. Hope she's staying warm.

I know I'm warm. I've been out this morning cutting wood. I'm taking a break now so I can catch you folks up on all the doings around here yesterday.

We went out to the deer stands early in the morning to work on the brush a little. Down in the creek bottoms the brush is quite prolific. We put in the carpet, cleaned the chairs and cleared the stands of dropped limbs and debris gathered over the spring and summer.

A disgruntled owl sailed silently away as we arrived. A few deer were wandering about near the creek. They fiddled around while we worked, following and watching us from cover. Most were does. One young buck came by, stuck his head over a limb to get a better look, snorted and bounced away into the early morning darkness. Now and then I'd see an ear flicker or the sliding shadow of a back moving through the thickets. I surmise that life for a deer must be pretty boring if our grunting, stooping and climbing was such an attraction. Perhaps they were hoping we'd leave some sweet potatoes or corn behind.

The whole trip out and back took a couple of hours. There are ten stands across the low properties where we hunt. So that's done. We're almost ready for the season.

Then we came home, met with the tree fellers (not a typo) and supervised the felling of three large hardwoods in the yard. I feared they might one day fall upon the house. That took several hours by the time the treefellers came, felled and finished.

So all in all, it was a pretty busy day around here yesterday. Today the activity plan includes sawing up the big trees and turning them into firewood as well as a possible excursion into the fun of home winemaking.

I have a few gallons of pears here, saved back from all the other purposes to which the pears went. I'll be gathering the equipment, tools and additional ingredients for a try at some homemade pear wine.

Well, time to get back to the wood cutting...

Posted by The Mystery Blogger @ 08:59 AM CST [Link]

Monday, September 8, 2003

KANSAS STATE FAIR

We've been to the Kansas State Fair and are going back. We invite you to come, too.

The new improvements are wonderful! We like Cotttonwood Court ( former commercial building), the fair's air-conditioned indoor food court. With its eleven venders and enough big round tables in the middle to seat 800, it makes all us diners seem like one big happy family.

You won't recognize the newly air-conditioned Domestic Arts Building. Quilts never looked better. It sports a new demonstration kitchen and much needed restrooms.

Watching the teenagers whip out their $20 bills on the midway Friday night was a hoot.

You can't beat the weather--Saturday's crowd was huge.

Come to the Party on the Prairie, the one and only Kansas State Fair!

Location: Hutchinson, Kansas, about 50 miles NW of Wichita
Date: Now until September 14, 2003
Hours of Operation: 7 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Parking: 160 unpaved acres
Website: http://www.kansasstatefair.com

Posted by Phyllis Dolezal @ 06:30 AM CST [Link]

Sunday, September 7, 2003

A MESSAGE TO THE UNWARY

Hi there!

Unbeknownst to Peg, our currently vacationing blogger, I've been keeping up with her tales of me. Uptown, downtown and all around the county. I get around and I travel fast.

Yes, me! I'm The Cougar and I decided to post some comments to let you all know just how it is being a young cougar in a cougar-scarce county.

Well, friends, it isn't always fun. It's actually kinda lonely (see Bradbury, The Foghorn). The other night I was cuddling up to what I thought was a handsome face when car lights hit it and I discovered it was the sign to the city park! Yeah, cats can see in the dark...yup, uh huh. A somewhat embarrasing moment and a bit painful. I'm still plucking splinters out of my snout.

And those whistles! Friends! Why are so many people tooting away on them? Latent musical talent? They don't scare me a bit, but they DO irritate the daylights outta me. (So! You think I'll hightail it on account of a shrill little piece of metal? Guess again, city kids!)

What with the romantic confusion, the tinny whistles and the tweezers difficulties, I have to tell you that being a great cat on the Great Plains is just not what it's cracked up to be.

Scampering around in the cool night air is fun, though (given I don't try to make any amorous connections). And doing that glowing-eyes-in-the-dark thing is a kick, as long as no one gets overexcited and starts blasting away.

I've been pretty circumspect about my eating habits by leaving the chickens, small dogs and housecats alone. But winter is coming so I'm considering some dietary changes, however, I do not plan to include any of the aforementioned species in my dining repertoire. Course, plans can change. < evil cougar grin >

That's about all I have to say at the moment. More adventures as they occur and as I find abandoned computers laying about on back porches. (Wish the keys were a bit bigger...you know, "paw size".)

I hope to have a better photo for my next post.

Cheerio!

Click on the photo for a closer look at ME!

Posted by The Cougar @ 07:15 PM CST [Link]

FRUIT MANAGEMENT?

Another beautiful day and now I'm taking a short rest from my fruit picking, bundling and management (fruit management, now there's a topic). Is it my imagination or are the peaches sweeter this year than for many years past? Ran across some of the sweetest Colorado peaches I've tasted in a while. I took all I could get in the truck. Ha! (eatcherheartsout)

I read Mr. Manning's post this morning and that reminded me of something. How about those Bearcats, huh? Did they play their little hearts out Friday night or what? Persistence is a great virtue. There's another game next week, guys. Hang in there.

High school football is so much more interesting than college or professional football. It seems a little more real to me. Maybe that's because high school football is generally closer to home, scheduled more conveniently and much more affordable. Besides, we really know all those folks on the teams. Love ya, Bearcats.

