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| ...leaves already popping! |
An exciting thing happened recently. An old college buddy invited me out to Kansas to help with the installation of a
living willow play structure at the new Natural Playground that is being built at Lake Olathe Park. Just part of a huge renovation of the entire park.
It was an awesome experience from beginning to end.
I adore flying. The trip out was sunny and practically cloud free so I could see the changing landscape below. From the forested and snow covered mountains and valleys of Vermont with its curvilinear arrangement of roads; a unique perspective in the winter months when the trees on a mountain look like whiskers on a big mans chin. And then there's Kansas. The other extreme. Roads and fields organized on a grid for the most part. I love seeing the checkerboard of different greens--early crops already growing contrasted with fields of brown grass or dark tilled soil. It's easy and fun to spot the watersheds from above, they are fingers of green, native trees and shrubs know to grow where the water is. From far above you can see the rivers where all those waterways lead, winding their way along to the distant horizon.
Just to see Mike and Jean (who graciously hosted me during my visit) after so many years, since our time studying Landscape Architecture at KState, and to meet their children and grandchildren. That was, by itself so heartwarming. Especially after the long, cold, solitary winter of hibernation up here on the mountain.
The living willow installation was scheduled for Friday. Thursday we had thunderstorms. I had forgotten what it is like to experience lightning strikes in the wide open spaces. It is pretty awe inspiring. In between the downpours and lightning Mike and I managed to get the structure sited and staked out. Friday's weather was supposed to be more of the same, starting at noon. Mike and I met the rest of the crew on the site at 8:30, I explained what we would do, showed them how to make the holes, how to plant and how to make a clove hitch and
they were on it!!! (and that truly does deserve 3 exclamation points too :-) We were done by 11. "Many hands make light work!"
The rain started at noon.
And a few pictures:
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| staked out |
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| Tanner in background, Chad, Isaiah and Michael clovehitching! |
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| Mike B., Liz, Moi, Johnny |
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| Jim and Michael sorting and prepping willow |
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| Johnny and Moi-- clovehitching |
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| halfway there! |
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| Jim and Tanner |
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| Liz, Johnny, Jim |
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| Jim and Mike B |
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| working on the last joins at the top |
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| finished! view from wheel chair accessible end |
What an absolutely phenomenal group of people! Tanner (maroon hoodie) Isaiah (with beard behind tanner), Chad (brown hat), Jim (away at the back!), Michael (yellow raincoat), Johnny (crouching), my buddy Mike Latka (yellow vest), Mike Burson (black sweatshirt) and Liz (grey hoodie).
The project finished, the rest of the trip was relaxing and fun. Jean and I visited the Heritage Center Museum and Mahaffie House (
https://www.mahaffie.org/) where we saw a newly born lamb about 5 minutes old.
Mike and Jean took me to Kansas City and out for bar-b-que. We visited as many of the other Olathe parks as we had time for that Mike has either designed or had a hand in as Parks Project Coordinator over the years he's been in Olathe. We three spent days and evenings talking, catching up, and
reminiscing. We laughed our heads off... and that truly was a good medicine.
Sunday we met up with their kids and grandkids for brunch. It was great to finally meet them all and put faces with the names. The biscuits and sausage gravy was the best I've had since I lived in Kansas oh-so-long-ago. Here's the whole Latka crew!
The one thing I hoped to see while I was there was the Redbud trees (Cercis canadensis) in bloom. They are so beautiful and one of my fondest memories of my time in Kansas--there is nothing in the world like them. I missed them by a couple weeks, they are blooming now. Mike and Jean have both sent me pictures so I'll include them here.
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| somewhere in Olathe, Kansas |
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| Redbuds in full bloom at Seaton Hall-home of the Landscape Architecture Department at Kansas State University! |
until next time-
peace out
