Update Reunion

Hello Family,

 Home safe now after a great 5-6 days in Kansas; what a fun time.

Take aways:

  Kansas was beautiful, green pastures, golden wheat coming up. The creeks were full and running after all the rains. And, yes, the pastures were muddy; ask U K how muddy..

 Jim and I went to the Strong City Rodeo Saturday night. That also was really fun. It's a small one, even a little smaller than Springerville, but they tried so hard!! The funniest thing was three calves with ribbons tied on their tails, each with a different amount of money, and about 100 kids no older than 12 out in the arena trying to catch one and the ribbon. What chaos.

 The get together was smaller than usual; Bob/Jane in Ireland, other cousins all there. The younger generation not represented this year except Heidi and Rodney's boys.

  I have brought home some fresh gooseberries Augusta and Alice and Anna picked, stemmed. I also have A Ruth's famous recipe for gooseberry pie and will make it for the 4th. Something one has to get used to....

  Jim almost killed me on a 12 mile bike ride again this visit, through the Flint Hills on  outskirts of Emporia.

 The last evening was fun. Jim/Joyce had a meeting in Lawrence and I took A Augusta out to dinner in Cottonwood Falls, about 12 mi west, in a historic old hotel. It's really a cool old place. Then we toured "old" Emporia, which is most of the town really..., and that was fun too, hearing her rememberances of times gone bye. Here's the photo of that dear lady.

 The last day, Wed, I got up and drove to Wichita early enough to see some things there, and met Judy and Dave and then Shane Bitner (Anna's son) for some snacks and a beer before my flight.

 Somewhere in there I got bit by a couple of bugs..left a couple of big welts! Good grief.

 Home now, now on to the 4th, then to W.P., then the Yellowstone and the Dude Ranch, then it flows into the Danube a few weeks later.

 Love to all,

Dad/UR