Posted by The Mystery Blogger @ 03:39 PM CST [Link]

FOOTBALL

Kansas State played some good football today in Manhattan against McNeese State. Final score was 55-14, of course with the Wildcats winning. Bits and pieces of our defense leave a little something to be desired, but we've got plenty of time to work on that before we begin playing our tougher opponents.

McNeese actually did a respectable job, considering they were underdogs by a long long ways. I think they had somewhere around 250+ total yards, compared to our 400, so that's not bad. They gave our second and third strings a workout.

Lets see, the game got over about 9:30 and we won big. Aggieville should be hopping by now...

Posted by Jesse Manning @ 11:11 AM CST [Link]

BREAKING THE RULES...

Well, grandma's first rule was to not write about her, but to that I say "You write about me!" and here I go.

As you all know by now, she's in Colorado and that brings back about a million different memories for me. I wanted to share a few that she'll probably read and laugh about. I can't remember how old I was the first time grandma and I ventured out to Colorado, but I know there were many of these trips. In the earlier trips it was always to Breckenridge to see Ally. We'd pack up the car and head out, slowly making our way there. About the time we crossed the Colorado state line I started straining my eyes for the mountains which I knew were there, somewhere. Once I finally spotted them and could calm down I'd start looking for a special bridge.

It was a bridge that was part of the Denver airport and planes would go over it to take off, which was really cool at the time, driving under a plane. Once we passed Denver we'd head up the mountains which was my favorite part of the drive and grandma's least favorite part I think. Oh, and I forgot to mention that I'd sometimes take a little nap before Denver but would warn grandma that she'd be in big trouble if she didn't wake me up while we drove through the big city. I've always loved big cities and enjoy looking at them as we drive through.

Once we got to Breckenridge I was napped and ready to start having fun, of course grandma was thinking a little differently since she had just driven 9 hours and was in the high elevation that didn't effect my young body. I'd agree and start to play around Ally's house which was a great time in itself.

Many, many memories of Breckenridge... the alpine slide, the Briar Rose, Quiznos, the maze, and all the touristy shops that I INSISTED we visit even though they all had the exact same over-priced stuff. Grandma, being the wonderful person she is, would walk through each of these shops with me, and usually pick something up for me, a treasure from Breckenridge.

One distinct memory I have that always makes me laugh…I remember I was getting really into my new Amy Grant cassette tape. Amy Grant was fairly mellow so I was sure grandma would like her songs, and I figured the only way grandma would know for sure was if she listened to the entire tape, a few times. I can remember her taking out the tape and handing it to me as it was nearly on fire with heat, telling me that was enough Amy Grant.

Music was probably one of our only "issues" on the trips. But as I grew older I had some type of portable device that would allow us to both be content.

Another thing that was special about going to Colorado was that I ALWAYS got to go to a bookstore! This was true mostly when we would go to Denver to see Ally, but whether it be the Tattered Cover or Barnes and Noble we'd always spend a few hours browsing and buying a few books to enjoy.

I could go on for hours, this is just a small taste of many many adventures I've had with my grandma. The Colorado trips will always stand out in my mind because they were fairly frequent and it was often just me and my grandma, heading out for adventures to be determined.

-Mackenzie Britton (favorite granddaughter)

Posted by Mackenzie Britton @ 10:26 AM CST [Link]

Saturday, September 6, 2003

Harro Rucy!

Tell us about your latest adventure.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 12:05 PM CST [Link]

PEARS!

Yes, Peg, that Lucy is a beautiful bird. I'm hoping we hear some more about her. And keep an eye out for falling rocks, avalanches and zany Colorado motorists (I hear there are some of those out there) as you travel on into the mountains.

It's another gorgeous day in the neighborhood. I've been outside picking pears this morning. We've got a great harvest. Many have already fallen from the trees. I noticed some broken limbs that indicate our fat local racoons have been investigating the pear harvest themselves. They are so fat it's a miracle they can climb at all.

I'm seriously thinking about making pear wine. That sounds like more fun than making preserves or putting them in the freezer for pies. It may be, however, a bit more time consuming. I'm not a fan of standing over the stove, in any case.

Posts may be short as I'm probably going to be outside most of the day.

Posted by The Mystery Blogger @ 11:39 AM CST [Link]

DENVER UNIVERSITY

In the last four years, five new buildings have been added to the DU campus to replace those they've outgrown: business school building, performing arts center, graduate residence hall, athletic center, audio visual center. These are all HUGE structures and beautifully designed. The buildings have been built to last "centuries", according to the architects with European construction. Du is the Ivy league school of the midwest. It's an outstanding university.

The campus has grown so much since Ally left here...it was her neighborhood. I'm amazed at the changes in recent years.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:56 AM CST [Link]

ABOUT THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY

Day in and day out, as restaurants go, the Cheesecake Factory is one I would rarely tire of. Their menu is so all-inclusive it accomdates almost every desire. Everything on the menu, I think, must be consistently up to their very high standards. The wait staff has to undergo very rigorous training, and getting a position there is very difficult. The application is very lengthy and complex, so I hear, and weeds out a lot of applicants.

They are famous for their desserts....and they are beautiful works of art, just as are all the plates that come from the kitchen. Alas...I've never had room for dessert...and cheesecakes aren't among my favorites anyway. Their strawberry shortcake catches my fancy so maybe some day I'll try that.

