Serenity in the Flint Hills

I discovered a lovely little nugget in the Flint Hills of Kansas this week... Cottonwood Falls.
It's a serene setting, perfect for quiet reflection and full of treasures waiting to be framed in your lens and captured for future stories.

The Courthouse is perched high upon the hill as if to be the sentenal standing watch down the main street. The Chase County Courthouse is the oldest operating courthouse in Kansas. To the credit of that county and community they show their great pride in the building as you will clearly see upon entering. Aligning the great historic presence with the needs of a modern day functioning courthouse would certainly be a trick, but one they have meshed well.

The beautiful staircase you see in the entrance climbs with an irregular curve and I would imagine a carpenters nightmare. The modern day elevator is nicely accessible but not obvious.

The jail area is uncomfortable as it should be and almost gives you the chills with the thoughts of criminals past. Their hashmarks scratched into the cell gates, bars and walls start the imagination. 

As you meander down the street still paved of brick you can stop in at Jim Bell and Son to don your cowboy gear before walking to the now footbridge, at the end of the street to see the beautiful falls lined with fallen timbers that seem to have been preserved to enhance your viewing pleasure.

As you turn back south you can enjoy a fantastic meal and retire to your room in the Grand Central Hotel. The authenticity of the decor (but not over the top) and the treat for your tastebuds the cuisine provides will round out  your experience.

The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is nearby and could requires a days worth of attention with your camera.

The signs are everywhere!

I just drove by one of our community ball diamonds where they're dragging the dirt infield. Another great sign that spring is almost really here. Like the crocus bulbs sending up their green foliage through the brown leaves of fall past, the baseballs flying in and out of kids well worn leather, best gloves, it's a sign of the rebirth of all things living. People come out of their houses and their cocoons of winter outer wear and the smiles are more abundant. Right now mother nature teases with an off and on day of sunshine but we know what's under that gray wrapping paper. Green grass, brightly colored flowers and sparkles in the eyes of those cabin fevered humans. Bring it on!

Seeing the light!

For the past 3 months we've been making the efforts sometimes tiring and frustrating effort to get our house ready to go up for sale. As we've been making those little completions we just never got to, or polishe dup something we just never bothered, my husband and I both made the comment that it's funny how we never felt compelled enough to do this while actually living here but now we do for someone else?
As much as that may be true I think it also speaks to the fact that we couldn't see the forrest for the trees because so much stuff had piled up! We were like rolling stones with a ridiculous magnetic force to attract all things needed or not. Now we aren't crazy collectors or hoarders of any kind but things just add up!
Once we decluttered and scaled down it was almost as if you could see the whole family stand a little taller. I've actually walked into our backroom without that dreaded reminder of so many things left undone. I'm ready for us to get our first home together sold and move on to new memories and dreams. I hope that we have infused alot of good energy into this house and it will reflect to the right buyer and we will be on our merry way! The next house...we will finsih projects and keep up. It just snowballs if you don't and then even being there is painful. No reason to save the special dishes for a special day. You're special and everyday you have on this planet is a special opportunity!