A Little Jaunt Across Kansas

[Rod N. Gunn]

Great pic.s Bruce, thanks. A few comments:
1) I love the old wooden "Welcome to Colorful Colorado" signs. Many have been replaced with these God-awful purple things.
2) One of our family farms is right outside Jetmore on what used to be the Arkansas River. It is now a dry river bed as all the water gets used in Colorado.
3) I see you passed by Fort Larned, what a great place. My dad has a bunch of arrowheads that he collected as a child just outside the fort. Here's a photo of where he carved his name in it back in the 1930's (I would have had my hide tanned for doing that):

[Bruce Day]

David, here is the main street of Jetmore and another of the county courthouse.

Small world. My friend and hunting buddy from Dodge is married to Christine White( maiden name), who is the daughter and granddaughter of Jetmore town physicians. The Hornungs owned farm land north and south of Jetmore, lived in Dodge and would road farm equipment up there. Christie was the area gifted education coordinator for years for a lot of school districts.

Its so wet this year that the Arkansas has water in it, even by Syracuse. Kansas won a major Supreme Ct water rights case against Colorado for diverting all the Arkansas River water, so more comes now. You might remember that picture I posted of Charlie Herzog wading across the Arkansas at Ingalls, really only walking across the sand.

So Doc Drew, why not move back? A person could do a lot worse than live in Kansas. We have friends and hunting buddies, Darryl Miller by Scott City, who live in Kansas and spend Jan through April in Casa Grande to avoid the winter.

I know where the Hodgeman is. When I am in Dodge, we stay at the old cabin on Duck Creek north of town.

[Drew Hause]

This is the Hodgeman Wildlife Area, southeast of Jetmore courtesy of Maynard Reece Byrd



More neat Kansas stuff here http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/20611291

[Rod N. Gunn]

I love it out there, often wonder what it would be like to live there again. We have some other land north of Larned as well. I try to get back at least once a year.

[Double Play]

Dave your last photo defines the term "flatlander". Heck around here if you can see a mile in any direction the town wants to charge you a view tax.

[Rod N. Gunn]

It sure makes walkin' up pheasants easy! That grove of trees was FULL of bobwhites last year too!

[Bruce Day]

Dave, you know a nice house in town or on an acreage on the outskirts might cost you as much as $100,000. And there is unlimited hunting and fishing, they are putting in that new Horse Thief Canyon Reservior just outside town, and I don't think anybody locks their doors or takes the keys out the ignition. On the downside, you have to drive to Wichita or Denver for an outlet mall.

[Rod N. Gunn]

Bruce - You are absolutely right, I have thought of that many times. For a once-a-year trip on which my wife will never go its hard to justify. If I start factoring in some KU football or basketball, that changes the equation too. The guy who farms for us always has good intel. on birds in the Pawnee/Hodgeman area, when I get his assessment I'll post it. Keep the Kansas reports coming, it will always be home for me. - Dave

[Bruce Day]

Last Tuesday was KU-K State day where people wore their hats or t shirts, about half and half. We'll probably get KU football season tickets this year. Remember Band Day and the KU band coming down Campenille Hill? . Got the youngest son living in Lawrence, graduated this last year and wants to work a year then go on to KU law school. He's been working, hanging out at Clinton Lake and the Free State Opera House. Go Hawks.

And by the way,Pawnee Creek was full and flowing.

[Rod N. Gunn]

Sadly my daughter took Southern California over Kansas... But I don't mind visiting so much since I found this place. It is right on Mission Beach in San Diego (by Life Guard Stand 19), serves Scooners just Louise's in Lawrence, the walls festooned with KU memorabilia, and the TVs are always showing KU sports. I'd still rather be in Jetmore.