So...I guess what I'm saying is that unless I wanted a steak or ethnic food of some kind....and it was a choice that was mine to make...I'd probably pick the Cheesecake Factory over almost any other place to eat. Unfortunately, I only rarely get to make that choice. Maybe....someday....Salina may be large enough to warrant one, but I'm not crossing my fingers.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:22 AM CST [Link]

IT'S THE ALTITUDE

It is my habit to sleep quick and hard in the mountains, or not at all. The higher I go, the less I sleep. When we had our place up at 11,000 feet, I was an insomniac without a computer. I wonder now how I managed since this is my quiet place of refuge, or with a book, when sleep fails.

Last evening with friends was a good one. We had a back deck gathering at my cousin Annie's house (where we are staying), fixed hamburgers and dogs on the grill, baked beans, fresh veggies and a few liquid refreshments. Our friends who were free for the evening gathered round and we laughed our socks off.

Annie and Kenny have one of those small perfect yards that should be in House and Garden. It's all heavily planted so there isn't a weed in sight. Her veggie garden is about 6' x 6' and has four varieties of tomato plants, zucchini, and cucumbers plants. They are all bearing enough to feed the neighborhood. Their plants and flowers have all been carefully selected to provide constant color and minimum maintenance. It's lovely.

We were a mixed bag of friends:

Tamara, a professional blues singer, who has a new CD coming out next week. She's been singing and performing with the same group for 6 years. Before that with others.

Laura, the O'Meara manager who has to stay on top of 200 plus employees and the business operation.

Lisa, an attorney, who is leaving next week for Hong Kong. She's representing a string of AIDS researchers who are manufacturing a new AIDS medication outside the US because it takes too long here and it is marvelously effective. They need it now in China and Africa as it works. It's not a cure but it enhances the quality of life of patients by light years.

Jim's an aerospace engineer, whom we've known for many years, and we'll never know what he does. "It's good work", and that's all he can say. He works now for Ball Aerospace who almost has, or soon will have, the world's corner on manufacturing aluminum cans. I'm not sure what the connection is between cans and space but there must be one. Jim does talk about his beer making, if asked. He buys hops and stuff from Europe in these huge sacks and makes the best beer I've ever tasted. He's a perfectionist with his beer...and I'm sure with whatever "spacey" things he does as well. Smart man.

Cathy invests very successfully and does pretty much what she wants. She's a master gardener and interior decorator...and knows a lot of "stuff". She's a very interesting lady and my favorite luncheon partner. She, Ally and Annie all started out together in 1972 at Ft. Lewis College in Durango. Cathy pulled the college out of a hat and until then, had never even been to Colorado. She's traveled the world and then some.

Annie is a nurse and manages an office for a string of doctors. Her mom, Beanie, and my dad were first cousins. Beanie was the daughter of Dr. Herbert Jury of Claflin who practiced medicine over 50 years in Claflin. Dr. Jury was my grandmother's brother. That's the connection. They've always been our closest relatives. Annie and Kenny have two sons, Ethan the mountain climber/house builder manager and Adam 21, a mortgage lender and parachutist. 256 jumps was correct.

Kenny is an electrician and then some. He's the one who puts up those enormous power towers that criss-cross the country. And, he can do anything. He's reviving an 1880s house and it is going to be fantastic. Son Ethan lives there during the construction, which has been on-going since he was a freshman at DU...and he graduated a couple years ago.

Shot, the physical therapist wanna be who went to Aberdeen Scotland to school and is now trying to get certified here...a handiperson, do everything and gardener extraordinaire. She brought us a beautiful assortment of veggies from her garden to take to the mountains.

That was the group last night. I don't know when I'll see some of them again so I treasured the evening.

We spend yesterday afternoon with my cousin Beanie and my sister-in-law, Sybil. That was very nice. Jerry Buhler who grew up in Claflin was also there.

After breakfast at the Breakfast Inn with most of the friends we were with yesterday, we'll head to the mountains.

I won't be doing any more blogging, so Janis, Jesse, the Mystery Blogger, etc. will have to keep it going.

Don't you just love Lucy?

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:37 AM CST [Link]

Friday, September 5, 2003

FAMOUS GROUSE WAS HERE!

Mary had a little lamb,
Her father killed it dead.
It went to school with her one day,
Between two hunks of bread.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 11:41 PM CST [Link]

A LITTLE COLOR IS ALWAYS WELCOME

Dear Mr. Sack,

Peg thought your readers might like Lucy, so here goes:

Would you mind?

That's better.
Thank you.


This is Lucy, a Solomon Island Eclectus parrot, hatched in Covington, LA, a little over two years ago. For four months she was hand-fed and socialized by Debra Johnson of http://www.j-birds.com/ until she was weaned and fledged, ready to take up residence with new owners. The Solomon Island is one of seven (or 10, depending on the source) subspecies of Eclectus parrot inhabiting a wide range including islands in Indonesia, New Guinea and the tip of Australia. We gather that the Solomon Island has been bred in captivity for over 100 years.

At two years she is fully-grown, at about 12 inches from tip to tail and 14 ounces, the smallest of the Eclectus species. We selected Lucy from all the parrots for her beauty, size, gentleness, comparative quietness and reputed ability to talk. Her life-span, provided that she is properly nourished and does not fall to accident or disease is about 30 years.

