A July Outing

The last few weeks here have been constant work and issues of some kind. Now the heat ratchets up another notch complicated by the drought-like conditions with no rain. Watering seems useless as the grass and flowers still hunger for Mother Nature’s rain. We noticed today that the roadsides and fields are shades of yellow, yellow-green,and sienna, much like highways through the Oklahoma panhandle. A new picture of our grandbabies shows lawns in the Kentucky background in shades of lush green; it made us realize just how dry and brittle our fields and lawns are here.

Since the weatherman promised that the weekend weather would be worse, even using the meteorological term SHORCHER, we decided to do get out early in the mornings to experience the outside in gentler air. So yesterday morning our friends the Andersons and we went to Carver Days at the George Washington Carver National Park. This is a beautiful place located in a bucolic setting with the terrain still much like it was when George W. Carver roamed the streams and fields as a boy. We got to the park just as the festivities began. Notes of Bluegrass and Blues from the strings of Ozark musicians floated across the grounds. Under the big oaks and maples, it was cooler and still pleasant to walk around at the different stations offering education about Missouri history, crafts, and old time skills.

At a table with history of Missouri arrowheads, the man showed us an Atl Atl and how it worked. This was a throwing weapon used for hunting. It was used for over 10,000 years he said. At the tables with Missouri wildflowers, we saw wonderful native plants that would thrive in a natural garden. I loved the chicory.

A couple of ladies from Galena, Kansas showed Julie and me how to make the most beautiful stationery by stamping the petals of leaves and flowers on to card stock. You had to see this simple but natural process to appreciate the beauty of the finished product!

 Then we all went inside to hear this year’s storyteller who was Carole Shelton from St. Louis. I didn’t think anyone could match last year’s Bobby Norfolk, but guess what?

Carole did! The energy and creativeness she used in telling simple Br’er Rabbit stories and Aesop’s fables were amazing. She engaged the audience and had everyone participating.

If hearing Carole wasn’t enough of a treat, you had to feel good after listening to the children in the audience giggling loudly.

We were home shortly after noon for a sandwich under the air conditioning, but we felt refreshed mentally from our outing!