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  Visiting for an entirely different purpose, we stumbled upon the early moments of the Pony Express Pumpkin Fest in St. Joseph.  Stacks of pumpkins rose high into the air alongside the museum, and a variety of activities were already beginning to get underway.  Having not planned for this, we decided to escape before the crowd grew to extreme proportions.

  Taking part in an annual fundraiser enabled a few photos of the Belvoir Winery and Inn out in Liberty.  Battery power proved itself on short supply this date, so only a few photos came through. . . . further reading Baby Grace Foundation – Uplifting Families with Young Children Belvoir Winery and Inn

  In attendance for the ribbon cutting at the new Early Learning Center for the North Kansas City School District found lots of pomp and circumstance.   Indeed, more of the latter than the former.  It will be interesting to see how this unfolds over the next few years. . . . further reading Home - Early Education Center (nkcschools.org)

Hearing that they legendary Willie Nelson would be in town again, the decision was made to make the pilgrimage out to have a listen one more time, in spite of the growing concern surrounding COVID.  Tickets and precautionary measures in place, the night proved a fantastic evening of flashbacks and introductions. Arriving in time to catch the opening act, disappointment at conditions surrounding entry delayed the situation. The coordination by staff at the venue was clumsy at best, and undoubtedly not COVID aware or sensitive.  A full house of people, which appeared to have arrived all at the same time, were mostly unmasked, crowding through two entry points. Seats were located and secured just in time to catch the last tune from George Thorogood and the Destroyers, followed immediately by a quick set change.  Although it had been quite a few years since catching the act, he played as his electric-slide-blues style as good as ever.   Willie Nelson & Family to...

The annual Wet and Dry Fourth of July in Florence returned with a blast of water in all directions.  There proved to be very little that was dry about the event.   The misery of the past year was duly washed away as water cannons fired in every direction from the parade and participants.  The whole town turned out, and then some, for some good clean fun. Of course, later in the evening, fireworks lit up the night sky in fierce celebratory blasts, marking the end of a brief era of chaos and a new beginning outside the realm of COVID.

Prior to opening for their regular season, the Worlds of Fun parking lot hosted a display of animatronic and statuary dinosaurs. Creatures large and small greeted surveyors, taking their money with great joy. All were well-labeled and caged for everyone's protection. Those that were not caged were easily avoided. All in all, it proved interesting for the young, leaving parents short only a handful of bills.