THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Dorothy and her "gang" were there for the pictures when we followed the Yellow Brick Road in Liberal, Kansas. 

The road is actually named Yellow Brick Rd. 
The sidewalks in front of the area are made of  yellow bricks. 


Dorothy's house sits on the grounds, but we didn't see the legs of the wicked witch sticking out anywhere!
We walked around the grounds of "OZ" ~ the buildings were not open.  
I've seen pictures on-line of others that visited here, so I know at one time this was an active museum stop.

After walking around and taking a few pictures we decided this town could really draw tourists in, if they played up the "OZ" factor more.  Stops like this give a nice break in the long drive to the west. 
The people of this town should visit the town of Metropolis, Illinois/where Superman is featured.  Lessons can be learned from Metropolis!  

CATTLE-STOCKYARDS-CATTLE-AND MORE STOCKYARDS!

Traveling through Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas---that's all we saw! 
Cattle roaming, cattle drinking, cattle grazing, cattle in stockyards. 
America sure loves it's beef!  There were acres and acres and acres of it!
Windmills dotted the landscape and trains were runnning on either side of us for the entire trip through large expanses of land in those states. 
The pictures here were taken as we drove - I wanted to show the massive stockyards and train tracks.  The tracks were very well-kept with gravel built up on the sides of the tracks the entire way. Moving animals and goods via train is the way of the west. 

Oh, I forgot - there were snow fences! 

Blurry, I know, but this went on for miles and miles. 

Stockyards crammed with cattle. 

America loves their beef!

...and granaries - yes there were granaries in every small town, village and places where there weren't any towns.  

The granaries were the largest buildings in town! Most likely the largest employer also.  Good for the small towns. 

...and let's not forget the deer that roam the same land that the cattle are roaming...except they can jump the fences and roam the 

highways that we are roaming!  

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

We continue onward.  I always like crossing the Missouri river, usually I'm on my way to Michelle's house.  This time is different, we are on our way to Kansas.  Bypassing Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, MO -we are beginning to see massive expanses of land, with the vegetation and landscape varying by different types of scrub grasses and bushes. 

Billboards promising viewing the largest hand-dug well in the world, lured us off the highway.  

As we are driving into the town of Greensburg, Kansas I was curious as to why the town looked so new.  Why would anyone build a brand new town way out here?  We found the well and down the street was a "Green" house tour.  A roundish house sits on the corner and the tour guide was just starting a tour.  Unknowing to us when entering, there was a reporter taping the tour for St. Louis public television. 

Three years ago a tornado destroyed 95% the town and homes in Greensburg, Kansas. A challenge was laid in the laps of Greensburg residents and business owners.       Rebuilding. 
On the tour we learned the town made the decision to rebuild using as much "green" technology as possible. Residents needed places to live and brought in prefab homes/each with some "green" qualities/as each could afford.  What a great decision-what a great decision, especially with such an appropriate name for the town!


The downtown area looks like a town from the future! 

See what I mean?  The town has clean lines and "green" is used everywhere.  
We were fascinated by the driveway of the home we toured. It looks like blacktop with little stones in it.  The tour guide showed us a small piece of the driveway and how the water flows through-due to the small holes in the driveway.  Rain drains through, snow melts and drains, water drains as you wash your car. What an amazing invention.  

The toilet has two flushes, using less water when needed.  The back of the toilet is a sink, using clean water.  
Sleek design!  The places that we live in are very small, this might be the ticket.  Hmmmm...brushing the teeth may be an issue? 


Water flowing through a piece of the driveway. If I had a driveway, I would want it to be like this one!

The school was one of the first buildings replaced.  If people were going to stay in Greensburg, their children needed a school.  It is a great new building, built "green." 

The tour guide explained the school has it's own windmill to generate power/ backed up on the grid if needed. 

One unique, unusual feature in back of the house reminded me of the bomb shelters of years gone by. 
An old propane tank was cleaned up and refurbished to be a tornado shelter. Cemented to the ground, a door, windows, lock, and holes for air. The house was designed by the architect that designed the roundish, dome homes in Florida that I previously posted on my blog. The house has rounded walls so the winds skim by, past and around/hopefully.  
       If not, the propane tank shelter is available. 

Inside of propane tank/shelter.

ROAD TRIP ~ ~ ~ ~

            TWO WEEKS ON THE ROAD ~ YES ~ WONDERFUL TRIP 


Planning our first trip together, my sister Geri and I decided to go to Santa Fe, New Mexico.  I knew she never saw Mount Rushmore, so I suggested we go north on the way back, as we were ending our trip in Wisconsin Dells, just another state over to the Dells!
Leaving on Labor Day was a great choice.  Very little traffic!  
Setting the GPS for the shortest distance was a choice we later laughed about.  It took us forever to leave WI!  Forty miles per hour isn't feasible for a trip that was going to be thousands of miles.  When the GPS said continue 120 miles and the speed limit was 40, we decided to reset the GPS and look at a map!  
Finding a more reasonable route/and speed/we were off! 

