The Final Leg

Getting up on Sunday morning, we went to the breakfast bar at the motel and had a decent breakfast.  Most motels anymore have good, or at least decent breakfast areas anymore, but some still don’t “get it.”  This one seemed to be fine.

We packed up and checked out, knowing that we would be leaving for home after church services.  We got to the new building a few minutes early, and knew where we were going because we went by the place the evening before.  Going in, we were met by a couple of people we knew from way back when, and Brent also soon found us.

We took a quick tour of the building, and were told of future remodeling plans and how they envisioned church being done then.  But soon, it was time to start the Bible class.

Class was a 25 or so minute video, the last in the series, on the names of God by Tony Evans.  It was a good video and class, and I made a mental note to look up that series for our own use at RiverWalk.

The worship was typical Church of Christ.  Brent’s lesson was done without notes and with enthusiasm and passion.  I really hope that the folks there know what gems he and Diana are, and treat them well.

In our discussions of why the church has grown, Brent and Diana tell me that it didn’t happen overnight…just a gradual, over the last 20 years thing that is the result of the church loving God, loving others, and serving the world (to borrow a phrase from Thom Ranier’s book “Simple Church”).  Evidently, in the early 1990’s, the church was on the verge of closing its doors.  One or two of the members were always, it seemed, the wet blankets for any new ideas or ways of doing things.  But those members went away, and the church began to blossom.

One thing that stands out is the number of little children in the church, and the truly intergenerational nature of the congregation.  There were only a few there who were older than we are (mid 60’s), but many in the child-rearing years and younger.  Brent tells me that they started years ago with just a few younger ones, who brought their friends, who brought their friends.  And families stay there.  Kids marry, have children of their own, and stick around.  Yes, some leave upon graduation, but many stay there…at least in the church there.  The congregation was young, vibrant, and passionate.  It was alive.

The children’s ministry is going strong, as is the youth ministry.  Parents and church members volunteer their time and effort in these two ministries, and the effect is telling.  Not only do the kids learn and grow, but so do the parents and volunteers.  The inter-generational nature of those ministries forms a bond between generations that carries forward into adulthood and is the envy of many churches who wonder what they can do to foster better inter-generational interaction and understanding.  Maybe, just maybe, the answer lies, at least in part, in finding opportunities for inter-generational interaction within the congregational organism.  Be intentional in befriending.  Don’t rely on paid staff to do all of the youth and children’s ministry.  Be involved.  Give yourself.  It seems to work in Goodland, Kansas…maybe they could teach us larger churches something.

Following a great time with the congregation there, we went to eat at what used to be Ray’s restaurant…now remodeled into a Mexican place.  Brent and Diana accompanied us and we visited more while we ate fajitas, enchiladas, beans, and rice.  The food was good, and so was the conversation.

Reluctantly, we said our good-byes and left the restaurant.  Heading out toward I-70, we took one last look at one of our favorite places in all the world, Goodland, Kansas, and headed down the road for home.

(Addendum:  The trip home was uneventful.  We arrived in good time that afternoon, unpacked, and decompressed, thankful for the opportunity to see what we saw and experience what we experienced.  God is Good!)

Goodland...the City

I mentioned last time that Brent and Diana Flanders had their sister Fawn staying with them in their home…and so couldn’t accommodate us there and had to put us up in a motel.  It was good to see Fawn again.  She was one of the starting five of the Goodland Cowgirls basketball team that became state 3A champions back in the last 1970’s (1979, I think).  I worked at the radio and TV station in Goodland at the time, and we followed them all the way to the championship game, taping the game and rebroadcasting it back in Goodland at a later time.  We also carried it live on the radio.  I was on the “travel squad” that went to those games for the station, and from time to time did some “color” work on the radio during the games.  She, Nyla Wilson, Bev Musselwhite, Cheryl Cooper, and Ann Jarmin made up the starting five of the team.  It was made even better because it was shortly after Title IX came out guaranteeing equal opportunity for women as well as men in sports activities…and the Goodland women proved themselves capable of playing “with the big boys.”

The Flanders family and we ate at a steak place in downtown Goodland.  As with many smaller towns, the downtown area isn’t what it used to be.  There are empty store fronts, and stores that used to be integral parts of the community no longer are there.  But the community seems to be making the best of it, and the businesses along the Interstate, even though most are chains, seem to be doing fairly well.

Brent tells me that there used to be over 5,000 people in Goodland itself; now there are not even 5,000 in the entire county.  That’s rather sad, because Goodland is a good place to live, work, and raise a family.  The people there work hard, deal honestly, and uphold the basic values that we appreciate and love.  The climate can be a bit harsh in the winter, but most summer nights, one can open the windows and let the cool, 60 degree breeze waft through the house…even when it reaches 100 during the day.  Goodland is the beginning of a more mountain-type climate.

