Tuesday in Kansas

We left Arkansas on Monday headed for Estes Park, Colorado by way of Winfield, Kansas.  We always stay at a small campground in Arkansas City, Kansas, far away from the crowd of the festival.  There’s been a horrible drought here and there’s little to no water in the ponds; even the rivers are showing lots of sandy bottoms with small streams still flowing down the middle.  Oddly enough the sunflowers/black eyed susans are still blooming beautifully, as are a few other wild flowers.

Because we were here early we went to the movie on Tuesday night.  Saw “The Help” by the way and thought it was a great movie.  The theater was quite large I suppose – 8 theaters.  There were a total of 7 people, including us, in “The Help” and no one in any other theater.  No one.  Nada.  It was eerie  it was so empty.  Tuesday night in Kansas is silent and dark and there are few people out. 

We stopped and bought festival tickets at their down town office.  

There’s still a real down town in Winfield, and in Arkansas City too.  Small, but hanging in there!  Driving around you can still see traces of what it was like in the fifties.  Picture the shaded streets and sidewalks of your childhood and you’re seeing Winfield.  There’s a nice, small college here which means they have all the fast food you want on the main highway; but off the highway it remains almost in a time warp.  I love that.  We visited the college coffee shop and McDonalds to read e-mail but didn’t want to waste much time on that.

It got cold and windy and rainy.  Even under the roof of the grandstand the rain blew in.  I wore long underwear and jeans, a short sleeved tee, a long sleeved tee, a sweatshirt, a coat with fleece lining, ear  muffs and a hat, gloves and covered with two blankets.  Oh and opened the umbrella in front of me to try to keep the rain off!  And I was still cold.  The music was good, the food wonderful, the friends worth all of that!  This picture is of my sister and me...she's on the row above me.  Only my eyes showing!

When we drove by the campground next to the fairgrounds this is what we saw - and we were so glad we didn't try to camp there!

Back in the camper I have this great “coffee table”.  

We found the basket at WalMart a few years ago and Jerry put casters on the bottom for me.  You’d be surprised at all that it holds!  

The pink sack contains the patterns I bought this week in Newkirk, Oklahoma at a little quilt shop I found there. 

Underneath is my iron, a top I’m working on, my Featherweight and all the things I need to sew with.  

My dining table is perfect for that! 

I’m making another jelly roll strip quilt, this one from Moda’s Favorites of Kansas Troubles line.  I should have it finished in another day but I brought another jelly roll with me, just in case.  And of course, lots of hand work.  

Right now DH and I are riding out a terrible storm in McDonalds.  There's a tornado watch until 4:00 a.m., it's hailing and the lightening is awful!  Wonder how long they will let us camp out here using their internet.  :)  

Anybody miss me?  I’ve been gone nearly a week already!  J