For all things grains, crops, seeds, and harvest, the COOP has been the farmer’s go-to place throughout the Great Plains for decades, as this old truck would surely tell if asked….

With the first frost having already come knocking and winter bears down (despite being 72 degrees today), the remnants of a Kansas sunflower stubbornly continues it survival vigilance against the inevitable…

Jerry versus the standing-dead Cottonwood (Jerry won, but not without a fight)….

On the High Plains if a tree wants to grow wherever it takes root, she usually doesn’t get much argument from the land owner.

Sure can’t beat the moon photo opportunities in the open skies of Kansas…especially when it’s dark outside

College football…luv it with me now

Somebody said there's a football game today...think I'll go try to get tickets

It was the recent trip back to Kansas, while playing a few favorite gospel tunes, with the truck windows down, driving country roads, early Sunday morning, that gave momentary pause in a hurried day for appreciation of flat lands, endless horizons, mooing cattle, meadowlarks singing, and God showing off something special to photograph.

AMEN!

the uncooperative guys at the 35th

The milestone 35th reunion happened at Hays High School. Despite a losing effort for the current Indians on the football field (losing to Garden City), those of us alumni able to attend the homecoming and reunion had a fabulous time…not just one evening, but two!

Our class of 190-something produced about 45 of us over the weekend. We all showed up to enjoy ourselves, the time spent with good friends, and to poke fun at the aging habits a handful of us seem to be developing. Better yet, little grief was taken on the thinning noggin, chubby cheeks, and the mid-section bounce that seems to have graced my curb appeal. I guess it is what it is, huh?

The fun-loving gals attending the 35th....

The optimism in me makes me believe reunions are as fun as you make them to be. No longer should the “grouping” of folks take place amongst us (if we wanted that to happen, we would have had the party at the old high school cafeteria for crying out loud). In fact, it is interesting how someone who 35 years ago may have acted flippant towards you, now sees our reunion as “give-me-a-hug, how-ya-been, its-good-to-see-you” friendships. Funny too (and a good thing) how time can be very humbling for us…at times.

Reunions give me a time to reflect on a time when life was simpler, a daily existence that allowed a much more carefree attitude, dates and dances were important events, hand-me-down cars with bald tires and a 1/4 tank of gas got us around town, and of course…the first loves and crushes that were so innocent that one sometimes wonders how tough it might be to get that (innocence) back. (OK, I’m now closing my eyes and going to that happy place of long ago).

To all my high school friends, pals, loves, and crushes…thanks for sharing a wonderful weekend, whether it was in person, from a distance, in my memory, or in spirit. I hope we all make it to the 40th, in more ways than one!

Now don’t make me out to be too sentimental or lovey-dovey, but this song put up on my iPod commuting home from work tonight…I thought…hmmmm. This is kind of fitting.

Oh yeah, and I stood amongst you with camera in hand and along side photographers much more talented and professional than I. Thanks for letting me (us) take pictures of all y’all…”after all these years”.

photo by a sneaky classmate Darwin Drake, at the 35th....

Somewhere  in the neighborhood of 19,000 pictures are stored on my computer (and backed up on two different portable hard drives) that have a 2010 date. So what the heck, I took took a stab at a Top 50 list. Let me know what you think.

Flickr The Best Shot(s) of 2010 or Picasa The Best Shot(s) of 2010 (they are both the same).

Should I do a Top 100? Let me build a “Best Shot(s) of 2009″ and, while I’m at it, start one for 2011 first….

OFNi DaniM was recently profiled on the KU Athletic website (her proud momma fortunately sent the family a link to the article – thanks Bec!). Dani had a successful career as a catcher with the Jayhawk softball team while performing truly outstanding academic achievement. Because of this, the University Athletic Department rightfully gave her “press”…much more eloquently than I, I must say. You can see here…and then decide for yourself: May Combines Two Passions Into Satisfying Career

Please know I relish my Uncle status with all my nieces and nephews. I would also say each relationship with each nephew and niece is individual in its own right, much like no two personalities are alike. I enjoy discovering the quirks and ticks of each kid and in so doing, whether they want to or not, get to discover my quirks and ticks (good, bad, indifferent). It makes for a much more interesting, entertaining, and (usually) fun reunion….

With Dani, she and I have that individual Uncle-Niece relationship, but it is unique in that we share a common design “passion”…think of it as kind of being on the same page a lot of the times, professionally speaking of course. I know she is well on her way to a successful career as an architect, doing all things cool and LEED and timely and within budget and getting to see the country and world and meet the student-athletes of the day and talk with Italian hands to the people who pay the bills. And she knows me as the guy that does sidewalk layout plans…. :)

The future is all in front of you gurrrrrrl friend – go for the fences and make us all that much more proud of what you’ve done and what you will soon accomplish. Congratulations to you on the neat-o KU article too!

A rediscovered photo in my 2009-365 collection captures the Toulon grain elevator in Kansas over Thanksgiving weekend last year. A common sight in Kansas are grain elevators, this Toulon elevator is about two miles from Dad’s house. The layered colors in the stockpile were a definite bonus. An ever so faint half moon can be seen in the top left quad of the photo – the photos gods were gracious to me this day.

Having to deal with the DFW air pollution on a daily basis, I love the good ol’ Kansas clear blue sky. This shot has not a cloud one in it (the wind was probably blowing all them to Oklahoma). You should see a cloudless night sky up there sometimes….

As OFGuP Adam says, “See Kansas does have some hill country”. Thanks Adam for your Texas perspective on the great Great Plains.

I grabbed an idle CF card for my Canon for a few quick pictures the other night. When I started to download them later that evening I found a handful of other pictures patiently waiting for me to share - pictures taken over the Father’s Day weekend. 

Check out Flickr for new pictures of OFGNi Madison. Tripod the Calf (RIP) wanting feed gets the blog picture (along with FD in the unusual pose - that birds and bees talk may be long over due)

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