.jpg "Dolls 4 copyright by Preston Surface")
.jpg "Dolls 3 copyright by Preston Surface")
.jpg "Dolls 2 copyright by Preston Surface")
I photographed the Ma Hush Kah (Chief White Cloud) Museum on May 5, 2012 during the annual four state flea market at the White Cloud, Kansas. Many towns and counties of Kansas are named after Native American Indians.
More about White Cloud:
Wolf River Bob of White Cloud, Kansas at Surface and Surface Photography
2 comments
Oh! And there’s a museum, too! Hoorah! How wonderful that you’re giving me all this terrific information – and your photos are great. I forgot to mention on the photo of Wolf River Bob how tickled I was by that portrait. There’s a lot of “stuff” in that room!
Actually I think Wolf River Bob is in charge of the museum. I am sure Wolf River Bob is the man you should be looking for if you want to discover more about White Cloud and vicinity.
Mandarin Duck at the David Traylor Zoo, Emporia, Kansas. I digitally painted this photo with wet oils and watercolor.
See more David Traylor Zoo photography views:
5 comments
What a beauty! I surely am glad to know he’s from a zoo – I’d be too envious if I thought he was trotting around your backyard!
It’s a beautiful piece – but of course, those are some fine birds to start with! I especially like the way you’ve captured his little sideways expression.
Very stunning!!!
That’s great! Perfect pose!
This is wonderful, Anna. What pretty little duck. 
Linda, when I had moved in as close as I could with the camera with attached super zoom lens, the little duck woke up from its sleep, and sans, the photo. Thank you!
Barbara, thank you!
Montucky, the duck had been sleeping on one foot. Thank you!
Robin, the Manadarin duck is an especially lovely breed of duck. Thank you!
This scene of cattle caught my eye for the distance involved. I really enjoy taking photos of animals and try to come up with new ideas on how to make the photo interesting.
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The distance didn’t seem to make much difference to the cattle. Even those down the hill in the feedlot are looking at you, wondering… “Is this dude a threat, or might he have a little fresh hay with him?”
Neat photo!
There have been times when the entire heard would come right up to us. Thanks for the comment Linda.
I really like the way you composed this one, Preston. Very nice.
Thanks Robin. There sure are a lot of cattle in Kansas. Can’t help but to take a photo of them from time to time.
Sitting Under The Bridge Fishing
Bridge fishing at the Cottonwood River, Emporia, Kanasas. The fisherman at the bottom of the river is under the newer bridge. The fisherman by the falls is beside the old Marsh Arch Bridge. Across the street catty-corner is the fabulous David Traylor Zoo. We happen to like Emporia and tend to travel there often, and is oh, about 40 miles south of where we live. We now have a delightful antique place we like to go ‘picking’ called Dalton Gang Antique Mall in which is an old trolly station. Fascinating place to explore with much to ahhh over if you are into the antique and different. We are slowly but surely remodeling our 117 year old house with our pickings. We had purchased an old-timey large wooden medicine cabinet to go with our old-timey bathroom we are redoing. Anyway, Emporia is an enjoyable small city to visit that has a very active train thoroughfare with trains galore.
More Emporia visit photography views:
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I like both photos, but really liked the links to the Arch Bridge photos. And Montucky is right – that’s one fine “pigeon shoot”!
Any idea what the fellow at the falls would be fishing for? Trout? That’s a lot of water movement – we have mostly bay fishing around here, so I’m not up on river fish and techniques.
Linda, I am very fond of arch bridges and there are not many left. This time I didn’t see any pigeons. …smile… From what I heard, they were fishing for blue gill. I’d prefer blue gill out of the lake, though, than the river. Fresher and less polluted. There are no safety guards. You are at risk fishing near the edge. I wouldn’t want to fall in near the falls. I haven’t river fished in ages and there are way too many regulations and having licenses for each and every thing and poles to fish here. We gave up fishing because of it. We photograph instead.
Fishing is certainly shared across America! A common bond!
Indeed, Montucky. A favorite past time as well as a sport.
A log cabin view presenting then and now. Every picture tells a story, as the old saying goes.
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I could live in one of those. Would love to see the inside, too.
What a neat cabin!
All it needs is a geranium out front and a couple of cords of neatly split firewood out back! Such an appealing photo!
Barbara, my grandmother lived in something similar with a dirt floor long, long, ago. She swept the dirt floor to keep it clean. Actually, it is too dark inside. For back then, windows were a luxury. Many, many settlers lived this way and was sanctuary from the elements and long winters.
