Governor's Cookie Jar: Gonna Do It!

In our town September means the state fair. Traffic picks up, an air of excitement invades our sleepy town and we almost always have rain (none this year yet, however). A visit to the fair is almost mandatory. For some its the carnival games and rides that compels attendance. Others are drawn to the buildings with rows upon rows of booths with vendors handing out freebies. Some love to visit the barns with fine farm animals of every kind. Many people come from around the state to attend the shows at the grandstand. My favorites are the the Domestic Arts Building with its displays of fabric and food entries and the Pride of Kansas building with garden, agriculture and floriculture displays.

In the Domestic Arts Building there are shelves full of baked goods; cookies, breads and cakes.

A Kansas Country Garden: Is This A Good Thing?

Martha, our lone guinea fowl has laid some eggs under the rose bush right next to our home and is now setting on them. Is this a good thing? 

It's a good thing because. . . .

Sourdough Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake Makes Me Smile

Feeling a little blue? A bite or two of blueberries might just cheer you up. Why not? They're good for almost everything else. Full of antioxidants and flavor, not to mention vitamin C, fiber and manganese they are often listed among the most healthy foods to eat. According to the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, they may play a role in cardiovascular health, brain health, insulin response and cancer risk reduction.

A Kansas Country Garden: Surprise! It's a Wet August

Beautiful "surprise" lilies make an unexpected appearance.

Too much rain? In Kansas? In August? Surprise! That's just what we have experienced. After two years of drought and excessive heat, it has been wonderful to have adequate rain and milder temperatures this summer. The gardens have thrived.

A Kansas Country Garden: July Swelters

Hibiscus bloom in the heat of summer.

Each bloom lasts just one day.

If I were a plant, I wouldn't pick July to bloom. No, in July I would waver limp and wilting in the brutal heat yearning for air conditioning and cooler days. Wait a minute. That's what I really do on hot July days.