I know the area farmers are pleased to have a good portion of their wheat safe in the bin. If I were a wheat farmer, I would be pleased. Marion County seems to have the most stellar looking fields this year. It has been a strange spring weather-wise and the early crops, wildflowers, fruit trees, and garden produce have been provided by a spectacular growing season that started earlier than any old timer remembers. Keep this in mind, youngsters — you might be a living legend in 60 or 70 years, telling about the one-time only Memorial Day weekend wheat harvest.
However, I have so enjoyed watching the acres of grain ripen into postcard-image wheat fields, that I kind of hate to see harvest come to an end. I hope everyone got the photos they wanted of the back-40. I hope the Kansas Departments of Agriculture and Commerce and Tourism are out snapping shots of amber waves of grain even as I type. This season is image gold for many a travel magazine for years to come. Good for us!
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Next up on our community plate is the July Fourth Celebration. I hope you all are at least thinking about it. To be supportive of the event once again, you really should write a check to the organization, volunteer to work at a gate or build the set pieces, put together a family float, or help a neighbor kid decorate a bicycle for the parade.
July Fourth is on a Wednesday this year, but the organization team of Hodges and Hodges has scored a carnival that will set up a day or two before and be in full twirly-mode on the Fourth.
There will be a parade with floats, cars, fire trucks, and horses. There will be a flea market, a car show, kid’s games, dog show, and of course, the ever famous Fireworks Extravaganza! This is the 91st annual event. You need to be there so you can check out the action and start planning for the big 100th celebration in nine more years. I heard that the celebration during the past year shot off more than a million fireworks in the finale, the “Battle of New Orleans.” I understand it is on YouTube if you want to check it out and try to count them.
Dust off your red, white, and blue — we are having a patriotic party here real soon.
— SUSAN MARSHALL