Rain's Thursday Art Date: Your vacation/Summer plans

Today we're meeting at Rain's for her Thursday Art Date.  This week, the theme is Your Vacation/ Summer Plans.  I was actually surprised how many instances of this theme I came up with.  Somehow I misread the prompt and thought it was Your Vacation.  I hope these also work for Summer Plans, even  though there's no way I'm going anywhere while this virus is on the loose.

This is an art piece from a challenge.  I sent off for a brochure from the state just west of mine, which is Colorado.  In the packet, I also received a map and these stickers.  They are actually designed to be applied to bumpers or campers and they are SO sticky, if you get it on wrong, like I did the first one (Boulder), there's no way to remove it.

This was called Vacation Day and was for a challenge in my Coll-AH-ge altered book.

This is a real photo taken by a dear friend who gave this to me.  It shows the Pope leaning out his window.  That would be a very lucky vacation shot.  This is in my Craft Barn Alpha-Numeric altered book.

And finally, one of my 4 inch squared 365 Somethings I created in 2019.  This one is called Remembering my summer vacation.

I often take Stay-cations.  I have a few self imposed rules:

The self imposed rules:

1. Round trip must be less than or equal to 80 miles.

2. Must be achievable in a single day.

3. No more than $15.00 (USD) can be spent (does NOT include fuel).

The problem with stay-cations is, the posts are loaded with photos, often around 100 or more.  Picking just one can be a daunting task. 

This stay-cation was for a museum I visited in Wichita, Kansas (USA), my home town.

I took this photo and many others in Newton, Kansas, a town just north of Wichita.

This is from Hutchinson, Kansas, a town north and west of Wichita.

Another time I went to Hutchinson, KS to visit my friend Kathy.  We went to the Reno County Museum, where the admission is always free.

This was taken from inside the museum called Exploration Place.  It shows the Keeper of the Plains and the confluence of the rivers.  On the left is the Big Arkansas and on the right is the Little Arkansas.  This is where they meet.  My neighborhood is bounded by the Big Arkansas to the west and the Little Arkansas to the east. 

The first time I joined Friday Smiles, I took the ladies/participants to the Nifty Nut House.  I loved the clever mural on the side of the building.

This stay-cation was at the Wichita History Museum.

This one was at the Kansas African American Museum.

I mentioned to my internet friend Birgit, who, among other things, reviews specific films each week, that I had seen a display of Hattie McDaniel, the first black woman to win an Academy Award.  It was for Best Supporting Actress in Gone With The Wind. 

The display was huge and nicely created, too.

This might seem like a strange stay-cation, but when I visited my friend Kathy after she'd had surgery in one of the hospitals here in Wichita, I was treated to an incredible showing of their photos.

It documented how the hospital had changed since its inception in the late 1880s.  Unfortunately, I was using my old worthless camera, so it didn't do these photos justice.

Another trip to Newton, Kansas found me checking out this Train Museum.

This is an open air museum that sits near the Keeper of the Plains.  I had such a lousy camera, you can barely see these photos.  This and the three below go together, but my old camera couldn't capture everything at the same time.

There were lots more exhibits and memorabilia, too, but I chose just these four photos that show the entrance to the exhibit.

Another time, I visited the War Memorial.

Here's another shot from that day.

And finally, a trip to the Kansas Wildlife Exhibit. I hope you enjoyed my few stay-cations and art I created to honor it.  This year I have no summer plans, since I'm not leaving my property until I'm sure this novel virus is under control.

All art created by me.  All photos taken by me.  Bleubeard was actually excited and wanted to find a few stay-cations too this week.

Thank you beyond belief for visiting today.  I am truly grateful to you, my friends, followers, readers, and lurkers for visiting.  Please also join me at Rain's Thursday Art Date.  I won't be able to play next Thursday because this week was supposed to be my Second Thursday Tutorial.  Seems  when I play at Rain's, I forget what week it is.

Second on the 2nd: My first ever Friday Smiles post

I apologize for not linking to last week's Friday Smiles, but I had to be up at 4 a.m. to take Sally to the hospital and stay with her while she had her foot operated on at 5 a.m.   Imagine my surprise when I saw that Annie had linked me.  Thank you, Annie.

For my Second on the 2nd, I am sharing my first ever Friday Smiles, which was way back on Week 31.  Annie's Friday Smiles are now up to week 257.  Here is the post from August, 2013 in its entirety:


Today I'm joining Annie at A Stitch In Time for her weekly Friday Smiles.  I've joined a bit late, because this is already week 31, but I love smiling on Friday along with Annie, our smiling host, and many of my internet friends.

