If you see this in your area, you should be concerned! Luckily for us it was just passing through.
Reed Timmer, a meterologist, has built a series of vehicles for storm chasing. The heavily modified Ford F-350, at a cost of $750,000, is built to withstand EF5 tornado winds of up to 200 mph. Click here to read more about the Dominator 3
Dominator 3
Wylie could be their mascot. Run Toto run!
We took off on the backroads to Lincoln county, one of our favorite places to go
Kansas is known for the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. We also have the Rim Man, a farmer really used his imagination to build this snowman out of tire rims.
Where’s Wylie? I always love to photograph him at the foot of a big old tree.
Beside the Post Rock Motel (which dates back to the 1950’s) is a wonderful Himalayan resturant. A tiny little building, with great food! It is definately worth a trip to Lincoln.
Pelicans and gulls at Kanoplis Lake
Beautiful October sunrise. We love our morning walks.
Hiking at Bennington, Ottawa County State Fishing Lake
I like this poem by Robert Frost.
The beautiful colors of this mornings sunrise.
The good think about having a little furry companion is that you get to be outside many nights. I love seeing the stars, planets, moon and occasional “what’s that”.
Photos were taken two consective nights in early October. The SpaceX Starlink satellite “train”, provides global high-speed internet. When first launched the satellites are all in a close orbit and then become spread apart. Eventially there is to be 42,000 satellites orbiting in our night sky.
I love how Orion is in this picture. I only had my iphone and a pup in one arm, just pointing in the general direction of the satellites. I was so happy and surprised that i was able to get a photo of them!
The weather had been so hot. Highs upper 90’s and into the 100’s. It wasn’t even cooling off much at night. Finally, we received some cooler weather and that means “load up” were going somewhere.
Camping at Kanoplis Reservoir, it was like having our own private lake, only 1 other camper in the campgrounds. We hadn’t been to the lake since the start of summer, as it’s such a busy place with all the campers and boaters and we like to avoid crowds. It was so nice and cool we were able to take long walks.
Another common thing you see at Kanoplis is the military flying maneuvers, today the B-2 stealth bombers were flying at the bombing range, which is just east of the lake. Awesome to see them!! Just wished I could get a photo of them.
There’s a wild critter in the fork of that tree!
Beautiful sunset
It was so much fun spending a couple days in Wamego, KS. The weather was cool and being in a small town you weren’t too far from an adventure.
Follow the Yellow Brick Road
The Oz Museum certainly exceeded my expectations! Lots of props from the movie, life sized characters and even a theatre where you can watch the movie. Dorothy’s ruby slippers were on display though they weren’t the “real” ones. There were so may artifacts that it would take a day to see it all, (and of course I didn’t have my glasses to be able to read)! Admission was only $10.00. Pet friendly, they will babysit your larger dog, but you are able to carry your small pup through the museum.
There are flying monkeys on the building! I was terrified of those things.
Be sure to eat at Toto’s TacOz! My choice was the Guaco Taco. The best black beans!, lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole stuffed in a crispy shell and soft flour tortilla. Making me hungry! They also had Emerald City Street Tacos, and the Yellow Brick Burrito.
This mural was on the wall along the Yellow Brick Road. I loved the saying!!
We’re ready for another road trip around Kansas, but this is one small town that we definitely will be returning to soon.
There are so many little towns in Kansas that are often overlooked as people hurry to get somewhere else. When I bought my little RV, I had in mind to explore some of these towns. Wylie and I had been going to the lakes and hiking, but they are getting busier and it’s getting too warm for this old lady and her pup to be out hiking. Our first stop on our Travel Kansas Tour is…..
Wamego, named for a Potawatomi Native American chief, platted in 1866.
Kansas River at Wamego
Calvin’s RV Camping was a nice shady, quiet rv park. The owners are so nice! Our rv is the little black and grey one. Just the perfect size to drive around and so comfortable for camping. All the modern conveniences! We can’t wait to go back!
Our first stop was the park to see the Dutch Mill. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in the 1870’s north of Wamego, it was used to grind grain until the late 1880’s. Most of the mills in Kansas were powered by water, the Dutch Mill was powered by wind. In 1924, the mill was dismantled. Each stone was numbered and moved by horse-drawn wagons to the city park, where it was reassembled. The mill is no longer powered by the wind, but has been converted to electricity.
The city park also houses the Wamego Museum and other historical buildings and a little train that runs on a track throughout the park. In the spring of each year they host a tulip festival. That would be a beautiful sight!
Toto in Wamego
Numerous places around town you will see artwork from Kansas artist featuring Toto, from the Wizard of Oz. There are 15 Totos, we have more to photograph, but here is a start. Thanks Wylie for being so patient with me and posing for so many photos!!
Maggie, the Service Dog by Rhonda Kesner
Patriotic Toto, by Jamie Lynn
Wamegoscape II, by Christina Klein
“Toto”lly Gingham, by Kellie Dillinger
The Lollipop Guild, by Jamie Lynn
Emerald City Toto, by Joyce Abernathy
We aren’t done with our tour of Wamego. It will be about:
Lions and Tigers and Bears OH MY
On our way to one of our favorite backroads for an early morning walk, I saw this sunrise in my rear-view mirror.
The sky changes so quickly in only a matter of minutes.
Only the tops of the trees are highlighted by the rising sun.
Wylie and I spent another winter day at the lake. We went to Kanoplis, needing the exercise that the trails offered.
A well-traveled trail. We were the only ones on the trail, when it’s nice you can expect to see horses and hikers. 
The trails were wonderful to walk, until someone got a sticker in his paw and even though I removed it, he didn’t want to walk on the trail, I had to pack him out. Mention the word sticker and he will snarl at you!
Beautiful ice sculptures.
Someone built a really nice shelter.
This is our new little exploring vehicle. After a long hike it’s nice to have a meal and a nap!! Can’t wait to see all the adventures it will take us on. Not much longer than a full-sized pickup easy to get around, but you have to watch for low hanging limbs and other objects.
It was a beautiful winter day at the Kanoplis Lake. I always like to go this time of the year to see the eagles in their nest. This pair has been coming to this spot for years. The park closes the trails around their nest.
Temperatures were in the 50’s today, but we’ve had some really cold weather with wind chills in the -10! Parts of the lake are frozen over.
Wylie, the rock climber, we didn’t make it to the top!
Beautiful sky
So thankful for the nice winter day. It’s going to change tomorrow and get cold again with only a slight chance of moisture.
Farmer Days 