"Where Have All the Flowers Gone?"

WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE?
words and music by Pete Seeger
©1961 (Renewed) Fall River Music Inc.
All Rights Reserved - Reprinted Here With Great Respect.

Above and Below: Zimmerman Cemetery, Osborne County
"Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the flowers gone?
Girls have picked them every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?"

Above: Union Cemetery, Osborne County

Below: Tipton Lutheran Cemetery, Osborne County

"Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young girls gone?
Taken husbands every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?"

Union Cemetery, Osborne County

"Where have all the young men gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young men gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young men gone?
Gone for soldiers every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?"

Above: Zimmerman Cemetery, Osborne County
Below: Tipton Lutheran Cemetery, Osborne County

"Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to graveyards every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?"

Zimmerman Cemetery, Osborne County

"Where have all the graveyards gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Covered with flowers every one
When will we ever learn?
When will we ever learn?"

Photographing Tombstones, Entry 2

Sunday the 5th of July was a magnificent day for a Kansas summer. It was a rare only 85 degrees outside, with a gentle wind out of the north and billowly clouds marching regularly across the sky. Certainly a day on which to use my ready excuse of photographing tombstones to get out and take in some great backroads scenery.

After driving north I decided to head for the Fairview Cemetery, located approximately 1.5 miles south and another 1.5 miles west of the village of Portis. This cemetery is the primary one for Portis citizens, who over the decades have made use of some five cemeteries in the immediate area.

In the eastern portion of the cemetery can be found the Fairview Cemetery Marker. It was commissioned by Portis area native Maude McMindes and commemorates those who lived in the region before 1890. A list of those early settlers can be found on the marker's back. Maude's final resting place is elsewhere in the cemetery.

A notable person in her own right, Maude started teaching in a one-room rural schoolhouse. She moved on to elementary and high schools, and then became a professor at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, where she established that university's teaching program - at the time only the second such program of its kind in the entire nation. McMindes Hall on the FHSU campus stands as a tribute to her contributions to education in the state.

As with all cemeteries, there are always two or three interesting tombstones that even the most indifferent visitor will look twice at. Above is the main stone for Hubert and Ida Hahn. Dating from the late 1980s or mid-1990s, at first it just looks like a tall slab of granite. But when you look again you notice that it has been carved in the shape of a book. The Book of Hubert and Ida's Life? So many metaphors come to mind.

His stone is simple, but his contributions to Kansas farmers is immense. Walter A. Bodge was one of those farmers who, in his spare time - usually in winter - worked on things that could make his life easier. He patented a number of inventions, including one of the first and most popular milo guards on the market (it eventually sold millions) and the Golden Rod wire stretcher, still the preferred tool among many farmers not only across the Sunflower State but the entire country as well.


Apparently it will not be a proper visit to a cemetery in Osborne County for me without some sort of snake experience. This day's tale was laid out before me right in the open sun, as seen above: a nicely laid-out old three-foot long rattlesnake's skin. Where the previous owner went in his new skin was an immediate concern, but faded after a while.


Less harmful creatures were more curious as to the behavior of this odd human who kept stooping over vertical stones. This young rabbit allowed me to walk within two feet of him before he decided to seek deeper cover.


Some tombstones relate a story that make you stop and think. Twenty-three year old Naval pilot Donald Van Staalduine was lost while flying over the Atlantic Ocean in World War II. One of the famous "Bermuda Triangle" disappearances? We'll probably never know what really happened.

All in all it took an hour and a half to walk the Fairview Cemetery and record 348 photographs of the stones found there. Happily the cemetery is relatively well cared for and continues to be a preferred eternal resting place.

Working on the Whiting Cafe Makeover

On Saturday, June 27, 2009, myself, my sister Sue Parker of Salina, KS, and my niece Katie Parker all pitched in with the renovation of the Whiting Cafe in Whiting, Kansas.


One of the first things done already by Saturday was the painting of a new mural on the south side of the building.


WenDee LaPlant of the Kansas Sampler Foundation took this photo of my niece Katie cleaning the floor of the inside of the horseshoe counter. Whatever job was needed we pitched in and helped. Between the three of us we helped to install windows, sanded wood, tore up ceramic tile, laid contact shelf paper, painted, stripped grease, removed the kitchen sink, and a number of other odd jobs.



My thanks to Cheryl Unruh of the "Flyover People" blog for capturing this photo of me helping the professionals setting the frame for one of the new cafe windows.



Here we have the Formica Guys, the brave two in charge of setting and reconditioning the formica top of the horseshoe counter, conferring on what to do next.



Outside the cafe the lawn was strewn with tools, lumber, and set-aside work areas.



Inside that great outside mural was being recreated into stensiling which ran around the top of the front room in the cafe.


At noon Saturday all gathered four blocks away in the former Whiting School, now the Whiting Community Center, for a great meal. Live music performed as all stuffed themselves. This set us to wondering: "How on earth did those who stayed and worked all three days stay so slim?"

Caught by WenDee LaPlant with our mouths full and our stomachs satisfied in the above photo, we did manage to return and work the rest of the day. After eleven hours and the loss of some heavily-soiled clothing that had to be thrown away it was time for us to return to Salina. We did so by taking state highways west and south of Whiting through some gorgeous countryside, especially in Pottawatomie County. As we drove through we passed 4th of July celebrations going on in the Kansas towns of Goff and Havensville.

The work at the cafe went on until 7PM on Sunday, and the newly renovated Whiting Cafe once again opened its doors to several probably very curious customers at 6AM on Monday, June 20, 2009.

The Final Product: Looking at the south side of the Whiting Cafe. Note the new flower garden in the left foreground - the iris planted there came from Osborne, KS & yours truly. Photo courtesy of the Kansas Sampler Foundation.

