Last year at this time, we were in a ten day arctic freeze. I live in Northeastern Kansas, and though cold weather is not unheard of here, that many days in a row of frigid temperatures is very unusual. It started easing up on my birthday (I think it was a high of 10 degrees that day) but I was tired of the extreme cold and resolved I did not want to be in Kansas for my birthday in 2022.
February 2021: when the arctic blast was easing up, we bundled up and headed to our local levee for a much-needed outdoor walk. This is a picture of the boat ramp to the Kansas (or Kaw) River. The blue sky and the white snow remains breathtaking for me.
Well, I am in Kansas for my birthday, and it’s mostly okay. We traveled to New Mexico last October and it was a wonderful trip. The delightful scenery is still staying with me and I don’t want to take on another trip right now after all.
This is a picture of me sliding down a sandy hill at White Sands National Park in Alamagordo, NM.
But part of being home in Kansas in the winter is that I get restless, and want to be outside. Fortunately, we are having mild weather now, which takes less outer-wear to spend time outside. This morning we ended up at Baker Wetland’s for our walk. Being a wetlands, it has several ponds, with marsh and other grasses surrounding the ponds. It’s located on the south end of the city, so one quickly sees countryside. It helps me feel like I have left town, which is pleasing.
Although I wasn’t fast enough to capture it in a picture, a coyote crossed our path today!
This morning we decided to walk on a path in the small wooded area that borders the Wakarusa River. We hadn’t ventured on this path before, and it was a welcome change from our routine walks. But the path may have been best suited for critters. After I took this picture, and continued forward, the path ran out. We decided to walk into the wooded area and find the actual trail which we knew was north of us.
I love the muted colors of winter: the different shades of brown, highlighted with the gentle blue winter sky.
After walking through scratchy underbrush, then in a gulley, which may actually be a creek in summer, we did indeed find the public trail, and happily scampered back on it. This is a picture of the now-shallow Wakarusa River, while walking on the trail and heading back to our car.
I remarked to my husband that I don’t need to take a long trip to have an enjoyable and adventurous time. We can have our local excursions and still get home in time for lunch!
Lorna's Meanderings 
You have walked through some very interesting scenery.
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Thanks, we enjoy our sites along our walks.
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At first I thought you were snow-sledding in flipflops and a t-shirt! I was ready to grumble about it from snowy Canada until I read further. 🙂
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I know, right? I probably could have used more editing to get the flow a bit better. I definitely bundle up if I am touching snow!
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I got cold just thinking of your walk & remember walking around Clinton Lake when lived in Lawrence. I miss that but New Mexico weather is warmer. Love your adventures.
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Thanks, Carolyn! I didn’t mention that as the morning moved on, that northwest wind increased. I bet you don’t miss that either. We loved the New Mexico weather last October, and know we would enjoy it now too.
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