Our first stop being the Amana Colonies, where Geri met the lady on the postcards there.  She has worked in this store over 35 years.  She autographed the post card that Geri purchased.

 Amana General Store

         
Besides the shops there is a family type restaurant and small villages that are only a few miles down the road. 








Having a stop to stretch and explore we continued down the road to our next adventure. 

LESS SONGBIRDS IN MY YARD THIS SUMMER

      LESS SONGBIRDS THIS SUMMER ~ WHY?

This Cooper's Hawk had a nest built in the tree behind our place when we returned in the Spring.  
I heard it calling and scanned the trees until I spotted the nest.  Nesting, hmmm...there will be offspring!
The hawks spent time sitting in nearby trees, waiting. 
Waiting for the songbirds to gather at my feeders! 
I could tell when the hawks were "looking" for lunch, the songbirds became quiet and disappeared from the yard.  Well, that's nature.  The hawks have to eat too.
Now the squawking has begun!  The fledglings are out testing their wings and hunting skills!  This has really lessened the songbirds at my feeders.  It has been interesting watching the hawks progression throughout the summer.
A plus to the hawks arrival in our vicinity? I've saved money on birdseed!  I'm considering not putting seed out next summer. Possibly just sugar water for the hummingbirds and a birdbath. The songbirds love the birdbath. Fresh water daily is a must.  We have plenty of food in the woods around us, bugs are plentiful, worms are crawling in my flowerbeds...more reasons to refrain from buying birdseed!   AND~the hawks will probably come back to their nest in the spring! 
Another plus: I won't have to try "outsmarting" the squirrels!  They love birdseed!

LEAVING AN ECOLOGICALLY "SMALL FOOTPRINT"

I could be called a "Tree Hugger" ~ a term used  metaphorically, to refer to people who "embrace" nature.  Using less of the earth's resources is always a goal. 
I so enjoy being outdoors (without a lot of cold weather) most of the time.  Years back I loved cross country skiing, walking in the snow; watching a good old blizzard. Now, not so much.  Watching snow fall, walking in the snow - for a day or two would be fine! 
Being a person that loves nature I now strive to love it where it is warm most of the time!  Or, at least, not temps that are near freezing!  
Living the way we do/in a campground in Wisconsin and a 55+community in the winter/we do not have a washer and dryer available, in-house.  Usually it's off to the laundromat-a very small one on the grounds in WI, a large laundry at the park in FL. 
I researched alternatives ways to do wash. Many people that live "off-the grid" use non-electric washers. 

The one I purchased is called The WONDER WASH.
It arrived while I was in Missouri.  Joe and son-in-law, Brian, put it together. 
I have been using my WONDER WASH and really do like it!  I wash and rinse in it.  Wring the water out and hang to dry. Takes me back to the days when I used the old wringer washer!  This is so much smaller!  
The biggest load it can do is five pounds. I weighed my biggest load, with my fish scale, and have never yet had a five pound load.  For two people it will be great.  Plus, I can wash in fifteen minutes!  More than once a week, if I want.



How Does it Work? 
When you put warm or hot water into the drum, fit the lid in place it pressure seals the machine, the air inside the drum will absorb the heat of the water and expand. When the air expands it creates pressure inside the drum. The pressure forces the detergent (which is diluted into the water) into & through the fabric (which is porous) about 100 times faster than you could by hand or machine.
It uses no electricity, it's a hand cranked washing machine!  It's also portable, fits into a wash basket!
It uses so much less water and detergent!
 All leading to leaving a smaller footprint.

A FEW AUGUST SIGHTS

My niece, Brenda, with Malibu at the Dodge County Fair.  Malibu placed in the Futurity division.

     JOSH TURNER concert at the Dodge County Fair

         IRISH FEST
Jigs, potatoes, clovers,

leprechauns, parades, green clothes and more jigs. 

It was Irish Fest, at the lakefront in Milwaukee, WI.

The crowd, on Sunday, was over-whelming!  

People were everywhere.

Sitting by the lake was great.  A breeze, no mosquitoes, people watching -made for a great day.

Oh, and I forgot ----KILTS!

Did I mention the jigs?  The music was everywhere, we were dancing in the streets!

Before Irish Fest we went to the Domes.  Scroll down to see a few pieces of metal work.  

A juried ART FAIR - at the Domes, Milwaukee, WI

The Domes are a beautiful sight in Milwaukee, WI. 

Filled with a variety of flowers, bushes - known and unknown.  Then to have a wonderful art fair on the grounds was a double winner.  

My favorite were the super-sized metal sculptures of a hobbit and the frog working on a Mac Book Pro!  They were both just great to gaze upon. 

Metal art by:  Jim Sauer


www.sculptureillusions.com












Different metals used in yard art.
This sculpture is made from meat grinders and rakes! 


Art by: Michael P. Nolte






An insect with golf club parts/legs.
 What you can do if you can weld!