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.
Hunger demanded increasing attention today, while passing along 39th Street near KU Medical Center. Noticing a few options not previously recognized, a spot for parking on the street quickly opened its arms. Noon found not many spots. Tiki Taco was the spot that had actually caught attention. It turned out to be a super friendly and delectable choice, also offering some appealing and intriguing skateboard art displays. This may just be the best place in the area to grab a quick mouthful of deliciousness.
Out and wandering about the woods again today with the old camera. It seems to take much better photos than the phone, even though they are technically the very same megapixel. It just not the same. Photos on the phone always seem to lack a certain clarity. That was not the goal today though. The primary objective was to simply get out and crunch through the fresh snow, listen to it and the ice crunch underfoot. Included in that, a little slogging through the mud. Even that was ok. Above is the only evidence of the adventure.
We had not been out to the bull riding spectacle in quite awhile, and the upcoming Professional Bull Rider Built Ford Tough Championships seemed to be as good of a time as any. It was in Kansas City, at the Sprint Center, and featured some of the best of the best. I took several photos throughout the night, and experimented with a feature I found on a small camera that I didn't know it had. Slow motion video of these rides is just the thing to do. I pulled all of those little videos together, along with the photos, laid in a track and created the YouTube below. view more photos from this event
It was all about the Deere this weekend, climbing on them, walking under them, and admiring their shiny coats at the Western Farm Show in Kansas City. It was not just all about John Deere, I suppose. They did have the biggest display in the building though, and nobody was shy about climbing aboard for a look around. That was the intent after all. Two huge halls contained a variety of technology and work equipment, while another two areas showcased an array of odds and ends in support of, and dedicated to everyday farm and ranch life, to include a few goats.
It is almost as if one cannot take more than a handful of steps without encountering art in Kansas City. This random encounter appears on the side of Surreal Tattoo Studio in Mid-Town near State Line. Either I missed capturing the artists name, or it was not included.
A journey down to the Benton County Courthouse for some business in Warsaw found this one-of-a-kind piece lingering about the inside the historic building. Produced by Warsaw South students to show their respect for the US flag and all those that stand to protect the same. The assemblage of a multitude of red, white, and blue plastic bottle caps is interesting, though does not indicate any sort of production date.
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