When Harpo, the Rural Kansas 'Rocks' Foundation President, found out that his human was invited to attend a Rural Leaders Retreat in Valley Falls, Kansas, he thought about it for a couple of months and then gave his permission for his human to venture out into Northeast Kansas - as long as he could come too and continue his mission to visit the various geologic features to be found in Rural Kansas.
So on Monday, January 18th, the President settled comfortably into his padded traveling box in the car trunk and let his human and three of its friends (one must pamper one's human at times to ensure its continued good health, and letting it have playmates seems to do the trick) drive east from the home office in Osborne through Lucas along State Highway 18.
After a comfortable 55-mile ride from Osborne the Foundation President stopped to draw attention to the plight of the enslaved Post Rock Limestone posts being forced to hold up human historical markers in Kansas. Oh, yes, and also to allow his human to contemplate the history of the initial interaction between Native Americans and enroaching American settlers in the 1860s, as this state marker recounts in eastern Lincoln County on State Highway 18.
Here the Foundation President can be seen helping his human and others search for a geocache in the bandstand in the City Park down the road in Tescott, Ottawa County, Kansas. The sandstone he encountered here seemed happy enough, with few serious concerns. Then it was back in the trunk for another comfortable ride.
In the city of Concordia our fearless President joined his human in viewing the Longest Sculpted Brick Mural in the United States. This amazing artwork was completed in 2009 and fronts the Cloud County Museum Annex and Cloud County Tourism Office.
Inside the President signed the Guest Register Book, becoming no doubt the first visiting rock to do so.
The President then toured several of the exhibits inside, including this excellent soda foundation setup.
Weighing in at his usual 35 pounds of solid, well, rock, the President's reading stated that he was solid of character and his future was equally stolid.
Impressed with all that he saw, the President exibited nearly visible excitement at the chance to buy his own pet rock. Painted on the limestone piece is a rendition of the guard tower of the former Camp Concordia World War II-era prisoner-of-war camp. The Tourism Office has an excellent gift store for Kansas products.
On to the north the President checked out the Boyer Museum of Animated Carvings in Belleville. Nominated for the 8 Wonders of Kansas Customs, the museum is home to over 50 handcarved, mechanized motion sculptures that Paul Boyer has created over the past 25+ years.
Harpo's own native magnetism showed when one of Paul's daughters came out to the car trunk and was completely fascinated by him. Harpo is still grinning. Never underestimate the inexplicable draw between humans and rocks!
After a long afternoon and night of rest in the trunk the President came out for a rare opportunity: the chance to commune with the Italian marble used to create the Davis Memorial (a nominee for the Overall 8 Wonders of Kansas) in Hiawatha's Mount Hope Cemetery.
Unfortunately, so much snow had fallen over the past month that the entrance to the cemetery was still blocked with a mound of snow and the gates were locked. In the photo above the President looks forlornly at the Memorial, seen in the distance at left background.
Shaking off the disappointment of the last stop, the President ventured out once more to discuss local issues with the rocks comprising the Wilbur Chapman Monument in White Cloud, Kansas. This monuments commemorates 10-year old Wilbur, who in 1910 sold his prized pig Pete to raise money for a leper colony. This act was celebrated nationwide and inspired the idea of using Piggy Banks to keep money in.
All the exertion of moving around the past two days had taken their toll on the President, and he spent another day and night hanging out in the car trunk. However, on the last day of his human's Retreat Harpo snuck into the final session at the Barn Bed & Breakfast, fulfilling one of the annual requirements of every rock to belong to the RKRF: to attend annually at least one tourist organization meeting, to use the human term. Admittedly Harpo still considers human gatherings to be unbelievably noisy with great waste of energy for motion. His observation is that they really need to curtail their fascination with sugar gliders and five-hour energy drink.
The session done and the Retreat over, the President allowed his human to bundle him up once more. He slept the long trek back home with the knowledge that Kansas geology is both varied and well worth taking the time to get to know better.
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