Tree, Broken Tree

Another of the Open Spaces KC installations. This one, called Tree, Broken Tree by Dylan Mortimer, is a dead tree painted pink and covered in glitter. Mortimer, who suffered from cystic fibrosis and recently had a lung transplant, says the art is a giant bronchial tree depicting his fresh lungs from the lung transplant. (The green stripe depicts mucous.)

Playgroup Field Trip

The Playgroup at the Alameda waiting for the trolley, which we rode downtown and back. All playgroup except the one little boy on the right who was a neighbor kid.

My Tee and Me

One of the t-shirts in the My Tee and Me exhibit at the Kansas City Museum Garment District location. Apparently the museum has been collecting clothing since 1940 and decided to display some of its collection through Labor Day. I thought this one was interesting because of the date. The desegregation lawsuit began in 1977 but this shirt was created for volunteers to get the word out about it.

Called Up

Called Up is another of the Open Space art installations. This one is by Ebony Patterson of Jamaica. She discovered the long-abandoned hydrotherapy pool for children in Swope Park, and has transformed the site into a memorial for those who suffered from incurable ailments in the years before penicillin was developed. The pool is at at Camp Lake of the Woods and named after Dr. Harry M. Gilkey, who had worked to help a number of handicapped children in Kansas City, MO using hydrotherapy...not easy to find but fascinating.

You can see that it includes bears and hearts so it does look like a memorial. Below you can see the pool before she did the installation.

Nicknames and Special Jerseys

Sunday was part of Players' Weekend when the Royals had special jerseys with their nicknames on the back. Whitley (Whit Merrifield), Doz (Hunter Dozier) and Magic (Alcides Escobar) stood with they kids assigned to them for the pregame. Lots of clever names.

Read more here: https://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article216392605.html#storylink=cpy

Step Back in Time

The Neighborhood Cafe in Waldo has an old fashioned counter to go with it's diner-style menu. Fun place with good, homestyle food. The back wall contains photos of servicemen, many of the World War II era. Not sure why.

Meat and Music

This giant meat thermometer is one of the art installations of Open Spaces KC that runs today through October. Artist Alexandre Arrechea says "Not every product that is produced and consumed within a city qualifies as a cultural marker of that city’s identity, but for Kansas City, meat and music serve as important exceptions. Since its heyday in the 1930s and '40s, Kansas City jazz and blues transformed how the rest of the world listened to American music, and its rapid economic growth as a center for processing and packing meat gave rise to its present-day fame as a Mecca of barbecue." You can see it in Swope Park. More to come.

Rainy Day Visitor

This hawk descended on our driveway during the rain. I think he was hunting cicadas. More power to him.

Protective Eyewear

I know it was only last year but the hype and the reality of the solar eclipse were so much fun. Cindy and I were ready at Smithville Lake.

Hitting the Road

Lowell and I made our maiden solo voyage around the neighborhood. She wasn't a fan of noisy trash trucks next to us but otherwise we were a success. Notice she's giving the peace symbol, sort of.

Staying Dry

How cute are these? Perfect for a rainy day.

Evening Stroll

These ducks were just walking in the twilight. I think they thought we were herding them but we just happened to be going the same direction.

Get Well Card

We made ourselves into a get well card including art to send to Kathy and Dave, who are stranded in Scotland where Dave is recovering from a serious illness. If you can't be there to help, send some silliness. The funniest part was us trying to set up the camera to take the photo.

Recruiting Them Young

KU cheerleaders were entertaining some young fans at the KU Football Kickoff in Corinth.

Latest in Museum Seating

The Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center has these cool seating options in the lobby.

Cruising the Yard

Not sure why I'm riding in the grass but then we didn't have sidewalks. Probably Susan and Steve stuck me out there. It was my birthday so maybe a new trike.

At Last

It has taken all of this hot, dry summer but I finally have a beautiful bloom on my Bengal Tiger canna!

Pink and Blue

The blue dusk and pink Bloch fountain inspired me.

Color Splash

These folks in their colorful kayaks enjoyed the evening solitude at Shawnee Mission Park lake.

Day Is Done

Sometimes I have to give a shout out to nature. Amazing sunset!

Collecting Stories

The Story Corps recording booth is at the Nelson-Atkins Museum through the end of the month to allow people to record their stories for posterity. Unfortunately it's completely booked already. Story Corps, which started in 2003 with a booth in Grand Central station in New York, is funded by private donations from corporations, individuals and institutions. The recordings are preserved in the Library of Congress. The Airstream trailer travels around the U.S. to provide opportunities to record your story.

A Welcome Surprise

The surprise lilies are a delightful sight after all the heat and dryness this summer.

Cooking the Feast

Dad grilling in 1968. Many summer meals cooked by him. I love that the little brown hut is still standing in the background. And there is no wall around the patio for safety during the 4th of July Extravaganza.

An Explosion Rocked the City

... 30 years ago and killed six firefighters. This memorial is for those six firefighters who died in a huge explosion at 4:00 a.m. Nov. 29, 1988. Firefighters of Pumper Companies 30 and 41 (as see on the flag) were dispatched after 911 calls came in reporting a fire had been set to a pickup truck near two trailers of explosives at a construction site at this location (87th street exit of Highway 71 in Kansas City). The trailers ignited causing a catastrophic explosion. We were awakened from a sound sleep at our home miles away by the explosion.

New Storage

This house has always been short on storage and with KC Adirondack furniture needing a home now that Joseph took over Stacy's other side of the garage (😄) it's time for some more space. Nicely the shed exactly matches our house.

Church Babies

Finn and Lowell joined us for church yesterday.

Relaxing View

It's wonderful to sit here at the Nelson-Atkins in front of Monet's Water Lilies. One of my favorite works of art. I remember seeing the companion paintings of the triptych when they were united at the Nelson in 2011. The others are at the Cleveland Museum of Art and the St. Louis Art Museum.

Swope's View

It's a clear view of the city from the Thomas Swope Memorial in Swope Park. It's the final resting place of Swope, who died in 1909. The memorial was built on the bluff in Swope Park in 1918 and his body was moved there. On the memorial are the words: "His wisdom conceived, his generosity gave to the people of Kansas City this noble expanse of field and forest for their perpetual enjoyment." Swope donated the land for park in 1896 and it remains one of the largest urban parks in the country.

Too Tall

Our neighbors have the mast up on their sailboat. Makes it impossible for them to pull it  out of the neighborhood. We're guessing they are doing some repair work.

Cooking Up Trouble

Not sure what Stacy and Grandma are up to but it looks like trouble. IIt looks like a cake on the counter so maybe adding candles.

Happy Birthday, Stacy!

I was disappointed that my sparkler candles weren't emitting much sparkle but the celebration was grand.