Work opportunities are primarily agribusiness, services (plumbing, HVAC, etc) and education.  There is some tourism opportunity there, and for someone who would like to begin some kind of manufacturing small business, there is good vocational education there as well as a workforce that would show up, on time, on the day they were supposed to be there, and provide a day’s work for a day’s wage.

We were there only five years, but continue to enjoy our visits there and miss being there to enjoy the people, the climate, and the community.  It’s a different world and a different culture, but we enjoy both immensely.

Our purpose for stopping in Goodland was two-fold.  I wanted to reconnect with Brent and Diana, and I wanted to attend church services there.  We were active in the church when we lived there,, and I wanted to know how it was doing.  We had heard that the church had grown out of the old building, and had purchased a new (to them) building and were remodeling it.  Evidently, over the years, it had grown from about 20 to in the neighborhood of 85 to 100 in attendance.  As you may guess, that is relatively unheard of in any circle, but especially in a smaller community in Northwest Kansas that is losing population, how is that happening?  I wanted to know.

We had opportunity to visit at length with Brent and Diana, and to a lesser extent with Kevin and some others who were members of the congregation.  We got to experience the dynamics of a worship service and see for ourselves the nature of the congregation there.  And that’s the topic of the next blog…stay tuned.

Alternate Arrangements

We are nearing the end of our 9 day vacation to Western Colorado.  We have left Fort Collins after a pleasant overnight stay at a motel there and a peek at NIST radio station WWV.  Heading out on Highway 34 through Greeley, we got into the Eastern plains of Colorado…countryside that we both are much more familiar with.

We stopped at a small park in Otis to use the restroom.  Normally, those kinds of facilities are notoriously unclean, so I went into my side first.  Finding it pleasantly serviceable, I told the wife, and we took advantage of the facilities there.  Otis, by the way, is a small town of about 600 folks…they evidently do a good job of keeping that little park clean.

We went on to Wray and found a restaurant on the west side.  It was a typical place like one would find in a small town.  We ate our lunch and the waitress asked us about dessert.  She said they had homemade strawberry ice cream, which I ordered.  More strawberries than ice cream, it was the perfect topper to the decent meal.

As we went on down the road, it became more and more apparent that we would run into some rain somewhere along the way.  We did…at Haigler, or rather, just south of Haigler as we entered into Kansas.  The showers were heavy at times, and lasted for about 20 miles or so until we got almost to St Francis.

Now the territory was more familiar to us.  We have both driven this road before, and some of the landmarks were still there from years ago.  Long stretches of wheat fields were ready to be cut.  They looked great, and I’m sure resulted in a lot of bushels per acre.  They got rains at just the right time for a bumper crop.

We entered Goodland, and rather quickly turned East on the old highway toward Edson.  Our motel for the night was the Kuhrt Ranch 9 miles north of Edson, owned and operated by the Flanders family.  Brent Flanders is the preacher at the Goodland Church of Christ, and invited us to stay there.

Turning north just west of Edson, we made our way to the ranch on the west side of the road.  We knew we would room in the bunkhouse, so we first went there.  Going in, it looked like someone was staying there.  We went to the house to see if Paul Flanders or his wife were home.  No one was there but a couple of outdoor dogs.  Not having Brent’s phone number or knowing where he lived, we went around the back to see if the patriarch, Jim Flanders was home.  No luck there either.

We were about to leave when I decided to follow another road path farther onto the section.  Sure enough, a newer house was back there.  I pulled up and got out.  I heard some people talking in the back yard.  Going back, I found them and as non-threateningly as I could (one never knows in this country who shoots first and asks questions later), told of our plight and asked if they knew Brent and Diana Flanders.

They did.  Turns out that the people who live there are Paul Flander’s wife’s parents.  And Paul is Brent and Diana’s son who lives in the house next to the bunkhouse.  She called Brent for me, and we got things straightened out.

It seems Paul and Brent weren’t together on the bunkhouse, and Paul had rented it to someone else for that weekend.  Brent graciously had gotten us a room at a motel in Goodland, and paid for it as well.  He also told us that they lived in Edson, and to come on in.  We said good-bye, went on in to Edson, and had a great conversation with Brent and Diana in their newer home on the edge (actually, all of Edson is kind of on the edge of town…) of town.  Then we went into Goodland where Brent put us up in the motel for the night.  They couldn’t put us in their home because they had relatives (sister Fawn and her family) staying with them that evening.