Proper nourishment is essential. Lucy eats a combination of commercial pellets, fresh fruits and vegetables, a bean mash that I cook up, and such tidbits as come safely come from table. Things to absolutely avoid are chocolate and avocados, which will have poisonous effects on her system. Eclectus require a lower fat diet than larger parrots, so seeds should only be provided on a limited basis. Back in the day, SIE owners did not know the dietary requirements of these birds, and they developed a reputation as being lethargic and short-lived (8 or 9 years), due to a seeds-only regimen. Not so, says the current wisdom. Breeding pairs have been known to live for 35 years, so far.

Lucy's favorite foods are kiwi, sweet potato, corn on the cob, grapes, cranberries, jalapenos and uh ... well, there aren't many things she doesn't like. SIEs have a reputation as little pigs and Lucy fills that bill. She doesn't like bananas, which surprised us at first, but is an expression of her preference for crunchy foods.

And yes, it was I, Janis Gore, who baked a cake for a bird's birthday. It was a recipe taken from www.landofvos.com which included cornmeal, whole wheat flour, sunflower seeds, pecans, raisins, apple juice, a little oil, cinnamon and a bit of baking powder. No telling what those Louisianans will do.

There's your intro to Lucy, a girl so spoiled she views Britney as a piker.

Janis Gore, Gone South

Posted by Janis Gore @ 07:45 PM CST [Link]

CHEESECAKE FACTORY

I had my avocado egg roll with tamarind/lime sauce "fix" for today. I dream of those before sugarplums enter my head. Tamarind is purported to be an aphrodisiac....yeah! Tamarind juice is a cure-all, so my cousin says who knows such things, and who just brought me a small glass of it.

Then I wilted when Shamus brought the Chinese chicken salad with Thai peanut dressing. I ordered the luncheon size which still was a foot high ...half the height being defined by a huge mound of fried rice noodles. I'll think of it a lot when I want a good oriental chicken salad. That's the problem with such pleasures.

Vacations are fun...especially for the food that is available. There are a lot of really good places to eat in Colorado...even the little out of the way cafes and restaurants offer pleasant surprises. It's tourist country and they have to be good.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:56 PM CST [Link]

O'MEARA FORD

You know how little interest I show in shopping when they have 80% off sales going on at Foley's and Dillard's and I go to see a new automobile agency instead. It is worth a look.

Our friend, Laura, is the general manager there so she took us on a quick but thorough tour of the new facility. It covers 22 acres and makes the John Elway complex look ancient. The whole design was built around the theme of "Colorado", inside and out. As you pass through the front door you become aware of that...a river theme with shoreline rocks, fish and trees and enormous boulders imbedded in the floor that "bring you" inside. There are large black and white mountain photos, paintings and large wildlife sculptures, yellow aspen and other art objects.

There is a nature trail that takes you to another huge area of the complex. It is lined with Colorado native grasses and plants, life size animal sculpture and of course, a new Ford placed strategically here and there.

They have 17 million in new vehicle inventory and 2 1/2 million in used inventory. There is a highway sign you can see almost from Kansas that cost 3/4 mil and eliminates the need for most other forms of advertising, according to Laura.

In addition they have a really cool game room for kids, a quiet restful area for those recuperating from sticker shock...and a Starbucks coffee shop with a cafe offering gourmet selections of food.

It's a pretty cool place. Out of the 200 plus employees, there are about 36 mechanics, each with his own set of tools ranging from car sticker price to $120,000. Most of their tool sets are new and they paid for them themselves. The company provides no tools to them. And there are 34 salesmen, each with a private workspace upstairs behind the scenes. It's a very employee friendly place to work. Certainly it is buyer comfortable.

Laura and others spent a lot of time working out the spatial requirements and the smallest details and it shows. Remarkable place and the largest in the Midwest west of the Mississippi.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:20 PM CST [Link]

THE WEATHER JUST GETS BETTER AND BETTER...

Another perfect morning for another perfect day. And don't we deserve it!

I see Mr. Manning has commentary about the ridiculous lengths to which our Congress will go just to wrap us in red tape. (Personally, I think if their staff was smaller and they worked a bit harder, they'd have less time to create bureaucratic nonsense like this.)

But! If I dwell on it too much my blood pressure just goes out of sight.

You can find more of Mr. Manning's writing at the kansasprairie.net main site.

Safety Note: If you're wearing a whistle around your neck on a lanyard (to ward off cougars and other fanged denizens of the wild), you should really be careful. We don't want to hear of any Isadora Syndrome incidents. I recommend a breakaway string, lanyard or necklace for your whistle. A breakaway lanyard will hold the whistle, you won't lose it, but if something snags the lanyard, it should snap loose easily without garroting the wearer.

Just a note. :)

That's all from here for now. I believe Peg will be checking in later today.

Posted by The Mystery Blogger @ 11:50 AM CST [Link]

BURNIN' OUT HIS FUSE UP HERE ALONE...

An interesting little conflict having to do with the Homeland Security and Patriot Acts was brought to my attention a few months ago, and developments continue to take place. Of course there are overarching concerns about some of our most precious freedoms such as those of free speech, religion, and press, but what about the right to have a hobby?