Montucky, I thought it was a neat cabin in how it was built.
Linda, oh yeah, I agree and like! A geranium out front with cords of split firewood would definitely go with.
Thanks Barbara, Montucky, and Linda for coming by and commenting!
Great cabin. I’d love to see inside.
Robin, it was small and sparse with very little rough-hewed furniture. LOL But I sure loved the way it was constructed. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
True Friend
Love in any form is a wonderful thing. Why does a dog live only for a very short period of time? I don’t know this dog nor his owner, but saw him at a tractor show at Alta Vista, KS. Actually I saw several dogs and their owners at this show. I did manage a few shots of the tractors, but dogs and their owners fascinate me. To own a dog and to really love the animal is promise of a truly broken heart. I believe if they are treated fairly, in return they pay back a thousand fold. Honestly I don’t understand how anybody could abuse one of these creatures and truly I don’t understand folks who do not have a pet. I realize there are times you just can’t have one or maybe one has allergies, but in the good times I can’t imagine living without a pet. A dog such as this one can bring so much warmth and affection along with great comfort. Maybe dogs are only meant for certain folks. I for one need the love these creatures abundantly give. I haven’t always been this way. I’ve always been a dog owner but not necessarily a good one. I feel bad for some of my prior pets I did not take as good of care of. Some went without medical treatments, some were left outside too much, some were ignored quite a bit and others had to eat cheap food and weren’t given snacks. All in all these earlier dogs taught me, each and everyone of them, in their own special way about life. Maybe that is why they don’t live long for each has a simple lesson to teach their owner. Over the course of a human life time there are many lessons to learn. Better stop for now for I am rambling on and on…. Better go find Moppet and give him a pat on the head just because.
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Dogs are such wonderful companions and friends. I miss having one since I live in a “No pets allowed” apartment. But, I’ve had many in my life whom I loved very much. Give Moppet a big hug, too!
I confess it – I’m not a dog person. But I do love my kitty-cat, and do my best to care for her and give her the attention she needs. (Note: that is NOT the same as the attention she wants!)
They do have lessons to teach us, there’s no question about that. My Dixie Rose is my first pet, though, and it just pains me so much to think… she’s nine years old now. One day she won’t be here. I believe I’ll go give her a scritch behind the ears, right now.
Thanks for the comment Barb. Maybe you could have a goldfish or two. I’ve a few goldfish which appear as Aqua-puppies. Will do on that hug for Moppet.
Dixie Rose is a beautiful name for a kitty. Thanks for the comment.
by Preston Surface
6 comments
Now that is an unusual perspective. Also a compelling narrative. My mother’s brothers used to torment her by kidnapping her dolls and submitting them to dreadful ends. I can’t think how they grew up to become decent human beings. Mom would have climbed into that abandoned display and rescued the dolls–or at least given them a decent burial. She had a tender heart and an overactive imagination.
Gerry it sounds as if your mother was quite wonderful indeed. Then again most folks which grew up during her time-span had morals and respect much lacking in today’s society. Well, they had morals and respect after they grew up past the doll tormenting stage of young boys. Then again maybe today’s society is not much different from yesterday’s society, only different. Oh well, your comment has got me to thinkin’…
These are some of the most disturbing photos I’ve ever seen! Not that I’m a doll collector, or anything like that. I just last year finally gave away the last of my dolls – including a Revlon doll like the one in red at the far right of your first large photo.
But just like abandoned animals, these dolls seem to stand as an accusation of some sort. We’re so willing to throw away, to neglect, to allow rot to set in. Dolls here, puppies there, a whole society, I think in my gloomier moments.
Ah, well. There are doll hospitals, and many are brought back to life. My Raggedy Ann just got new pantaloons and a new pinafore a couple of years ago!
Sorry, didn’t mean to bring you down in the dumps. There were several more doll pictures I did not include. Anna pointed them out for me to take their pictures in the first place. We were both creeped out by the dolls all along. So in essence, it is Anna’s fault for she was the one who egged me on. Do you remember the movie version of Dennis the Menance where Margaret tricks Dennis into kissing a babydoll butt? You haven’t a clue how many times I call Anna – Margaret for she is always doing things like that.
These are really interesting images, Preston. I’ve always found dolls a bit creepy, probably from watching too much Twilight Zone and Night Gallery. What you did here is pretty amazing (and yes, a little creepy, but in a very good, very artistic, way).
Both Anna and I were both creeped out over the display of dolls, so the photos and writing just reflect what we saw. Thanks for the comment Robin.