To Kansas Via Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park and Fort Collins are our next destinations.  We left Eagle following a great breakfast at the B & B, said our good-byes, and headed East on I-70.  We ended up taking kind of a back way to the park by getting off of the Interstate and on to Highway 131 at Wolcott.  Taking that highway to a secondary road called Trough Road, we then headed Eastward toward Kremmling and US 40, which will later connect with Highway 34 through the park.

That decision, although at times we kind of wondered, since Trough Road was a gravel road for many miles before changing into asphalt, was one of the more beautiful drives we have taken.  Following the Colorado River valley, we saw sights that not many tourists would see.  We were fairly alone on the road, only occasionally encountering a local, or perhaps a rafter.  This road, if you’re in the area, is a must-travel.

At Kremmling, we took a pit stop and found Highway 40, which in turn took us to Highway 34 at Granby.  That, by the way, is also the beginning of Highway 34.  Through the park, the highway is also known as Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous highway in the United States, topping out at over 12,100 feet in elevation.  We were looking forward to the drive through the park, as neither of us had ever been there before.

The senior park pass we purchased at Black Canyon National Park (Ten dollars if you are 62 or over and a resident of the USA…gets you into pretty much all national parks and other federally-controlled areas where a fee is charged.) got us entrance to the park.  It’s a lifetime pass, and also buys discounts on camping, boating, and other fees.  It’s a bargain, because the entrance fee for one day to Black Canyon was $15, and the fee for RMNP was $20.  We got both for $10,and still have the pass, good for my lifetime.

If you don’t like mountain driving, don’t do this road.  If you do, and you drive, just watch the road and look at the scenery at the stopping places along the way.  The trip across Trail Ridge was a high point (literally as well as otherwise) for us.  We stopped at a rest area and hiked a trail that took us up another 250 or so feet in a half-mile distance to a rock outcropping that was a high spot in that area.  From there, beautiful vistas opened up to us, and we marveled at not only that, but also the mosses and fragile wild flowers that were growing there.  Far above the tree line, there isn’t much there except those kinds of plants.  And they are very fragile indeed.  Words don’t do justice to this park.

By the way, the tree line is a rather sharp demarcation of trees/no trees.  There is a small area of scrubby brush-like plants, but within just a relatively small change in elevation, the trees disappear.

We descended on the eastern side of the park and after going through a lot of winding roads and some towns, came to the front range…relatively flat and straight compared to where we had been.  I was tired from all of the mountain driving, and was glad to get to the hotel.  The woman who checked us in called next door at a steakhouse to see if we could be seated for dinner immediately.  We could, so we put our things in our room, and walked next door for a meal.  I was too tired to drive around trying to find a place to eat…and this was a good alternative to that.  The stay was uneventful at the motel, and we took off refreshed the next morning for Kansas.

Just before we left, however, we drove north of Fort Collins and found the radio stations operated by the federal government that provide accurate time signals for much of North America and anywhere one could receive the shortwave signals.  WWV is an old station, and is well-known to broadcast engineers, HAM operators, and others who rely on time signals for various purposes.  It also broadcasts an ultra-low frequency signal (60kHz) that is used by clocks and other devices that automatically set themselves to the correct time.

Of course, we couldn’t get entrance to the grounds, but I managed a couple of photos from the road next to the place.  We didn’t stay long as I didn’t want to arouse any suspicions that I might be there for some nefarious purpose.  We rejoined Highway 34 and headed east toward Kansas via Haigler, Nebraska.

Zuberfizz and Pizza

While at Eagle, Colorado, one of the first places we went was to the welcome and visitor center.  Besides the normal place where one can buy trinkets, shirts, etc., they had a small museum, a caboose, and a couple more small outbuildings.  The man in the museum charges a dollar each to go through the museum.  It was worth the dollar, especially when we came to an old wringer washer, powered by an electric motor (some have gas engines), that when you moved a lever, operated an ice cream freezer that was hanging off to the side of the contraption.  This must have been quite the appliance back in its day!

The man at the museum was chatty, but not overbearing.  We talked about many things, including the name of a bush that was growing all around the area.  It had bright yellow flowers, and bloomed all summer long, they said.  No one seemed to know the name, however.  He even called someone, but they didn’t know.  He said he would continue checking, and if we would come back, he might have the name for us.

We checked out the other buildings, the river which was flowing right beside the grounds, and bought a few things in the visitor center.  They were selling chocolates by the piece in there, and I bought a caramel chocolate that had a little coarse sea salt sprinkled on the top of it.  It was much better than I thought it would be!

