We took a little road trip to Alcove Spring, a stopping site on the Oregon Trail north of Blue Rapids, Kansas. It's an unattended park managed by a local non-profit. We have been there at least ten times since we moved to Kansas in 1995, and have always found it a relaxing place to visit. We do try to go early in the spring-- later one has to watch out for copperheads. The day was cool (mid 50s F), but fairly windy. The sky was changing constantly between blue sky and clouds.



Approach to the springs:



The springs -- water flows in from the top, and from fissures in the rocks around the sides. Enlarge to see water falling into the spring from above.



The streams in the Alcove have rock beds, mostly cherty limestone, and the area had had rain last night. The water was flowing cold and clear.









A nice view along one of the paths:



Across the road is a separate park, called Emigrant Camp, which is just what it sounds like-- a spot where the wagon trains stopped and camped while they waited their turn to load up on water at the Spring. Its main point of interest today is a cenotaph to an elderly woman who died and was buried there. She was in poor health and was traveling with the wagon train because she wanted to see her son (who had gone ahead to Oregon) one last time before she died. She didn't make it.

valia said:Hi Seil,
Karma told me about this place and I'm glad to see so many of you here. This wonderful group should not be allowed to disappear.

Welcome Anne. We have missed you! So happy to see you here!

David_in_KS said:We took a little road trip to Alcove Spring, a stopping site on the Oregon Trail north of Blue Rapids, Kansas.

Great pictures. Looks like an interesting place. I have a question. How did you insert type between pictures?

You can either type your manuscript, than upload an image, or upload your images and than select your curser after the lightbox in parentheses and add more text. Hope that helps

It's easier if you hit preview after you add an image. Then you can see exactly where the next piece of text should go.

The area around Alcove Spring has several older houses dating (I presume) from the 19th century. Some have been torn down since we started visiting Alcove Spring. A few are still occupied, but more are sitting empty or used for agricultural storage. Here's a good example.

Welcome Ann! Glad you found us all. We are trying to find others, so spread the work. Will Terry join us here?

Oh David, love your trip photos and the history. One of my favorite KS trips was to Hiawatha cemetery where
by grand folks are. Before my grandmother die she took us to where grandfather is . This is when our boys
were young and they talked about that trip all the time.

David, I'll let ya know when we start to bring them out after the 15th of April. We will open up the gardens
the 1st of May if all goes as plan. I had a couple of ladies stop today and they were glad to find me outside
working in the yard. The one lady had seen the I killed all the grass last fall and she was worried that my
beautiful lawn wouldn't come back. She was shocked, it's like you never killed it. She can't wait to come so
she can walk on it. I can tell you, one Brug has reached the ceiling of the Brug house!!

Thanks David and craw garden. I'm about to try to insert text in my post. I took these pictures in my garden today. The azaleas are beginning to bloom but 30 is forecast in a few days and I sure hope we don't loose the blooms. The last three pictures are interesting natives.








The purple azaleas are a variety called Karen. I just love it!










Florida anise




Wild ginger. When I was a kid I loved searching for the little brown jugs or little piggies as we called them. It is a really unusual bloom. I still love searching for them!




Red buckeye. We have a baby buckeye tree coming up under the larger one.

so there was a lot to see and read thanks David and Alice for the pictures. Time changed here passed night so I first have to controle the time and my day was also wrong thought it was monday then I still have a free day . Pity the sun finished it is almost 9 in the morning. Glad Ann they found you .
Here in Holland we donn't have members Engeland on with a camera in the hand other members did not post a long time. Sweden Norway Danmerk Letland also stopped posting France Spain Portugal
Then only the member in Italy living near the sea showed pictures of the sea has cactus and camelias . Then a large part of Europe I had . If we only had the list of donations for whom I. made the embroderyHave a nice day Roelie

Love your red and pink azaleas, Miss Alice. The photo of the buckeye reminds me that when I was growing up, some of the older men would carry a buckeye in a trouser pocket for good luck.

Yay, Valia!! It's so good to see you!!

Nice pics, David! I especially like the paths trailing off through the trees. It looks very peaceful there.

Love the fleur pics, MissAlice! I don't think I'd ever seen Florida anise before. That is quite fancy! The funky flowers on the wild ginger make me think of pitcher plants. Very cool!!

Roelie, yes, I remember the member with the camera in hand. Too funny!! Was that Eltel? I'm hoping that people google Garden Buddies and somehow find this thread, but it seems like everyone and their brother started using the term "garden buddies," so they might never find this.

DJ, I have chatted with Eltel and no luck getting him here. His wife passed and he has a full
plat but I'm glad to hear from him. There is even a GB at FB. Has anyone let EJ know where
we are? Maybe he would like to see we are still keeping GB alive.

Oh, that is so sad about Eltel's wife. I hope all these people who can't find us or won't come back know they are not forgotten.

The more I think about it, the more awful it seems to have shut down GB without some sort of advance warning, or a signup list or redirect link for people to gather someplace else. Some people use these gathering places to release stress and tension, even if they never or only rarely post, or even just to browse the pretty pictures while they drink their tea or coffee. Or to escape chores.

I think a few sights sprung from the old garden web years ago. I think thats the sight where you got sent to disneyland.
The old timers on here were all members of Daves Garden, which went off to cubits for awhile and then finally founded this site. It was very hard to keep people together, some would not except the change and never followed. For me, Daves had a quilting group that I loved and miss but at least the gardeners of all kinds stayed together and have added lots of new friends.

I have daffodils up today!

karmahappytoes said: Has anyone let EJ know where
we are? Maybe he would like to see we are still keeping GB alive.

That's a great idea. Would you like me to contact him or would you like to do it?

This is the most beautiful time of year at my house! If we don't have a late frost (which is, unfortunately, predicted) the azaleas will be the most spectacular they have ever been. The early ones are blooming now but the ones with the huge blooms will be blooming in a week or two.

Thank you for all the pictures I have been looking for names of members but most was posted on GB bu I have some
Susy
Shirley 1
Susan Straszburg
 Monique
Miquel Viss or Viso

Nancy Maslanka Fennville
Penny
Tanya
Sharon
Susan Q she left Gb all a long time, Now I hope to find some addresses of people I send cards and the embroderies I made that clematis and a littl animal for the people who donated gr. Roelie

Mmm, so colorful, MissAlice! I like your circular garden area. I hope the frost doesn't hit anything too hard. I have magnolia buds that always get dinged by the back and forth freezing temperatures about this time of year. I'm hoping they make it through, but many of them usually don't. On the bright side, both magnolias get bigger every year so it's starting to not matter as much if some of the buds get zapped.

Roelie, are you remembering Sharon as in Seil or is this a different Sharon? I remember SusieQ. I thought she went to a cooking site, along with a bunch of others. I also remember NotMartha. LOL!!

I know where Tanya is. Her husband died and she remarried and moved and left her beautiful garden behind!