Chris got a late start this morning due to August deciding he wanted to play with mom and dad from 4:30am to 6:00am this morning. He has learned how to climb out of his bed, and besides he was being so sweet we couldn't say no to some cuddle time. But, then we all went back to sleep when he finally did. So it was a late morning for us all. I had some blueberry muffins leftover that I had made yesterday, which was a nice break from our usual eggs or cereal breakfasts.
As I was putting away the RV hookups, a chatty lady in the next site started talking to me and I got a little distracted. It is really interesting to meet all of the people who work and live at these parks. Lots of retirees as you would expect, but all of their stories are different. This woman and her husband had mowed the Cross Timbers State Park for years, and this year she was doing some PR and other odd jobs instead. She grew up and stayed on a farm about 12 miles away for most of her life. She and her husband just really enjoy the park I suppose to live in an RV so close to home.
About halfway through our drive I realized that while the friendly neighbor was talking to me this morning, I had forgotten to shut a fairly important valve. My brain started scanning worst case scenarios, and breathed a sigh of relief that one of Chris' stop measures was in place so no matter what it couldn't be awful. That Chris is one smart guy. As soon as we stopped again I checked it and luckily no leakage. I hadn't run much water after packing up the hoses, which was a very good thing today!
A few more Kansas observations from the drive today. 80% of the roadkill I've seen is armadillos. I don't think I'd ever seen a live one before, and actually I still haven't. Someday! Also, the land in this area is used primarily for cattle and oil wells from what I can tell. Apparently that's because the topsoil is shallow and rocky so much of it isn't useful for crop farming.
We also drove very close to Wichita, and past the exit for Wichita State. I would love to have seen the campus and do some exploring, but it was the middle of nap time and we don't mess with the sleeping guy during his nap!
After we arrived at the campground we spent some time on the playground basking in the triple digit heat, then went inside the lounge so August could practice all his big boy activities (climbing stairs, getting up into chairs, etc.) over, and over, and over again.
Finally, remember Jay from yesterday? Today on Chris' route there was a 50-mile stretch without any services. About halfway through it Chris came across Jay looking dazed. Chris asked him if he was alright, and he said he was but had run out of water a while back. He was obviously not dealing well with the heat and Chris had been hydrating extra last night and all day and knew he was stopping in 20 miles, so he gave him the rest of his water. He told him not to be afraid to knock on a random house and ask for water if that happens again. Most people don't mind at all, especially in Kansas where friendliness is in the hot, windy air. We hope Jay keeps this in mind! Chris has been meeting lots of great people here, I am excited to see his pictures from today.
Kansas for some reason doesn't have any, which is disappointing. But, they do get extra points for having these bicycling signs. Thanks for helping keep these folks safe, Kansas!
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