Model rockets have fallen onto John Ashcroft's chopping block, and not surprisingly this has gone unnoticed by the vast majority of the American public. Rocket enthusiasts from across the country have been pleading with the Senate to amend the Homeland Security Act to allow them to buy some of the stronger grades of model rocket engines and propellant that the HSA would deny them. FYI: These rockets are only plastic and cardboard constructions that are designed to fly straight up and then float harmlessly back to earth. True, some of the most powerful can fly as high as 20,000 feet (nearly four miles), but including any explosives or getting it to fly any way but straight up isn't something that can easily be done, and any sort of guidance after takeoff is impossible.

These hobbyists have found a friend in Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) who is working on an amendment for the Homeland Security Act to allow these "rocketmen" to buy the needed propellant to use their largest model rockets, but his efforts are being fought by Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ). Both Senators have been using dangerous and incorrect language, for instance, in this press release on Lautenberg's website: "Lautenberg, Schumer Join Forces to Stop Republican Attempts to Pass Legislation That Would Make it Easier for Terrorists to Build Missiles in US".

So model rocket enthusiasts have been labeled terrorists and the rockets they build are now missiles. Don't forget, the Republicans are trying to help these "terrorists". Hmmm, it sounds like the good Senators from New York and New Jersey are putting a bit of spin on their words. Of course, both parties do the same thing to each other all the time, but here's a perfectly good example of some innocent US citizens that could suffer just because one party wants to look better than the other. If the HSA remains as is, large model rockets could become a thing of the past.

So perhaps you're saying that these hobbyists should suck it up and take one for the team. That's easy to say, but imagine if the government took away your hobby because there's a minuscule chance of terrorists taking it up as well. Could you go without reading, traveling, listening to music, fishing, etc? Probably you could...but I'd bet you wouldn't give your hobby up without a fight, right? This small group of people is fighting to keep their rights, and the public should know about it, and we should ALL watch the Homeland Security and Patriot Acts very carefully.

(comments to nugsmanning at yahoo dot com)

Posted by Jesse Manning @ 08:46 AM CST [Link]

Thursday, September 4, 2003

FROM THE WANDERER

Just a quick note from Denver. The cool mountain air is wonderful, the flowers are blooming in profusion, as they tend to do here, and the traffic is worse than I remember. I-25 south off of I-70 is a disaster at the Springs turnoff. It's a monster.

Friends are here so I have to scoot...we're sitting out on the patio enjoying the evening. I've seen both the 3rd cousins...great guys. Ethan, who's mid-20s, has now climbed all 55 of the 14,000 foot peaks in Colorado, which is quite an accomplishment. He claims they are easy climbs. Adam, who is a few years younger, has made 256 (I can't recall the number) jumps from planes, helicopters, hot air balloons and says it's the thing for me. I might take him up on it if we can get our schedules together.

I know you are enjoying Mr. Sack....there is a lot inside that brown paper thing!

This may be the end of my blogging. I'm not sure I'll find another computer lurking in a corner as was this one.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:18 PM CST [Link]

WATERMELON WINE...HOLD THE OLD DOGS AND CHILDREN

Good afternoon, folks. I see Peg has skedaddled for the mountains. By the looks of the weather they should have had a nice trip (hope they're there by now).

I thought the ol' email cubbyhole would be filling up with articles and announcements for the blog. I pawed all around inside, nothing there! So I crawled in, and felt in all the corners in case a message got shoved way back there. But, alas, there was nothing. Hey, c'mon! Send in those articles and let's keep this thing kicking while Peg's away.

My deepest condolences to those who lost family and friends in the awful flood on I-35.

Al Larsen, a 31-year-old Verizon technical specialist from Fort Worth, could easily have walked out of the flood spilling north over the road after his Jeep Grand Cherokee stalled out.

What he did instead was wade into the deepest water and knock on the windows of other stalled cars, telling people to get out "right now."

When some of them didn't take his advice, he stuck around to plead with them as the water rose to his waist.

"I have seen people do many courageous things because of the work I do, so I don't throw the word 'hero' around lightly," Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Marc McCune said Wednesday at the flood site. "But Mr. Larsen absolutely fits the word.

"We now think he saved at least two lives, two young women. And we know he tried to save everyone stalled along the roadway, even when he could see that the situation had become extremely dangerous."

Looks like the weather is cooling off at last, nights are certainly getting cooler. It'll probably heat up again in short order, but I hope the worst is past.

I spent the morning picking pears and removing the last of my watermelons from the patch. I'm thinking 'wine' here. Ever had any watermelon wine? No? You've missed a treat (or a hard hangover the next day...not necessarily in that order).

And before you say it...I'll skip the "old dogs and children"...got plenty of those lying and running around this place as it is. In fact, I can name them among the primary reasons for someone to get passionate about watermelon wine. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure there's a bottle in the kitchen that hasn't been opened yet.

Hmm.

Back later!

Posted by The Mystery Blogger @ 05:31 PM CST [Link]

I'M OUTTA HERE!

The mystery blogger finally showed up after tripping and stumbling around a bit trying to get the eyes in the paper sack to blink four times. Don't miss it. You never know when that sack will reappear.

I hate to miss all of the postings so if I can find a computer someplace, I'll try to catch up with you. That is, if I can remember all the log in stuff that goes with this.

There are others who have agreed to enter some blogs too. My friend, Janis Gore of "Gone South" (you can find her on my blog list....and well you should for a wonderful treat) will bring you some interesting facts about her partners, Lucy and Lyman, probably more about Lucy than Lyman.

