Kansas Day Quickies

March 3, 1966

This is how the fires in California started!

I don't understand why someone who treats you like crap and doesn't respect you would be allowed in your house. If anything, I'll be out. I'll be back when your mother is gone.

1211: In the Style

Over the weekend, my son and I took a tour of the Hidden Valley Girl Scout Camp located in the center of town. It's 40 acres of untouched woodland surrounded by development and two major five lane streets. It was willed to the Girl Scouts in 1956 by Alfred Bromelsick who willed his entire estate to youth groups in Lawrence. The land is owned by a non-profit not by the Girl Scouts but Girl Scouts are free to use it whenever and the camp can be reserved by other groups.

They only open the camp to the public for an hour every year for trail tours. I was finally able to go on one and took some pictures. It's the year of the 17-year cicadas so when we would walk by some trees, clouds of cicadas would just pour out covering us. It was really cool. It was also very wet and muddy from the 57 inches of rain we've had in the last two months.

 Flagpole Hill and a red elm tree near the entrance. The flagpole and tree are used by the Girl Scouts for opening ceremonies and other things.

 The Hidden Valley Friends Memorial Garden This garden, with a bench and brick patio, serves as a memorial to friends of Hidden Valley. It features many varieties of native flowers and plants.

 A stone stair walkway with a latrine at the top. The latrine is the last working one in the camp. The city has said that when the latrines get full or break, they cannot repair or replace them.

 One of the campgrounds.

Once a farm pond, this body of water was converted into wetland. Nearby are trees dedicated to Hidden Valley organizers Carolyn Blaas and Mariana Remple.

A primitive wooden bridge passing over a creek.

Another one of the many campgrounds. There are numerous campgrounds each offering their own uniqueness.

 Looking down at one of the creeks from one of the wooden bridges. With all the rains, the normally dry creeks were flowing heavily.

 A tree house, built around an Osage Orange tree, in another of the campground.

 A cottonwood tree covered in cicadas.

 We got to see a snapping turtle on the tour which was really cool.

 Another wooden bridge spanning a creek.

Another campground and the last one we saw in the tour.

"Maybe because I don't like berries, or yogurt, and I don't know what 'parfait' means but I'm pretty sure I won't like that either! Give me some apple pie with ice cream, dammit!"