May Day May Day

Well we have had a busy month. Some activities included day trips and theater.
Jill Sheila and I did bird watching at Kansas wetlands including Quivira National Wildlife Refuge (salt water marshes) and Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve Nature Conservancy. Over 60,000 acres of wetlands and host to millions of migrating birds. Some of birds we saw included sandhill cranes, pelicans, plovers, sandpipers, avocets, ducks, geese, red wing black birds, blue herons, egrets and others.

Traveled to Omaha for Mother's Day. Took the folks and the Smiths out to Outback Steak House for dinner. The next day had dinner with Lucas and Misty at the Metropolitan Community College Bistro.

We went to the Cirque De La Symphonie pops concert with circus performers (juggler, cube artist, aerial hoop artist, ribbon dancer, aerial silks artist and strong men). Saw the new Star Trek and the X-men, Wolverine in digital projection. Saw Allison's OK Elementary School Kindergarten and First Graders program.

Got in some good biking including a 30 mile ride in Omaha to the Missouri River Chutes and Ft Atkinson with my friend Fred Gallata. He by the way the week before won the National Duathon for the 55-59 age bracket in Virginia and qualifies him for Worlds this fall. I have put in a couple of 50 milers and a couple of 40 milers the past week or so even with the nasty wind we have here in Kansas.

Worked with others from Cargill to host a River Cleanup Saturday. I helped cook hot dogs and ham burgers to feed the 450 volunteers that cleaned the banks of the Arkansas River in downtown Wichita.

Spent an afternoon planting 55 perennials in the "castle" area of the island in the parking lot.

Watch the River Festival parade with Allison, Kent and Emily.

Jill, Kent, Sheila I got food at the Mid-way the last night of the River Festival. then we went toward the river to watch the fireworks. A series of canon shots startled Jill and cause a severe panic attach. Even after we left the noise of the fireworks, Jill was experiencing chest pains. We ended up calling 911 and an ambulance took us tot eh hospital. Tests in ER included EKG and constant blood pressure monitoring. Jill had to spent the next couple of nights in CCU. Tests included a heart catheter and the resulting diagnoses was interesting. The doctor thinks she had a heart attack but the her heart is OK in fact it looks like "the heart of the young woman". We are happy she is back home and recovering well. She will be taking it easy for a while.

We are planning to go to Omaha this weekend returning on Memorial Day. On the way up there we will stop in Lawrence Kansas to visit a foundry and drop off sculpture Jill finished and will be having mold made so it can be caste into bronze.

Tomorrow we are getting a new sign for the entry. It will be 24" tall and 13 ft wide with teh following copy: "www.WichitaPottery.com"

School Program

Happy Mothers Day Mom, Emily and Shawn

This greeting was in my inbox this morning. I felt like I wanted to share it. Hope it makes you smile and feel super!

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Girls and Shadow

Hey all i was going through the dig camra and i found a good photo that shawn took with the Sasha, MacKenzie, and Shadow. I don't remember how but i was working in the garden and Shawn got the girls and Shadow to sit in the wagon that Oma and Opa bought. It has been so useful as of late.

Washington Family Pictures

Photographer: Lacy Inscho, Kansas City area. She came to Bolivia to photograph the kids in the orphanage and graciously did a session with our family.

If you would like me to email you the originals then just let me know which ones you want.

Love you all!