This year, Freedom Fest fell a bit flat. Entries and attendance were
both down. Some blamed the heat wave that had passed through, while
others put more faith in the string of unpredictable weather events preceding
the event. Something in the air played a larger role though; likely,
nothing more than poor marketing and promotion. Folks were still getting
used to the idea of the annual cardboard regatta occurring on the 4th of July
weekend.
Mostly clear skies offered up another beautiful day splashing about in and
around Sandy Beach. The only five entrants to the contest offered
amusement in the late morning hours on the beach, intertwined with contestants
face down in watermelon. Rain threatened as the day wore on, and a
bit of lightening eventually chased most out of the water.
Hunger eventually pushed our party towards other points on the map of this
little town, along with the promise of a cool pillow in a darkened room for a
few hours. Foul weather eventually gave up on the region and a little
nap time renewed vigor towards additional beach activities later in the
day. Arriving just before sundown, the lawn chairs had already
begun to litter the sand in anticipation of the coming show.
The rockets' red glare and bombs bursting in the air eventually pulled
through and lit the night sky, raining down electric streamers, reflecting
across the water in a festival of lights comparable to few. A view
from the sand or down in the water could only be bested by one floating in
the middle of the small inland ocean. We had missed the music, the
races had flopped, but none of it really mattered among family, friends and
few hundred acquaintances, under sparkling night skies.
Wandering through the Power & Light District yesterday found this relatively new mural issuing a commandment to the citizens of Kansas City. No artist appeared credited and the artwork itself is minimal and a bit flat, thought the message is clear. Be Kind Kansas City. You know you want to and there are some amazing side effects, such as improved self-esteem, relationships, reduced stress and anxiety, and even a boost in physical health on numerous fronts. More than anything, it is the right thing to do.
No other image stands out along West 39th better than this amazing bit of graffiti art, instantly recognizable as one from local artist "Scribe." Completed in 2014, it is holding up really well for 20 years old. This huge mural is always a welcome greeting to the tiny little district that straddles the state line. If they ever replace this, it should definitely be another piece from KC's own Scribe.
Another scene by the notorious "Scribe" lay lurking on the Genessee side of Fric & Frac, just south of 39th Street. The usual Buzz Bee appears here, hovering over a jam box, watching the hipster watch a schoolgirl bunny watching them as she walks away. All appeared perfectly under the dappled light from a nearby shade tree, screening out an other wise bright sunny morning.
This piece of work appeared out of nowhere, while out and about on a morning walk today. The multitude of balloons formed into an unsigned colorful expression roughly 2 meters tall and as much wide lingered just inside the doorway. A substantial amount of work undoubtedly went into wrangling these air-filled rubber containers into the variety of flowers and undergrowth on display.
The packed clay and red dirt oval near Batesville has been on the radar for a couple of years now. Excursions to the area seemed as though they were never timed correctly, or other plans interfered with a proper examination of the situation. Not this time, somewhat. Wires got crossed and what was thought to have started one day, actually kicked off the date after. That did not make Thursday any less interesting though, as it enabled an opportunity to catch the warm-up acts, before the main feature on Friday. The stands were not as packed as had been anticipated, though we were assured that would not be the case later in the season. The Wimp Reed Arkansas IMCA Racing Spring Nationals at Batesville Motor Speedway put on an awesome show though! The rumble seat for this venture featured multiple rounds of IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, Factory Stocks, Midwest Modifieds, Hobby Stock, and Young Guns. The later proved the most surprising overall, with...
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