We inquired of several people of good places to eat.  One of them, the Dusty Boot, was in the south part of town, which was a newer section.  We had lunch there…and were one of just a few people eating there.  I had a turkey, peach, goat cheese, grilled red pepper sandwich on sourdough.  I forget the name of the sandwich, but it was pretty good!

 We took a road south out of town, and followed it for several miles up a canyon until we came onto the Sylvan Lake State Park and visitor center.  We stopped at the center and looked around, used the restrooms, and left again.  We never entered the park because of the cost, but found the trip and the center to be interesting.

Going back to the visitor center in Eagle, we found the man in the museum.  He had the name of the bush, and gave it to me.  Of course, I can’t find the name of it now that I’d like to tell you what it is.  Oh well…such is the way life is sometimes.  (Addendum:  It's potentilla, aka cinquefoil.)

The second evening, we drove around a bit and ended up at a pizza place just a block from the B & B.  Called “Pickups,” it was pretty much a “to go” place, although they did have one table there.  We ordered a pizza and waited there.  We also got some soda there…Zuberfizz root beer from the Zuberfizz plant in Durango.  We didn’t know of the plant in Durango or would have toured it while we were there.  They make 8 different kinds of sodas, all of the ingredients for which come from Colorado or Utah.  They also use sugar instead of corn sweetener.  Good stuff.  You can go online and order a 15 pack of assorted Zuberfizz products and have them shipped to you.  By the way, the pizza was great!  We went to the visitor center and ate at a picnic table that was set up there.

Next morning, we were packed and headed east on I-70 for the turn to Rocky Mountain National Park.  That will be in the next installment.

The B & B Beckons

(I am chronicling our recent trip to Western Colorado.  Here’s another installment).

I’m going to back up a day or so to our overnight stay in Silverton.  We did some shopping on Tuesday morning before the train left for Durango.  We found a shop with all kinds of the normal touristy things in it.  Normally, I take a quick look around and am ready to get out quickly.  This time, something caught my eye.  There were a few bowls on a shelf that looked a little different than the normal tourist things.

These bowls looked, well, unique.  I found that they were made of some kind of light wood…all one piece.  They were sanded and lacquered and looked really good.  A man by the name of Luke Duncan evidently makes them.  I found one in my price range and bought it.  I asked the woman if she would ship, and for a small fee, she did ship the bowl to our son in Wichita.  It’s not a bowl that one would eat from; it’s more decorative.

We headed north out of Durango on 550.  It parallels the railroad in spots, but otherwise, takes it’s own path through the mountains.  A genuine mountain drive, it was filled with curves, canyons, and great scenery.  We pulled into Silverton via road after awhile and stopped at the welcome center…a place we hadn’t seen when we were there the day before.

A few minutes later, we continued on 550 toward I-70 farther north.  On the way, we encountered continued mountain driving, hairpin curves, mountain passes, blind turns, deep canyons, and a great place to stop along the way…Bear Creek Falls is right at the side of the highway, and they’ve made a place where vehicles can stop along the road.  They’ve also built a viewing deck over the edge of the canyon and where one can see the entire falls and enjoy it’s beauty and power.  You really need to stop here if you go that way.

We went a little farther and took a detour to the Black Canyon National Park east of Montrose a few miles.  A must see, it is readily accessible, and there are many great views on a path that is easily negotiated.  As in many of the places we saw, words don’t do justice to the incredible scenery and the awesome sights.  So I decided to not even try very hard to do that in these blogs.  You’ll have to go see these things for yourself.

After lunch, we made it to I-70 and turned eastbound toward our destination…a B & B in Eagle.  Called The Hitching Post, it was the only B & B in this part of Colorado that was listed as a member of the Colorado Bed & Breakfast Association.  We have two nights scheduled there, and are looking forward to a little quiet and rest following several days of noise, people, and mountain driving.

The Hitching Post is a place you would want to stop at for that peace and quiet.  In 1908, John Love built the house using plans from Sears Roebuck.  It has a certain charm that comes from age and the craftsmanship of years ago.  The woman who runs the B & B is a great example of a hostess who anticipates the needs of her guests, and quietly makes sure those needs are met…and then some.

The front porch is a good place to read, visit, or just take in the mountain air.  There is hardly any need for air conditioning in that part of Colorado, and one can sleep with the windows open at night.  The outdoor gardens are filled with various kinds of plants and flowers, and are a joy to behold.

This was our starting point over the next couple of days for some getting-acquainted activities.  One of the first places we stopped at was the welcome center in Eagle.  I’ll begin with that in the next post.