Heading back to Missouri today, I left our Littleton farm very early in order to beat the heat on the Great Plains; as a result, I encountered mild air (60s F) all the way to the Kansas line. Nevertheless, by the time I reached Hays, my overnight destination, it was 93 degrees, headed for 100.
Since it was only late morning, I decided to visit Ft. Hays State University where I knew that large shade trees would offer a comfortable retreat until my hotel room was available. Sitting on a bench along the Quad, I watched as two Mississippi kites skimmed the treetops, feasting on insects. I also observed a prairie falcon, perhaps the same one that attacked my wife and I back in July of 2022.
But the most emotional observation of the morning was a number of students wearing bellbottoms. Of course, this took me back to my own college days when such garb was standard, if not expected. On my way to the hotel, I stopped at a sports bar for lunch where (I kid you not) Bellbottom Blues was playing on the sound system. I knew the feeling.
