Chase County Chamber Connect meetings  are an educational value for local business and community supporters.  Yesterday it was a pleasure to get to visit Camp Wood and enjoy the beauty of the camp while getting a little time to learn from their staff how they are reaching out through social media to parents and campers.  They are all ready for summer camp season and are looking forward to  hosting youth and offering opportunities for them to learn new skills and  enjoy favorite past times such as skate boarding and fun of all kinds,  During the summer they welcome campers Sunday afternoons to stay, play and learn the whole week till Saturday when parents return to  retrieve their children. There is a beautiful dining hall overlooking the green hills and the eastern and western skies.   There is lake for swimming and canoeing.  There is basic horse camp and then wrangler camp.   

The invitation is also out to parents to take some time to  refresh and recharge those weekends and have some time together as a family in the beautiful Flint Hills, to learn about your child's week of camp and experience it as well.  For families we offer the Tallgrass Preserve,  guest ranches for horseback riding, Chase County lake for  fishing, disc golfing, swimming pool,  playgrounds, historic Courthouse and main street ambiance.  It is just a peaceful small town and place to relax. Spring Streets large guestrooms with king size beds and additional beds for children are ideal along with home made breakfasts and snacks.  Our guests feel right at home! Please contact us at springstreetreservations@gmail.com to learn more. 

This week I enjoyed getting to join with 164 others who met at the main street conference center in  Lindsborg.  This was described as  meeting of "doers".   And that is how I see myself.  Much prefer action and not just talk.  Kansas Sunflower Sampler organizes these annual events.  Excellent community spirit and positive attitudes.  Loved getting to see and hear the "Powerups" (ages 21-39) and their visions and thoughts. They are finding "quality of life" here in the wonderful state of Kansas. Fresh air, freedom, easy commutes, excellent schools, caring neighbors, and safe communities.  Inspiring to learn about the medical practice intent on serving general medical needs in small communities.  Inspiring to hear of others willing to invest their own resources of capital and  preserving building and joining in the community spirit.  And those seeking to learn the needs within the community and providing a valued service or product  and committing to care for their families in these communities.   I have a new list of ideas and will be seeking to put these into action. 

Understandably people are sensitive when others start talking about their livelihoods.  I was a little skeptical when I started hearing about the research project "Bio-fuels and Land Use Project".    Here are a few pictures from the books that I am including in the Spring Street Retreat library.  Some of the pictures look familiar of my own experience.  There are also photo's of conservation management practices and of the last small remnant of native prairie grass that we know as the Flint Hills of Kansas.   I love people pictures and glad to see the photographer's own parents and "homeplace".   The  gallery exhibit has very colorful photo's of  a variety of people who live off the land and another perspective of the resources available here.

It was another lovely dinner with fascinating Kansas author's.  Enjoyed hearing  Jim Hoy several years ago.  This year Larry Schwarm spoke of his photography work for the  "Biofuels and Climate Change: Farmers' Land Use Decisions" research project by Kansas University, Kansas State University and Wichita State University.   The Wichita Art Museum currently has this work just for a few more days.  As I look through the pictures I know from personal experience that what they represent are people who have the freedom to try to support their families the best they can with the resources that are available.  There are many losses and yet there is great success and great abundance as this nation is very well fed and there is an an abundance to export to other people around the earth.