Lonely Cemetery Graves

Continuing our Memorial Day tradition, we visited a new cemetery this year (Holy Angels Cemetery) to attend to some forgotten graves and place some wildflowers from our yard on those graves that didn't have any flowers.

Radish Harvest

The harvest has begun, and it's only May! After clearing out almost 500 square feet of additional garden space this spring, we have high expectations for our garden this year. We transplanted our wild blackberries, experimented with potatoes and peanuts and planted enough corn to compete with Nebraska. Tonight's salad will feature our first harvest: a radish!

NOTE: Stay tuned for school and graduation information to come shortly!

Canoe Trip (***UPDATE***)

Sometimes, when you least expect it ... wonderful things can happen that will restore your faith in the human race. After a weekend canoe trip down the Buffalo River, a man named "Brian" found Nate and I's missing bag from our canoe trip and returned the contents thereof. Yes - the contents were wet, slimy, soggy and mostly non-functional ... but it's nice to have everything back. Funeral services for the camcorder and camera will be held tomorrow night. The GPS lives on.

No More Pictures!

Wet. Simply wet. That one word sums up Nate and Cody's Arkansas canoe adventure on the Buffalo River. From the beginning to the end, everything was wet.
After their gear (mostly stored in garbage bags) was unloaded at the bridge near Ponca, AR ... Nate's car was picked up and shuttled 30-some miles downstream where it would wait for them Saturday morning. Alone with a raging river ahead of them ... Nate and Cody set out down the river into the unknown in the pouring rain.
3 miles downstream, the tent was pitched before a thunderous storm rolled through the area pelting the tent with rain and soaking the sleeping bags.
Day 2 was filled with miles and miles of towering bluffs, crystal blue-green water and solitude around every bend. But that solitude was silenced with series of class I and II rapids that were skillfully traversed by the confident canoeists. That is ... till a low hanging tree limb proved their un-doing.
While Cody managed to limbo beneath the limb, the twisting canoe and swift current put Nate in an awkward position to do the same and then ... just like that ... the canoe capsized. Swimming to stay above water, Nate saved the canoe while Cody scrambled to gather what floating gear he could save. From there the two continued downstream, soaked from head to toe, scrounging for what lost gear they could find. Cody's sandal was found along the bank and the bag of Chex Mix, a bottle of Dr.Pepper along with Nate's hat made it to a log downstream. Everything was eventually found except one bag ... the bag that contained:

• Nate's
• Wallet
• Keys
• Cody's
• VISA and Driver's License
• $90 cash
• Sony Camcorder
• Digital Camera
• GPS

It's fair to say that a little bit of Nate and Cody remain somewhere at the bottom of the Buffalo River.
After making it to the Erbie River Access, a faulty pay phone prevented a call for help. Fortunately, a Park Ranger soon arrived to assist in the emergency retrieval of Nate's car. The two soaking river-rats eventually made it back home (a day early) just after midnight Thursday night grateful for the safety of a memorable canoe trip (and good BBQ en route!)

New Set of Wheels X2

We knew that in time we wanted to replace the ol' rust bucket that we called a car ... we just didn't know how quickly it would happen. But with the both the Honda and the Jeep sold to new (happy) owners, the Edwards are back down to two vehicles, both of which have almost as many miles combined as the old Honda. With 37 mpg and a kickin' stereo, Paige is as giddy as a school girl in her new Civic. Cody has promised not to haul any canoes on it.

Wild & Ferocious Night

Two rounds of electrifying storms raced through the area last night. The first one pelted us with hail and rain ... and then the 2nd one woke us up around 1:30 am in the morning. We watched the Topeka news stations and saw the impending storm heading our way. Circulation in the clouds prompted a tornado warning near Lawrence and the storm had a bead on Tonganoxie ... due to hit in about 13 minutes. The winds soon picked up (and up and up ... up to 70 mph) and down to the basement we went. More wind, rain, lightning, etc. but that was all. Oh ... and a big tree branch fell. No harm done ... but it certainly was a wild and ferocious night.
MSNBC Article: Click here
USA Today Article: Click here.