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i’m not sure if anyone lived here, or if it was some kind of community building. it’s the kind of place i would want to live in though. i love storefront windows, porches and living space above. right downtown. we ate our tuna sandwiches on a picnic table in the shade by a similar building. across the street from the main street pub and grill. i was surprised that at least a dozen cars passed by. it was past church time. then we hiked on the flint hills nature trail that had an opening in this little town. then we went to another old town. then we went to harveyville, because i wanted to see what these kids were doing with these old schools : the harveyville project. it is the kind of thing i would like to do, too. it was all quiet on that day and i was wandering around outside and heard hammering, so poked my head back to say hi, is it ok if i look? they said the inside wasn’t open today, but wandering was fine. they were building a chicken coop. they seemed nice. they had a cat who looked like phoebe, margaret’s cat, wandering in the entrance. we could see her behind the glass door and poked our noses up and the woman walked by and i felt embarrassed for snooping. i might want to go live in a school room and just make art and not be bothered by Real Life for about a week. that actually sounds really really good. wow. i got all these words out. i also saw that fox again this morning. he wanted a baby bunny for breakfast, but the bunny was too FAST. i rather felt sorry for him (the fox). he looked so ragged and hungry. three day weekend. i don’t even care that it is a working weekend. i’m just glad.
20080524 7:37 pm
Thank you for sharing about The Harveyville Project - I featured them in my blog, today.
Love your building photo from Allen, as well!
I really enjoy my Google Alert for Blogs on “Kansas Flint Hills!”
Yours came up today!
Our 22 county Flint Hills Tourism Coalition, Inc. promotes visits to the Kansas Flint Hills – the website is: http://www.kansasflinthills.travel/
Hard to believe it has been over a year now since the 22 page color photo spread in National Geographic’s April 2007 Issue on the Kansas Flint Hills, as a distinctive landscape. We are now working to get the Kansas Flint Hills designated as a National Heritage Area.
We would appreciate a link from your site, to ours, if you are willing to do so. THANKS!
Best wishes!
Dr. Bill ;-)
Personal Blog: http://flinthillsofkansas.blogspot.com/
20080527 6:54 am
Not Allen, Kansas, too. Another place my dad used to take us kids — can’t remember why exactly. You have been hanging around in my old stomping grounds. And I love the Harveyville Project. I went home to Osage City on Saturday. I remember when I was a kid and the farmers came to town on Saturdays and there were no parking places to be had. On Saturday, there were maybe five cars parked in the entire two blocks of “downtown”, and that was with the annual class reunion weekend taking place. Sad, but the place needs someone with vision to bring some life back to it, as do many such small towns that have been decimated by the Wal-Marts of the world. Maybe the high price of gas will bring a revival to some of these places, but something like the Harveyville Project could blaze the trail.
20080527 12:23 pm
yes, mary, allen, too! we made the tour of little towns that i have heard of but never been to, on that day. we saw Admire, too! (-: i can totally imagine being a kid and going with grandpa to that park in Bushong. the original playground equiment was still there, under HUGE trees, across from the big old school. it would have been quite thrilling.
i would love to see some of these small towns come to life again. the first thing they will need, will be groceries … and hardware. and artists!!! i can see it happening…
i have vowed never to set foot in a WalMart again. ever.
thank you for visiting, Bill! i am coming to visit you now…