Shatto Milk Company

Shatto Milk Company is located north of Kansas City.  The cows are milked twice a day at 4:00.  We were lucky to arrive just before the evening milking. The twins milked two cows, learned how milk was processed, watched the production of chocolate milk and taste tested fresh milk.

• The milk sold by Shatto Milk Company comes from cows not treated with rbST (recombinant bovine somatotropin) or recombinant bovine growth hormone (rbGH).**
• Shatto Milk comes only from the cows located on our family farm.
• Shatto Milk can be from the cow to the store in as little as 12 hours.

We went home with strawberry, banana, orange cream, chocolate and rootbeer milk.

http://www.shattomilk.com

Boy Scout Troop 374

We went to a boy scout meeting last night and it was really fun.  Mamaw let us join.  The group meets on Monday nights.  We are working on moving from tenderfoot to first class.

The Scout Master is Paul “Gator” Crooks. Look at his picture

This is a large troop; but it is small enough that everyone knows everyone else.  This troop took 100 boys to camp this year and 65 percent of its members become Eagle Scouts.

Whoopee

Here is the link:

http://www.374liberty.org/

http://www.pack374liberty.com/

Kansas City underground caves

Mining companies began hollowing out the caverns in the 1940s as they dug for limestone for highway construction. Rather than use the opencut quarry method, which scars the landscape, miners tunneled deep into bluffs along a limestone seam 22½ ft. thick, creating rooms with pillars. In all, 200 million sq. ft. of space has been scooped out over the years, and an additional 6 million sq. ft. is being opened up annually.

Shafts and fans were installed to draw in fresh air. In 1948 the U.S. Agriculture Department first began using the caverns for storing commodities. Currently it stashes almost 350 million lbs. of surplus food, largely dairy products, there.

Today the Kansas City complex consists of about a dozen underground areas. One of the largest is owned by Great Midwest Corp., a land-development company that is a subsidiary of Hunt Midwest Enterprises, which in turn is 90% owned by Texas Oilman Lamar Hunt.  (In 1985, Hunt Midwest enterprises, Inc. was formed through the merger of mid-America Enterprises, which operated the Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun themed amusement parks, and Great Midwest Corporation’s mining and real estate operations). From a distance, the rocky bluff along the Missouri River does not look any different from the surrounding area. Closer up, just below a mixed herd of grazing Angus and Hereford cattle, a hole in the bluff can be seen with big semitrailers going in and out. The address: 8300 N.E. Underground Drive. From another nearby hole rumbles a Burlington Northern freight train.

Other companies have found a wide variety of operations that can be done better underground. For H&R Block, the caves are a safe place to keep tons of tax forms. The U.S. Postal Service’s Philatelic Order Fulfillment Branch, with 48 employees, processes 1,200 requests daily from its hole in the ground. It likes the security advantages and the fact that in the low-humidity atmosphere the $100 million worth of stamps it keeps there do not stick together.

The biggest client is Inland Storage Distribution Center, a subsidiary of Beatrice Foods. The company’s underground storage space amounts to a staggering 23 million cu. ft., enough to keep the food to supply a meal to every man, woman and child in America.

Harley-Davidson Vehicle and Powertrains

The Harley-Davidson Vehicle and Powertrain Operations in Kansas City was built to increase the production of motorcycles.  This location produces the Sportster, Dyna and VRSCA v-Rod.  The tour begins with an introductory film and then you get to walk through the plant and see the people at work.

Mamaw

Picture of the plant

Inside the gift shop

Looking good

My first flight in a small plane

My first flight was cooler than you can say “wings!”  I enjoyed it.  I guess you would have fun in a plane at the airport named Lee Summit Airport and got a certificate from Young Eagles and it is in the world largest log book.  I will get an code to be training and learn how the airplane system works.  The plan that I was on is a piper with a single engine. I flew over two stadiums, a football and a baseball stadium. I flew over the Arrowhead Stadium when the Kansas City Chiefs play. I flew over the Kauffman Stadium where the Kansas City Royals play. I also flew over world of fun and a waterpark.

The Moon Marble Company

My first time seeing someone creating a marble. Oh, my. Bruce made it look like an actual asteroid marble.  I think marbles are old school; but are still famous.  I love marbles. I saw how he made marbles.  He had a 210 degree torch that he can turn into a rocket flame

Moon Marbles

Moon marbles is one of the two manufactors of marble in the United States.  I watched as Bruce Brelow made  marbles with a torch which sometimes he made into a “rocket flame”.  He made the marble look like a meteor he made sound effects.  http://www.moonmarbles.com

Moon Marble Company

Moon Marble company at 600 East Front Street in Bonner Springs, KS is a great place to see old and new toys and of course, marbles.  There are bins ofmarbles of every size and colr. You can buy shooters, mini-marbles and regular marbles.

Young Eagles Program

What is EAA Young Eagles?

The EAA Young Eagles program was launched in 1992 to give interested young people, ages  8-17, an opportunity to go flying in a general aviation airplane.  These flights are made possible by the generosity of EAA member volunteers.  Since 1992, more than 1.3 Young Eagles have enjoyed a flight through the program.  Young Eagles have been registered in more than 90 countries and have been flown by more than 41,000 volunteer pilots.   Participation is easy. Click Here to find the closest volunteer pilot

So what is the flight like?

The biggest question on your mind might be about the actual flight. So what should you expect?

First of all, your pilot will explain what will happen during the flight. This might include talking about the airplane; reviewing an aeronautical chart (or map); identifying reference points during the flight; completing a careful “walk around” preflight inspection of the airplane and identifying the parts that control the airplane.

Once you are ready to go flying, your pilot will help you buckle your seat belt and describe the interior of the airplane, including the instrument panel. Pretty soon, it will be time to go flying!

Once in the air, you’ll see the earth and sky in a new and exciting way. You’ll experience the wonderful freedom of flight that many people only dream about. If you are like most Young Eagles, you’ll remember this experience for the rest of your life.

Most Young Eagle flights last between 15 and 20 minutes. Once back on the ground, there will be additional time for you to ask questions about the flight. Ask away! Your pilot will be happy to tell you more about flying and their particular airplane. And don’t forget, you’ll also receive an official Young Eagles certificate, which is signed, by your personal pilot and our Chairman Harrison Ford.
posted by mamaw

Pancake Breakfast

Grampy woke us up at 5:50a.m. so we could have pancake breakfast at Lee’s summit Airport, Mo.  The breakfast was held in a airplane hangar