Some of you may remember I started taking stay-cations last year at which time I made some self-imposed rules:

The self imposed rules:

1. Round trip must be less than or equal to 80 miles (128.75 km).

2. Must be achievable in a single day.

3. No more than $15.00 (USD) can be spent (does NOT include fuel).  See my right sidebar for monetary conversions in your country.

So where did I go out and about this first stay-cation of 2013?   

(For some reason, these photos don't enlarge)

This place is listed as a local "must see" attraction. If this mural doesn't make you smile, I don't know what will!

And you can start to see how crazy it is, already.

  

In case you can't see the sign at the top right,

today we are visiting the Nifty Nut House.  It's actually a local

nut and candy establishment, where you can get lost for hours among the goodies they sell.

Or you might want to stop (with your children, I suspect) for a photo op.

Wander past the rows of hard candy, wander past the cases filled with all types of fresh nuts, and you'll end up in chocolate heaven.  You might even be lured into buying a very small bag of chocolate potato chips.  That small bag and big price tag really put a smile on MY face had me giggling.

Of course, you might be lured by the home made fudge and brownies, or the truffles and turtles.  Whatever you choose, you'll love it all.  It'll put a smile on your face!

I was lucky.  I live less than five miles from The Nut House, and I kept my hands in my pockets for the most part.  I ended up buying a small amount (1/8 lb) of chocolate for about $3.00 (USD).  Just don't go hungry, and don't expect a museum.  It's all about the nuts, candy, chocolate, and of course, the smiles my friends.

_______________________End of post_________________________________ 

I recently learned The Nifty Nut House has expanded at the same location.    I will have to return with my new good camera soon.

Now it's time to share your own Second on the 2nd.  The rules are quite simple and everyone is welcome to join the fun look back.  All you have to do is bring back a post that you are especially proud of, or perhaps one you shared before anyone knew your blog existed.  It could even be one where you revisit a topic of great relevance.  Any post, any genre, any artistic endeavor is acceptable.  Then link below (direct links only, please) and Bleubeard and I, along with other Second on the 2nd friends, will be by to visit.   Please be aware this link is only open for five days, so linking on the 2nd is preferred.  And please visit Annie's Friday Smiles, too.

Photo heavy (even for me) trip out of town that doesn't include recycling

This last Tuesday I took my friend Sally to another town nearby.  I felt so guilty, because I had forgotten her birthday which was the previous Saturday (March 28).  I had reminded her about this artist, Phil Epp, whose art is all around the town we were about to visit.  See more of his art here, here, here, here, and his web site here.  His work has been described as having low horizons in which his famous stylized clouds and sky are often the dominant feature.  We had found some of his work in El Dorado, KS when we visited one year during Smithsonian Day.

The first stop was at a hospital.  This is the rotunda surrounding many offices.

Of course I had to put my camera to work, because the last time I was here, I had a lousy camera.

I got a bit carried away

making sure I had captured all the images.

The art goes from spring to summer to autumn to winter.

Stylized art yes, but with a touch of realism for anyone who lives in this area.

I held Sally's purse while she took a few photos.

She seemed to enjoy the experience,

even though it didn't take long to get

many photos.  I've really liked Epp's work from the first time I saw his art.

Then it was off to lunch. 

Sally had never been here, but she found their web site prior to our visit,

and was excited to try their food.

We looked through their lunch menu and chose the regular combo, which included your choice of two,

soup, salad, or sandwich, with unlimited returns to the soup and/or salad bar. 

Sally chose a sandwich and salad,

while I chose soup and salad.  The cost for each was $9.89 (USD) plus tax.  I was happy to pay because it was, after all, Sally's birthday celebration!

Then, during the heat of the day (yep, it was one of those really hot, sunny Kansas days)

we headed north of town to the Blue Sky Sculpture.  I remembered telling Sally once we saw the water tower, we would know we were close. 

Although Sally didn't want to walk to the sculpture, I didn't mind since I had been all over it before.  However, I never saw Epp's name until I saw it through my viewfinder this time around.

If you want to see the first trip I took and the back side of the sculpture,

please go here.   The photos are surprisingly better than I remember them being.  And there's even more information about Epp than I managed to provide here.  So, please see my previous visit if you are new to my blog.

What a blessing my new camera is.  I was able to zoom in close enough to not just see the water tower, 

but also to take in the beauty of the clouds Epp painted for it.

I took a few more shots of the sculpture

until Sally got bored


and was ready to

return home.

Thanks for your visit, and I hope you enjoy this "off the beaten path" journey Sally and I took on Tuesday.  Thanks, too for your continued support of my art and photography.  More recycled, reused, or repurposed projects will appear tomorrow.