Mackenzie has even suggested she might enter something now that she's back in school and working at EDS. She's swamped. Her dad will appear and I hope Drew and Tyler have something to say.

Jesse, my faithful friend, will have some postings. And there are others who may venture forth. I hope so. I've put them on notice.

There will be postings three times a day, if there are blogs to post. The mystery blogger has a busy life too. This will be fun.

My ride is on the way. It's a good thing Ally and I are going by car, and not by plane, train or bus, as I can't get my "stuff" together that keeps me alive (smile)...like my breather machine, pills, toiletries, etc. It just turns into a mound of this and that. That's why I hate to go any place for "overnight". By the time I get everything I need I might as well spend a month and no one ever invites me for a month! You can see why. I remember not so many years ago I could grab a toothbrush and be on my way.

Oh...one more thing. Greymatter is very, very fragile and we continue to have worries about it crashing. If it just sort of blows up...well, it's that we don't (no one does) know how to correct the problems. It's not anything we have done...it's a crack in the program.

And, I'm leaving on a good note...when I checked my mail on the server, there were no virus laden letters. And none came into Outlook! Yeah...maybe they are going away.

The mountains call....

See you the 13th or thereabouts. Have some fun, my friends.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 08:19 AM CST [Link]

Wednesday, September 3, 2003

I finally got here! Time for our friend Peg to take a well deserved break and let the peanut gallery run the show. Won't be nuttin' but peanut butter left when she gets back. I'll be here all week, folks!

Posted by The Mystery Blogger @ 10:11 PM CST [Link]

CURVES FOR WOMEN

I've heard some good things about Curves for Women. That it's not monotonous, it doesn't take long...a half hour three times a week....and that it produces results. I just can't see driving to Salina three times a week to exercise. I should be motivated enough without that. I once was, but I'm not now.

I'm losing my strength pretty fast and so is Brit. I had to carry 20# of Wilson Family Food's home-smoked bacon (requests from Colorado friends) from my car to the basement today and I had to make two trips. That's bad.

Brit bought 40# of bird seed today and had a heck of a time carrying it in from the car. For years he bought the 50# bags. He moved concrete blocks today onto his spiker. Once it was easy and now he can hardly lift them. We need to get involved in some kind of weight lifting/strengthing classes soon. The problem with that is I have a bad back and his spine is like a sponge. Old age ain't no fun, in my opinion.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 05:36 PM CST [Link]

COLORADO PEACHES

If you want me to bring Colorado peaches home to you...by the case...let me know. We have room for a few more orders and we should be able to get some nice ones. I won't buy them unless they are. I have no idea what they cost. If you want them badly enough, I guess it doesn't matter.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 03:42 PM CST [Link]

42,749

There were 42,749 hits to my website and blog during the month of August. Incredible. That comes from Metapros, my server in Wichita. I wish each of them would send me $1.00 ...oh heck, make that $100, and I wish 749 of those individuals would move to Ellsworth. 200 moms and dads and the rest school age kids. I can dream, can't I?

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:57 PM CST [Link]

LESSEE...

I need a pair of jeans, a pair of shorts, a tee, my Kansas Explorers Club sweatshirt, toiletries (strange name for comb, brush and tooth paste, ect.) and my sleeper machine. Basically, that ought to do it!

The weather is perfect today. That always happens when I plan to leave town. Only once can I remember leaving during a blizzard.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:50 PM CST [Link]

MYSTERY BLOGGER

I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of the mystery blogger who has been requested to put an identifier on his/her blog, so you'll know it isn't me. I'd like to read one before I leave tomorrow morning.

Now...off to pack!

Ah...the mystery blogger checked in and muttered something about chills, shakes, ague, angst, and general queasiness which caused a sleepless night. Nothing related to blogging...something more relating to dinner last night. Blogging should appear tonight...in one form or another.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:45 AM CST [Link]

AARON KRICKSTEIN

A flood of readers hit my blog this morning and it is interesting to note that all hit my blog directly except for three who googled for Aaron Krickstein, + Krickstein and A. Krickstein. They were from one of our state offices, from British Columbia and from Amsterdam. Of course, I don't know...or want to know (unless they want me to know)...who they are. I'm just pleased they come to connect with Ellsworth. I'm very happy when people tell me they enjoy reading what I write.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:41 AM CST [Link]

CHAMBER BREAKFAST AT THE MIDLAND AND SAM CLINE

EXCELLENT is the only way you can describe the breakfast buffet/Wilson Chamber meeting at the Midland Hotel this morning. The speaker was Sam Cline, the new warden at the Ellsworth Correctional Facility, who added a great deal to the ambiance of the occasion. It was a delightful merging of a good speaker, good friends and good food.

I didn't know that the greyhounds in the ECF recovery program can't climb stairs and will walk into glass doors. Given time, I might have reached that conclusion, but they are very helpless dogs when they take them in to make pets of them. They've only been trained to chase rabbits and exist in wood boxes.

I also wasn't aware that the "recycled" wheel chairs are sent to third world countries, for the most part. That is one of the more rewarding work projects for inmates.

