SueBee Arts

Abilene, Kansas, was yesterday’s spontaneous driving destination. Just about 1.25 hour northeast of Hutchinson, I chose my first visit to the home of our 34th President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, for a Sunday. I knew that most things would be closed and therefore, very quiet, peaceful, and great for picture-taking. To say I was impressed with […]

Following an afternoon wandering around the Swedish town of Lindsborg, about 45 minutes north of my home, I started exploring the surrounding area. I’d heard of Coronado Heights before, and was very happy to stumble across it. Per Wikipedia, “It is alleged to be near the place where Francisco Vásquez de Coronado gave up his search for […]

My large back yard was calling for a vegetable and herb garden, so I laid out a plan in an area that was pretty dull and featureless. My inspiration was drawn from pictures my sister-in-law showed me of large trellises made from heavy metal cattle fencing panels. I was immediately drawn to them and started […]

While out and about yesterday, I came across an old drive-in movie theater in Kanopolis, a town about an hour’s drive from my home. It certainly took me back to the days of my youth when I often went to the drive-in, both as a child with my family, and later as an adult. I […]

I visited Dillon Nature Center, about 2 miles from home, for a walk yesterday morning. It was a good decision as you might agree after seeing the pictures. ~SueBee

The dilapidated garden shed in my backyard that I converted to a beach shack last month has now been upgraded to a She Shed. The function of it is mostly decorative, but the project allowed me to bring things out of storage in my garage and I’m glad of that. Back in Orange, California, I […]

Hutchinson, Kansas, had lightning, thunder, and thankfully, lots of rain last night. With our current heat spell, I’m grateful for any amount of extra water on my yard. The soil is so different here than anything I’ve experienced; it’s actually sand. This area was apparently a gigantic inland ocean ages ago. That being said, I’ve […]

Try as I might, I’ve not been very lucky in getting pictures of all the various birds visiting my backyard, whether at the feeders or the three bird baths I maintain for them. Regardless of a lack of good pictures, they bring me endless joy on a daily basis. My favorites are the blue jays […]

I don’t go out exploring as much as I did while living back in California. I’ve instead been spending every daylight hour on projects in my huge yard. It’s been so much fun! I’ve been turning a very plain half acre into my own paradise, particularly in the back yard. I’ll try to bring my […]

Today’s Foto Fix shows a bit of fluff caught on the little lemon verbena herb plant I recently potted. The fluff, which is actually seed pods from the numerous cottonwood trees in the area, flies through the air here looking like snow flakes. It catches on everything and I’m sure must be quite annoying to […]

…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 […]

Yesterday’s spontaneous adventure involved a drive to Quivera National Wildlife Refuge in central Kansas, about forty miles west from home. While I sort through the pictures I took there, I thought I’d share this idyllic farm scene that caught my eye as I explored dirt roads on my return home. You have no idea how […]

Botanica gardens in Wichita, of which I’m now a member, features more than just beautiful flowers. They also have wonderful art spread throughout, in the form of several wonderful sculptures. I think the selections are really special, but my favorite is the little boy holding the butterfly as it makes me think of my grandson […]

I visited the beautiful Botanica gardens in Wichita, hoping to catch the tulips before they left for the year. I was in luck. It was an overcast day, perfect for wandering about, and photography, and the tulips lit up the walkways like little lights. Enjoy! ~SueBee

Spring is in the air here in central Kansas… well, maybe it was a few days ago! Today was overcast, somewhat chilly and it rained a bit (not enough). We can do with more rain, no doubt. My vast front lawn has been greening up over the past few weeks. As I gazed out over […]

While driving a backroad several miles north of my home in Hutchinson, I spotted this homestead. It’s clearly in need of some TLC. Anyone up to the challenge?! ~SueBee

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 […]

Scattered along the backroads of the US are dozens, and maybe hundreds of odd sights, the Kansas Garden of Eden created by S. P. Dinsmoor in 1907 being one of them. I’d heard it was located near Wilson Lake, so after my visit to the lake last week, I headed a few miles north to […]