Thursday, October 30, 2008

Wednesday wandering in SE KS

Don's excuse today:  We need to go to Wal-Mart to get a printer cartridge.  Obee-kaybee.  That's fine with me... when he says "go," I'm in the truck... well, mentally, I'm in the truck.  It takes my body a little time to catch up with my mind.  Usually, Don is waiting outside with his key ready to lock the 5'er door and open my truck door.  He's such a gentleman.  Did I ever tell you that?  He really is such a gentle man.

He also mentioned something about going to Independence, KS to see if there were more fall foliage over there or on the way there.

On the way out of Coffeyville, I took these pictures of the one million square foot Amazon.com super distribution center where all the workampers in our park are working.100_8328100_8329

As we got to Indy, I noticed this bridge.  My goodness, it looks just like the one in Coffeyville... the 3-arch concrete bridge built in 1926. over the same river, Verdigris.  They could be twins. (Look at that blue sky!  It's a beautiful day to be out.)  100_8330Right away, I saw a tree of color, but we went past too fast, so my sweet husband made the block to come back to it.  On this block was this huge 3-story house.100_8331Here's the backside of the 3-story house.  It has a balcony on the 3rd floor!100_8333The tree that I wanted a picture of.  The sun is in front of me, so the red of this tree doesn't show up as well as it was... just glowing.  But even on the shaded side, you can see the color.100_8334I absolutely can not get enough of these houses.  What an amazing architectural style. Independence was home to many families made wealthy by the oil and gas boom of the turn-of-the-century and many of the homes reflect the affluence.100_8337This is a tree!!!100_8341Breathtaking.100_8343 Can you imagine this in another week?100_8347 Remember, we are in Independence, Kansas.100_8348 Like Coffeyville, there's a church building on every corner.100_8349 Can you believe, this is the same library today.....  100_8350......built in 1907.  

I wonder if this house was originally painted purple?  I kind of doubt it.  KSU fans must live here.   100_8355 Wow!100_8357 Another church.100_8359 In the Riverside Park.100_8363Could this be the same truck as ....100_8369 this?  Naw. Maybe this.. look, it is the same house in both pictures... this one taken in 1910. 

The llama family was about the only animals we saw driving by the Ralph Mitchell Zoo.  Isn't this baby cute?  Wonder what you call a baby llama... Google..  a CRIA.100_8380 This quiet, secluded area in the zoo caught our eye.100_8381 A plaque under the open book with the Ten Commandments on the left and John 3:16 on the right, states this area was donated by the Independence Ministerial Alliance in 1966.100_8382 I think this is the largest cemetery I've ever seen, not counting Arlington Memorial in D.C.  This one is about two blocks wide and goes on for blocks and blocks along Penn Ave. This wall goes all around it.  I took this picture for the tree, of course.100_8384 This barn is part of a huge estate on the east side of Independence.100_8391 This is part of the house on this estate.  We were actually on a street that said "Private Drive" at the entrance, but there wasn't anywhere to turn around.  Back up? 100_8392 Well, that's Independence, Kansas.  Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.  We went from Indy to Neodesha (pronounced Neo-duh-shay), from there to Parsons, from Parsons, to Altamont and then back to Coffeyville.  It's 2:35 AM... will post the rest of today ... tomorrow. 

~~~~~~~

I would rather live my life as if there is a God,

and die to find out there isn't,

than live my life as if there isn't,

and die to find out there is.

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