And, I wasn't aware that Warden Cline and Warden Bruce exchange horse manure for bicycles. The horse manure is being brought here to reestablish the gardening program that once flourished. We send bicycles to Hutch so they can establish the repair program and distribution system we have. That's a good exchange, I think. Horse manure reminded me of the need for tetanus boosters.

For me, one thing that really set Warden Cline apart from some others who have been here is his strong belief that the prison belongs to the public. As a matter of fact, we do know that, but sometimes we are made to feel otherwise. He made that point sincerely, and from his heart. There’s a difference. His words made you feel he is accessible, willing to listen to others, willing to be a part of the community of ideas and sharing. I liked what he said and how he said it. I hope he’s here to stay for a long time.

The greatest EFC need from the public is volunteerism....preferably older individuals, the “grandmotherly” type. Sam looked at all of us when he said that. There was a room full of people fitting that description.

Chef John put out an excellent buffet: boiled shrimp, mixed fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon, biscuits and gravy, hash browns, sausage...both link and patty, and large slabs of grilled ham for $5.95.

The Wilson Chamber breakfasts are something I have come to look forward to. They generally host interesting speakers; there is ample opportunity for questions and discussion afterwards. Although the attendance ranges from 20 to 30 for the most part, I’m surprised more people don’t attend. It's held the first Wednesday of the month. You can read notification of it on my blog or ask to be put on Brian Boisvert's mailing list.

Alan Rusch always covers the meetings and he’ll have a complete story of the meeting in next week’s INDY.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 10:18 AM CST [Link]

Tuesday, September 2, 2003

CASTLE ROCK FRIED CHICKEN DINNERS ON SUNDAY

Terri Stevenson and Judy Akers, owners of Castle Rock Bed and Breakfast, wrote to tell me they are now serving fried chicken dinners on Sunday. Their chicken will be pan fried and served with real mashed potatoes & gravy, Cole slaw and home made biscuits.

Dinners will be hand served with prices starting at 6.95 for 2 pieces. They will also have homemade pies...cherry, apple & pecan.

That sounds wonderful to me.

Castle Rock Ranch Bed & Breakfast
http://www.castlerockbnb.com
e-mail crr@castlerockbnb.com

Check their ad tomorrow in the INDY.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 09:06 PM CST [Link]

FRIENDS IN FLORIDA

I'd almost forgotten. I'm still "prairie" to a lot of people.

I called the father of one of my internet friends who lives in Florida. He had hip replacement surgery and it is easier for all of them if he and his wife stay with their daughter, my friend, during his recuperation. I wanted to see how he was getting along so I gave him a call.

Many years ago, my internet handle was "prairie". I haven't chatted for years but people still call me that. Many never called me anything else.

I visited with Bob for about an hour until Dot, his wife, came home. He called her to the phone saying, "you'll never guess who this is....prairie is on the phone and would like to talk to you". "Oh...prairie", she said.

My friend always referred to me as prairie early on, so the name stuck with her parents. When I've visited them, they slip occasionally and call me "Peg". You know how hard it is to change names for people, once you've started calling them "something". At least it is for me. I'll always be prairie to a certain circle of friends....just as they are mslaggin, leastsquares, akadiana, ped, misstyc, huntress, yanase, etc. to me. Even after all these many years.

I'd almost forgotten.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 05:40 PM CST [Link]

KANSAS STATE FAIR

The 2003 Kansas State Fair runs from September 5th through the 14th at the state fairgrounds in Hutchinson.

My memory isn't very accurate on this, but I remember attending the state fair briefly on two different occasions in the past half century. Once I took my school kids and my own when I was teaching at Ash Creek. None of us had ever been before. Once I went with a friend and we took our kids. We didn't stay long that time either. There may have been a third time, but I'm vague on it. I've never stayed for any of the evening activities. I suppose I should go sometime and just make a day of it so I could say I did.

Nah! Isn't going to happen.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 03:09 PM CST [Link]

THE MYSTERY BLOGGER

As I mentioned previously, I'll be leaving Thursday for a few days and while I'm gone, you'll have the opportunity to enjoy reading what the mystery blogger has to say. I won't divulge the sex of this person or age, location, whether married or single...whether or not I know him/her personally... or anything. You'll just have to ponder who he/she is. The blogs will be far more interesting than mine. I may lose my job.

There are other readers who may have something they want blogged. Let me know. Just type an email with the information you want blogged, keep it fairly short and I'll give you a forwarding address so the person on the other end can post it. Don't be bashful...let me know by tomorrow evening. One reader has already stepped forward who would like to submit a couple things.

This should be fun!

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:47 PM CST [Link]

SEN. JOHN KERRY

He threw his hat in the ring this morning.

If he can convince everyone that he intends to see that everyone has health care...the same as that of the President and members of Congress....he will gather a lot of votes.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 07:16 AM CST [Link]

WARM APPLE PIE

What a wonderful d-i-l we have. Last night she arrived late in the evening with fresh apple pie, just out of the oven. The other night Son #2 came by with some wonderful fresh peach pie, the chilled/glazed type in a baked shell that she had made. She bakes the best pies! We're so lucky.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 06:40 AM CST [Link]

Monday, September 1, 2003

JIMMY CONNERS

Jimmy Conners still has a bad temper. If you can't hear what he says, and what he said to the linesman was very clear, you can read his lips. Althuogh he is a great player, I just can't muster support for guys who talk to officials like that.