For more photos of the before, during, and after views of the cafe renovation, I recommend that you check out two great blog sites - the Kansas Sampler Foundation blog at
http://kansassampler.blogspot.com/, and Flyover People by Cheryl Unruh at http://www.flyoverpeople.net/.

Whiting, Kansas early on Saturday June 27, 2009

On this particular Saturday I headed with my sister and niece to help out with the makeover of the Whiting Cafe in Whiting, Kansas - Whiting being located in northern Jackson County, north of Topeka. The Kansas Sampler Foundation had designated this 25-year old business for help and had sent out the word across the state.

The cafe had closed on 2PM, Thursday, June 25th, and volunteers began gathering to aid in the renovation. The work continued through Friday, and the next morning we arrived in town. First we took a quick tour of the community.

One of those things you just might notice once in a while is the perchant in Eastern Kansas for round-tank watertowers, compared to the can-shaped tanks of the watertowers in the western part of the state.

Whiting has easily one of the most unusual grain elevators of any community - almost castle-like.
The Whiting Baptist Church displays interesting architecture not normally seen on such structures.

Another great Explorer Extra to see in Whiting is the pet cemetery in the east half of town. But our brief tour of Whiting is over; its now time to get to the Whiting Cafe and start on why we're here - to renovate the Cafe!

Announcing the 8 Wonders of Kansas Cuisine

Well, after seven and a half weeks of public voting and 13,861 votes later, the recent contest sponsored by the Kansas Sampler Foundation to determine the 8 Wonders of Kansas Cuisine has come to a close and the 8 winners hearby announced. In alphabetical order and without further adieu, they are:

Bobo's Drive In, Topeka: The hamburgers, homemade onion rings, and apple pie have made this place famous since 1953.

Brookville Hotel, Abilene: Moved from the historic hotel in Brookville to Abilene in 2000, the famous family-style chicken menu has been served since 1915.

Cozy Inn, Salina: Since 1922 this 6-stool diner has been serving their famous sliders.

Crawford County Fried Chicken: Chicken Annie's, Chicken Mary's, Chicken Annie's Pichler's, Gebhardt's Chicken and Dinners, Barto's Idle Hour and Chicken Annie's Girard have made Crawford County legendary for fried chicken.

Free State Brewing Company, Lawrence. The state's first legal brewery after the days of prohibition also serves a variety of ethnic recipes.

Guy & Mae's Tavern, Williamsburg. Family-owned since 1973, tender ribs are served in foil and newspapers.

Hays House 1857 Restaurant & Tavern, Council Grove. Located on the Santa Fe Trail, this is the oldest continuously operating restaurant west of the Mississippi River.

Wheatfield's Bakery Cafe, Lawrence. This nationally-ranked bakery serves healthy meals featuring artisan breads.

Sixteen other great Kansas eateries were named as one of the original 24 finalists that the general public was called upon to vote for, making it a tough call indeed:

Anchor Inn, Hutchinson

Carolyn’s Essenhaus, Arlington

Charlie’s Mexican Restaurant, Leoti

Crazy R’s, Goodland

C.W. Porubsky’s, Topeka

Fritz’s Union Station, Kansas City

Grand Central Hotel, Cottonwood Falls

Hibachi Hut, Manhattan

Homer’s Drive Inn, Leavenworth

Josie’s Ristorante, Scammon

NuWay, Wichita

Olive Tree Bistro, Wichita

Paolucci’s Restaurant, Atchison

Pho Hoa, Garden City

Prairie Nut Hut, Altoona

Trapper’s Bar & Grill, Simpson

Congratulations to the Winners - and I'll be happy to console the Losers! Work, work, work . . . .

Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, I picked seven of the eight winners. That's easily the best percentage I've ever acquired through the past five 8 Wonders contests.

The Kansas Sampler Foundation relates that votes came in from all 50 states and several foreign countries as well. What an amazing accomplishment. The entire point of the various 8 Wonders contests is to generate interest in what Kansas has to offer and to encourage travel in the state, and it looks like the public is ready to do that by eating their way!

Next up for a vote: The 8 Wonders of Kansas Customs. This contest will kick off in mid-July, so everyone will have time to determine just what a Kansas Custom is. Good Luck!

At Smoky Hill River Festival in Salina KS, June 12-14, 2009

The 33rd annual Smoky Hill River Festival in Salina, Kansas, proved to be one of the most popular in its history, with nearly 78,000 attending the three-day event. Temperatures well below normal contributed to thousands converging into the huge Umbrella City seen above.

The Festival features three days of arts & entertainment. The groups Lost Wax, above, and Needfire, below, were crowd favorites.

Even the Pond was lined and made festive for the occasion.

The arts exhibits were many and varied. Even the ground squirrel in the last shot came out to inspect the merchandise.

A time-honored tradition at any festival is, of course, standing in line to buy food. This Festival's food vendors were all extremely busy. This photo is from the back of the line for the Homemade Ice Cream folks from Harper, Kansas.

Be sure to check out and enjoy next year's edition of the Smoky Hill River Festival.

Hangin' Out at DaddyO's & with James T. Kirk

On Saturday night Kansas Explorer #4419 and Cap 8 found ourselves hangin' out at DaddyO's Diner in Osborne for supper. Why, you might ask?

For the chili cheese fries. And the chili cheese tater tots. And the double hamburgers. And the ice cream sundaes . . . .

Afterwards we were lucky we could still fit in the car to drive the 33 miles to Lucas, Kansas, to watch the movie "Star Trek" at their community theatre. Great movie. And another great evening in Kansas.