SueBee and Kat

…continuing through the beautiful prairie lands of central Kansas. These pictures were taken the day I explored the Quivera National Wildlife Refuge and surrounding areas. A few notes… the tire perched on the fencepost was a unique sighting. In other places I’ve explored, they are widespread and always made me wonder “why’s there a tire […]

This post, and the upcoming part 2, showcase just a touch of the beautiful, wide-open country near my home in Kansas. After living in a very crowded Southern California for decades, there’s nothing quite like vast expanses of ranch and farm land. ~SueBee

My first visit to Quivera National Wildlife Refuge in central Kansas taught me that, as suggested on the website, sunrise or sunset are the times to view the most birds and animals. I struggled to find birds to take pictures of, but I enjoyed myself regardless. I don’t see myself visiting during those prime hours […]

After visiting Wilson Lake I took back roads to return home to Hutchinson, going through the town of Wilson on the way. Per Wikipedia, “Wilson promotes itself as the Czech Capital of Kansas due to the role of Czech immigrant settlers in its early history. The population as of the 2010 census was 781.” I […]

I decided rather spur of the moment yesterday to take a drive to Wilson Lake, a Kansas State Park. I pulled a quick lunch together and headed out, choosing to take the freeways from Hutchinson via Salina, and figured I’d return home on the back roads. I made really good time and enjoyed the scenery […]

Late yesterday afternoon, I hopped in my car, intent on exploring a bit of the area. It wasn’t the best time of day, which I realized once I was out… seems it was quitting time for many folks, the roads were busy, people were in a hurry, and I had a hard time stopping to […]

As of October 8, 2021, my move halfway across the country, from Southern California to Central Kansas, is complete! What an undertaking that was; one I don’t wish to repeat. I spent weeks carefully packing my things, which includes a huge, heavy antique china cabinet plus lots of antique glassware left to me by my […]

I arrived in Pahrump late afternoon on a recent Saturday, with plans to head out on the road on Monday. So, Sunday was a day of checking out some scenes in the Pahrump area. We stumbled on rock climbers near Mt Potosi (the site of a TWA plane crash in 1942 that killed 22 people, […]

My son-in-law, Loren, toured me around the Great Bend, Kansas, area, starting with a visit to Cheyenne Bottoms. Per Wikipedia, “Cheyenne Bottoms is a wetland in the central Great Plains of North America. Occupying approximately 41,000 acres in central Kansas, it is the largest wetland in the interior United States. The Bottoms is a critical […]

I took my Nikon on the plane to Kansas, hoping for good weather and a chance to venture out and about. I had both. My son-in-law, Loren, drove me around the neighboring areas and naturally, I took several hundred pictures! It’s an interesting state with lots to see and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. ~SueBee

Using my recently purchased Annual Parking Pass for Orange County Regional Parks, I had a really nice, socially distanced walk at Yorba Regional Park in Anaheim. Being able to take walks in pretty surroundings without driving great distances easily justifies the cost of the pass to me. Included are 16 regional and/or wilderness parks, along […]

A brief visit to Irvine Park in the late afternoon recently reminded me how fast it gets dark these days! ~SueBee

Here are a few more scenes from my recent visit to Oak Glen, as I checked out the results of the wildfires. You’ll notice pretty wildflowers growing alongside the road, a quintessential apple worm hole, red apples not picked in time, and other pictures that make us thankful the fires were stopped. It’s such a […]

Curious about the damage caused to Oak Glen from the El Dorado Fire, I decided to drive up there this morning. Before heading out, I made sure roads were open and visitors allowed. Side note to those not living in Southern California… this fire was started by humans setting off a smoke bomb in dry […]

Yesterday I had the immense pleasure of joining my brother and his wife on a day trip to the area around Mount Pinos for a picnic. I left home in Orange by 8:30am, hopping on the freeway, and heading north past downtown Los Angeles, ending at their home in Burbank. That 44 mile part of […]

On my return drive from Solvang, I followed Route 154, past Lake Cachuma, on my way to the historic Cold Springs Tavern (next post). As you can see from the pictures, the sky was smoke-filled, although much less so than back home in Orange. The drive was really nice, uncrowded, until I spotted a large […]

I took another drive up north earlier this past week, passing Los Angeles and eventually Santa Barbara, as well. I ended up in Solvang, an adorable Danish town set in green, rolling hills a bit inland from the coast. I was there for a one night get-away, and after checking in to the motel, headed […]

Today is a special day… it’s my first time sharing a guest picture! A fellow blogger who posts from Scotland (Tootlepedal) does so and I thought I’d follow suit. I’m therefore sharing a gorgeous picture of a night-blooming Epiphyllum (Cereus) taken by my brother, Glenn, in his backyard. He told me he held a flashlight […]

I was in need of fresh produce so I took a drive recently to the Farm Store on the campus of California State Polytechnic University in nearby Pomona, arriving just before closing time. I always enjoy going there and supporting Kat’s alma mater. All produce is grown by the students, and workers in the store […]

Yesterday brought a nice change of pace, and a break from our unbearable heat and unusual high humidity. My friends, Aranka and George, who reside in Pahrump, Nevada (close to Death Valley, which reported a record-breaking 130 degrees a few days ago!), are staying at a Big Bear Lake timeshare this week and invited me […]