Shadows at Havens Park

Getting outside for me is both calming and rejuvenating. I recently had the good fortune of getting outside after plowing through a large chunk of grading. Havens Park, one of the parks where I live, is especially pretty in the afternoon because of how the shadows stretch across the grass. It was so quiet that I could hear the acorns dropping through the leaves and plonking on the ground. That sound I have carried with me since.



It's unfortunate that the city has plans to upgrade this particular park. I certainly hope that whatever is planned does not result in any drastic change. The addition of a couple of picnic tables would be great; anything else would be too much. The city needs to maintain the integrity of this park, as it exists now, as much as possible.

Autumn Pictures

Every autumn I manage to visit one of the area farms to take pictures of the various kinds of pumpkins and gourds and to bring back a jar of strawberry rhubarb jam.

One of the farms in Missouri offers quarter shares for those who want a regular supply of fresh produce, and fresh eggs, during the summer. That is something I need to consider investing in. My family doesn't support my preference for giving up meat entirely but would consider eating more fresh produce. Except for packaged ham, we have mostly reduced our meat consumption to buffalo and hamburger from cows that were grass fed and were not injected with growth hormones.

Probably if my yard were less shaded and if I could ensure that the local deer population wouldn't eat the garden, as they do the lilies, I would probably plant my own vegetables, providing that I could find the time to care for them.

One thing I have been looking for is a good spinach recipe as a way of incorporating more fresh produce into my diet. E-mail me if you should happen to know of a good receipe for spinach.

As with the previous pictures on this blog, clicking on each one will enlarge it.

Labor Day, 2010

As an online teacher, I cannot say that I get a break from my labor very often unless I choose to take time off and don't go near my computer. As my wife says, all we ever do is stay inside our house and work. The opening weeks of the semester are the least busy because students have not yet started to submit their essays for grading. I still have to check the discussion forums once or twice a day to answer questions and to greet students, but I get to choose when I go online. Last Monday afternoon, when other people were returning from work, I managed to go see a matinee showing of Nanny McPhee, a movie my wife wanted to see. It was our last excursion for the summer. Afterwards, we had our dinner outside on the patio of Chipotle's and enjoyed the open air and the weather. It wasn't until returning home that I got online to check up on my students.

Unlike previous summers, I haven't been making much time to go take pictures. I don't know why exactly. When the summer session ended, I continued to sit in front of my computer to create CD covers, using a CD labeler from Memorex, for some of the music that I had downloaded (legally I might add) over the past year or so. It was a chance to do something different than grade essays during the two weeks that I had off. It was also more relaxing than preparing my classes for the coming semester.

Taking a trip across the state would have probably been enjoyable. Peg at Kansas Prairie described a recent leisurely trip she took to Greensburg with her grandson. I sometimes daydream about flying a kite at Monument Rocks or Coronado Heights. Unfortunately, there aren't many places to fly a kite where I live in eastern Kansas; there are too many trees and too few open spaces. That's one of the things that I find disappointing about eastern Kansas.

Taking walks along the Missouri River is a consolation of sorts. I recently discovered that Parkville, Missouri, about a thirty minute drive, offers a much longer walkway along the river. Compared to where I live farther north, the river in Parkville offers a more industrial landscape, with a view of a power plant and a gas storage container. Nonetheless, the city has spent a lot of money on creating this parklike setting. It had drawn a number of people when I was there recently. That kind of excursion is the extent of my travel this summer.

Despite my complaints, I remain thankful that I have employment. Other people aren't so fortunate. The latest figure, I believe, is one out of ten Americans is unemployed. I am also fortunate that I am able to choose my hours. Not many people have that advantage. In spite of my low wages, the amount of hours that I put in once the semester gets underway, the absence of permanent employment with health insurance, and the time spent without a paycheck during semester breaks, I am apparently one of the lucky Americans.

Pictures of the river at Parkville appear below. Clicking on a picture will enlarge it.

Missouri River Flooding

Like many previous years, the Missouri River has been running high this spring. Flood warnings have been in effect for several weeks now. Once a week at least, the local newspaper runs the headline, "River Going to Crest on Thursday." Afterwards, the river levels drops a little before more runoff from thunderstorms to the north send the river to a new level and what seems like another crest. One of the clerks in a local store has said that her sewer has been backing up because of the flooding. Judging from the number of teeth that she was missing, she probably doesn't have either sewer back up coverage or flood insurance. Poor lady!

A few of the high school seniors, who were celebrating their freedom last month, having been released from school about a week earlier than the other students, were jumping into the water near the railroad overpass. One of them made the mistake of leaving his mouth open during one of his leaps and said afterwards, "That water tastes awful." His friend replied, "You're not supposed to drink the water, dumb ass." I have often wondered since whether that guy ever suffered any health problems as a result of swallowing the water.