Little House on the Prairie Museum, Independence, KS

We took a drive out to the Little House on the Prairie Museum near Independence, Kansas.  It was another brisk Kansas day but with gorgeous open blue skies.  Fall colors are now on the tail-end of being beautiful with trees becoming more bare. 

The one room cabin is a replica but shows how Laura Ingalls Wilder might have lived in the late 1800's.  It is believed that this is the birthplace of Baby Carrie of "Little House on the Prairie".  Being at the home site, it was easy to imagine the stillness of the prairie and possibly the sounds of wolves howling!  I closed my eyes and thought about what it might be like to live in such rough conditions in terrible snowy weather!

There was a small garden, a 19th Century one-room schoolhouse, hand dug well, and of course, meadows.  Quite a sweet little walk through the past. 

Weekend activities....

Weekend activities can be just about anything.  From laundry (glad our RV has it's own combined washer/dryer) to visits to shops in town and the local library.  And from peanut snacking (my bag contained a 3-nut peanut) to biking and exploring.   Saturday, we had the wonderful pleasure of a visit from Fred and Kim.  We had an amazing tour of the Amazon Fulfillment Center and a nice lunch at the local buffet.  The wind blowing here in Kansas made outdoor activities not so fun that day and Sunday, but Monday was beautiful.  The turning leaves are still so nice and the bikes make it easy to enjoy them.  We found a neat trail near the parks and ball stadium.  After a busy day, Larry makes a grilled steak for our dinner tonight - yum!  Here are a few random photos.     

Dancing in the ballroom of the Brown Mansion

We danced today in the great ballroom of the Brown Mansion in Coffeyville, Kansas. The home was completed in 1906 for W.P. Brown, area businessman. The ballroom is over 900 sq. feet and had men's smoking areas as well as a woman's fainting room. Double doors opened out onto the balcony where fine orchestras once played. All of this was on the third floor of this 16 room, 3-story mansion. The main floor had beautiful wood floors, the same as the ballroom, hand-painted patterned walls and ceilings in some rooms, and an exquisite Tiffany glass chandelier in the dining room and Tiffany lead-glass at the front door. Larry noticed and inquired about an original Edison light bulb that still burned to this day! They were quite different than today's light bulbs. The second floor bedrooms were wonderful to see with original furnishings in much of the mansion. There was even a manual rope-pull elevator! We especially enjoyed the part of the tour that included the basement. It was unbelievable how big the space was! Wine cellar, pantry, walk-in icebox, butler quarters, laundry area, and more! There was even a full-length bowling lane which, unfortunately, had the wooden floors removed to save the whole home from termite destruction. This beautiful find is certainly one we will return to visit later in the year to see it decked out for the Christmas holidays.  Thanks, Gary & Linda, for visiting this mansion with us - we enjoyed your company and lunch very much!

Here is the chamber web link for more information: 

http://www.coffeyvillechamber.org/Brown-Mansion-35983.asp

Amazon Book Order Arrives!

We just love receiving an Amazon order!  Another box of books has arrived to share with Adler who has a tremendous love of reading.  Although there are miles between us right now, we can still read together -thanks to FaceTime calling and Skype! 

We have already enjoyed the book titled "I Love You Through and Through".  Adler was so cute, mimicking the pictures in the book!  We are looking forward to our next call when we can read "How do Dinosaurs say Goodnight?" or some of my favorite Little Critter books (we have to look for the little spider).

We love you through and through, Adler! 

Amazon book haul!

You skipped a page, Papa!

I can read all by myself!

Even Super Heroes read... especially books about Super Heroes...