Random Collection of Pictures January 2025

I often capture pictures on my phone that I'm interested in or have a memory attached to them. But they stay on my phone. Eating up cloud storage and lost in the myriad of pictures. I finally realized - duh, I have a blog I can upload a few pictures to and use the captions to explain the significance. So I hope to continue this series of Random Collection of Pictures for the months where there are enough to upload.

Fort Hays during the winter. The last time I went inside the  buildings was with David during 2015 visit.

I served as the webmaster for the Geoscience Information Society in 2024.

I find this map snippet interesting - Mt Sunflower highest point in Kansas, Black Mesa highest point in Oklahoma (both over 4,000 feet) and then scrolling westward towards Raton Pass 3000 ft higher than Black Mesa.

One of those weird things: a State Highway in Kansas turns into a dirt road at the Colorado border and Colorado posted a road closed sign when wet.

The short Kansas State Highway 191 that connects US 281 to the center of the 48 states. I know that county very well.

Pretty cool chart of types of wetlands -- what's a fen or what's a swamp

I came across this picture of me when I was searching staff pictures for the Dean's retirement party. Probably 2010.

I caught this picture of brewing storm.

A very interesting picture from a restaurant table mat. You can see how the Tennessee River carved its way through what is now Signal and Elder mountains. And the depth between the Plateau and Dunlap. You can see Chattanooga listed at the 5:00 position. 

Look at that geology map: the eastern part of the state with several changes of color hues. I mean there are part of the Ozarks, part of the Osage Cuestas, the Flint Hills, and the very abnormal Chautauqua Hills dominated by thick cedars and sandstone. And then about 1/3 of the way heading west - the colors become more similar east to west than the eastern part of north to south. The Kansas River (the Kaw) is the only river in the Great Plains that does not have a starting stream in the Rockies, instead the starting stream is in the eastern plains of Colorado. Also for more interesting stuff -- there's an old rift hidden under the Eastern part of Kansas that is connected to the rift that created the Great Lakes.

The Four Factors that Led Me to Westmar College

I am planning a return visit to Northwest Iowa -- this has long been on my list of things to do. It has been 40 years since I've been there. Am I anxious -- a little as things have changed so much. But I feel the need to acknowledge that I grew up so much at Westmar. I was a shy, naive country kid that never lived in a town before going to Westmar, and the community of Westmar College changed me to who I am today. 

Occasionally, you gotta recognize your roots to know where you are.

I recalled my high school senior year the other day about choosing a college. I only applied to United Methodist colleges and did not submit one application to a public college or university. I did want to apply to one public college in New Mexico, but my parents nixed that idea lol. I think being a UMC PK, applying to UMC colleges seemed to be the right thing to do; but, I really never had a conversation with my parents about college. It was up to me. My choice.

When the push came to shove about deciding where I was going, three colleges were left: Baker University, Southwestern College, and Westmar. Two colleges in Kansas and one in northwest Iowa.

Baker dropped out early for all of us -- they weren't that interested in me and offered a really nonchalant financial aid package. I did run into quite a few Baker students when I began graduate school at KU in Lawrence as Baker was just down the road -- by whom I ran across, I really was not a good fit for Baker four years earlier.

We visited Southwestern College first in Winfield, Kansas. I was not impressed. And I don't recall any excitement from my parents either.

Then came Westmar. Did they pull out all of the stops for us or what! But it was two states away and a bit further than either parent wanted me to be.

Four factors influenced my decision to go to Westmar:

1.  A very persistent and personable Director of Admissions. Valda Embree called me several times and sent me letters. I felt welcomed.

2. By far, the best financial aid package given with an academic scholarship, a PK discount, a large scholarship for Kansas residents attending Westmar, and much more. 

3. During my overnight visit placement at Westmar, Valda was smart. She placed me with a student on the 1st Floor, Wernli Hall. Not only welcomed but felt included too. Wernli became my college home for 4 years (minus my off-campus studies in D.C.)

4. And then the deciding factor, one that I did not share with my parents because it might have hurt their feelings some. This was before the advent of the Web and social media. Westmar provided the opportunity to escape the bubble-wrapped PK fishbowl that many PKs find themselves in. I could become who I wanted because no one knew who I was before attending Westmar. That freedom set me on my life journey.

Now, I have the opportunity to say goodbye to Westmar College, which died in 1997. Westmar alumni numbers have been dwindling the past 25 years as no new alumni have been added. For me, closing the chapter.

Remembering Mom: Lola Hunter

November 2023 was supposed to be a fun family month. Daughter came down for two weeks to encompass celebrating her mother's birthday and to celebrate the holiday and son and daughter in law were to join all of us in the holiday celebration as well. Well those things did happen but for me it was not the joyful moment I envisioned. 

My mom died November 13, 2023.

It's really hard when both parents are gone. When your beautiful mom leaves this journey, it is hard anyway. Making it a double-whammy when there's no parent left to connect to your past. I moved along rudderless for days afterwards. I enjoyed moments the best I could. 

What made it harder for me was that my mom and I did not connect on the same level as my dad and I. I think that is true with any child, there are different connections with either parent. For mom and me, it was a lot of support. She might not have always understood everything I was doing, or what I was researching, but she always supported me. She was the only one in my family of five who did not graduate from college, but she was so smart about things that we encounter in life. That silent, personal touch can go by unnoticed in life until it's no longer there. Then there's the discovery of a void from it not being there.

Before I present the text of my remarks at mom's burial service, there are two things that I remember and connect to with so much emotional attachment.

Mom told me while she was shopping for shoes for me that she wanted to buy shoes for each of us. Her childhood was really really hard. Born in the heart of the Great Depression and Dust Storms, mom learned to save and not spend. She said that shoes were in her family a scarcity. She wore shoes that were worn out, did not fit her feet, just to have something to wear to school. I was in middle school when I heard this, but I was still aware enough to feel how hard that statement was to make for her. It made me feel very grateful for what I had.

Mom was a creative person. She could draw, she could paint.  She could make a pattern out of drawing and bring it to fruition into a painting. A creative person feels a lot more and what is affecting them.  Creativity was an outlet from that. I am grateful for Mom showing me without even knowing it that creativity is a release point along this journey in life.

One of my favorite pictures of mom and me. Picture was from 1985 - I still in my permed hair and still skinny.

 I read the following remarks at mom's burial service. 

Our mother died on Monday morning.

November 13, 2023.

Which would have been our Dad's 90th birthday. Birth and Death. For us, we will remember a birth and death on the same day. 

Our parents in November 1965 had their birthdays connected to death. In 1965, Dad's dad, or our grandfather Hunter, died on my mom's birthday; and five days later, my Mom's dad, or our grandfather Taylor, died on my Dad's birthday.

November birthdays for our parents were never the same again.

My mom and dad lived together in a long, loving marriage -- their lives intertwined with faith, hope, and love. That faith, hope, and love helped my mom transition effortlessly to be a preacher's wife. She connected with church members with her smile that greeted you before the words hello. She connected by being the same person she always was.

Intertwined faith, hope, and love.

Even though each one of her children left home for college and on our life journeys, she always supported us -- made sure we received our birthday cards each year -- and loved us no matter where we were. 

Our mom loved to be creative--painting, coloring, and she loved to draw and sketch. 

We are here today to celebrate her life -- a life filled with love, joy, and happiness -- and that she loved us so much, had so much hope for us, and always had faith in us.

Love you Mom