Aaron Krickstein is far more composed...and I like his hair and red head band. From what I've seen, he's conducting himself like a gentleman. He is a very respected and well-liked member of the tour...a quiet unassumng guy. He leads 3-2 in the 5th. He doesn't seem to sweat. A vegan maybe.

Deuce.
Break point for Krickstein.
Advantage Conners.
Advantage Krickstein.
8th deuce. 7th game point for Krickstein. It's like Krickstein was playing in a foreign country.
Krickstein leads 5-3 4th round.
5 all in the 5th.
Kirkstein leads 6-5 in the 5th. His dad and I seem to be the only one cheering for him.
6-6 final set
5th set tie-break
6-4 match point.
Conners wins.
Krickstein has never beaten Conners. They are good friends, by the way. I always like to hear that.
Happy birthday, Jimmy.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 04:52 PM CST [Link]

GOOGLING MY BLOG

I find it interesting to see what people google for and how some of them end up on my website or blog.

Here are a few that appear today on my blog and they words they googled to arrive there. They don't appear to be from our area.

cozy inn salina hours of operation | smu japan blog| co | i want the recipe for bbq montgomery ribs | Billy and Ben Thompson | armenian girls naked | bill bunyan the hamburger man | colored glass kitchen canisters | pete samprass family life | over Niagara Falls in a Barrel | the rain sprinkler system hutchinson kansas, etc.

Then there is the person who googled for "chipotle sauce sonic tabasco". If you read that entry I wrote, you know they were looking specifically for me. I think if I were going to make chipotle sauce, I'd start out with chipotle peppers...which are smoked jalapenos.

I can't explain "armenian girls naked". That's funny. Maybe I said something once about my dad's mealtime mantra about the "starving Armenians" if we didn't clean our plates. He never mentioned "girls naked" nor did I.

It's pretty amazing how complete Google can be.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 03:09 PM CST [Link]

WILSON CHAMBER BREAKFAST MEETING

I received this note from Brian Boisvert:

Please join us On Wednesday, September 3rd for our monthly Business Breakfast. This month's featured speaker is Ellsworth Correctional Facility Warden, Sam Cline.

Warden Cline joined ECF on August 4th of this year. Mr. Cline will share his thoughts as he looks to the future as leader of this important area employer. We hope everyone will attend to meet and welcome Sam, and provide him the opportunity to meet area business people.

This month's Breakfast will be held at the Midland Hotel. The meeting will be from 8am to 9:00am. Doors open for breakfast at 7:30am.

We hope to see you there.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:18 PM CST [Link]

BROOKVILLE PARADE AND PARK GATHERING

Mike Rogers had the grill fired and hamburgers and hot dogs cooking by the time we arrived in Brookville at 11:00 today for the Gathering in the Park. That isn't what they call it, but the name seems more appropriate than whatever it is they do call it. I like spending part of Labor Day there. They do a nice job arranging it. Long-time favorites Theresa and Mike were singing and they are worth the trip alone. It's nice to sit at one of the picnic tables, enjoy their music, chat with area farmers who gather there and have some good food. And this year it was delightfully cool. Last year it must have been 189 degrees.

I took a look at the frozen hamburger patties (out of a box) Mike was cooking and they must have been made from white cattle. Charolais perhaps. I can't recall ever seeing white beef patties before. I suggested that locally purchased meat might be a better choice. Mike’s an old friend and can take the hint. The pies were homemade and the coconut cream pie was excellent. I saw it being carried in by the person who baked it, so I just followed her to the place where they were selling it. I should have just bought the whole thing.

Josh Svaty and Bruce Wyatt were in the parade along with a strong contingent of emergency vehicles and ATVs. There were two very good horse-drawn entries which saved the parade. The parade is on the main street, which is still dirt, and that makes it special.

Josh was there representing the 108th district and Bruce walked along repeating his mantra..."Thank you for your interest in public education". Maybe he was trying to convince himself of that. I imagine he had trouble repeating that over and over when he knew that if people really did take an interest in Kansas State Board of Education elections we wouldn't be facing the same international embarrassment we did three years ago when the moderates were outvoted by the extremists who decided to remove the subject of evolution from our science class curriculum. Here we go again.

Another interesting addition was that all the windows of the "old" Brookville Hotel were covered with brown paper with this message on all of them: "We Need Sewer to Open". I love signs. Does that mean someone is looking for Ditch Witch work? Would they also say, "We Need Sewer to Close?" I think it also could mean someone has bought the Old Hotel and intends to put in a classy steak house, maybe a little like Meridy's in Russell, but in order to do so, "we need sewer to open". We already know that is one of the many reasons the Martins chose to take their Brookville Hotel to Abilene. The septic tank overfloweth. Don't linger with thoughts on the steak house. Maybe they will have a ribbon cutting when they have their "sewer opening". I'm only kidding.

They also had "sandwitches" for sale. I thought it looked better without the "d" if they wanted to keep the "t". Or, two words would have been good: sand witches. Sammiches is better yet.

There was a good crowd there this year, but not as large as last or during most election years. It’s a time when the kids cut loose and have a lot of fun. I was nearly run down by a little kid on a bike and twice by a kid with horns pulling along some girl behind it. It was the horns I dodged.

It’s a fun place to be on Labor Day.

Posted by Peg Britton @ 02:16 PM CST [Link]