During our adventures yesterday we needed to get to a quarter corner monument that would normally fall in a county road in our corner of the world.?ÿ Not this one.?ÿ I think geologists refer to the hills we were encountering as the Chautauqua Hills which fall between the Flint Hills and the Osage Cuestas in southeastern Kansas.?ÿ The county road diverts roughly 650 feet to the west of this point.?ÿ Hiking from there was not a welcome thought as we knew rain was moving in and, besides, why hike if there is a better way.?ÿ I had noticed a driveway to a house not far from where we needed to go, although there were numerous "No Trespassing" and "Private Property" signs.?ÿ Drove up the driveway anyway in hopes of either being welcomed or finding no one (or killer dog) around to chase us off.?ÿ It turned out we parked just a bit over 100 feet from the monument but it was still steeper than I would prefer.
I made a point to head towards what appeared to be the "front" door and noticed the vehicle had a handicap tag.?ÿ Knocked on the door and could hear movement inside the house.?ÿ Waited an appropriate period then knocked again.?ÿ The door came open and there stood a lady in a nightgown and flimsy robe to greet me.?ÿ As I explained why were intruding on her property she became rather social.?ÿ I am no catch, but, I'm guessing she doesn't have a lot of strange men come knocking at her door.?ÿ I began to get the feeling that I would be welcome to come on in the house and stay for awhile.?ÿ Nope, not me.?ÿ There is work to be done and I had better get back to it.?ÿ Business is business.
You don't want to start anything you can't stop...
southeastern kansas??ÿ her name wasn't ruthann or lynn, by chance?
Silly you.?ÿ That woman may have been the last of the infamous Bender clan from Labette County.?ÿ You were thinkin' friendly and she was thinkin' of stewing you with some parsnips and turnips.?ÿ?ÿ
Business is business...depending on exactly what that business be... 😉
The same trail that passed the Bender cabin would have passed within a few miles of this location.
Unsolved mysteries lend themselves to creative thinking.?ÿ Whatever actually became of the Benders is as definite as what happened to Jimmy Hoffa and D. B. Cooper.?ÿ Reminds me of the claims about the time Elvis died that he didn't actually die, but was living in a secret senior citizen's facility in Arizona with JFK, RFK and Hoffa.?ÿ Poker being one of their favorite hobbies there.
I keep thinking @Jed is going to find D.B. Cooper's bones (with broken leg) in those hills.
Edit: of course the money will have all rotted away by now.
Even in my younger days I wasn't much for "misbehaving" with the ladies, especially after reciting my marriage vows.?ÿ But I always wondered in the back of my mind if I could continue on the "straight and narrow" if presented with a perfect storm sort of situation....and it happened one day in 1978 while I was surveying.
My guys were scouring a creek for property pins when I was flagged down by a scantily clad young woman from a nearby porch.?ÿ I walked up to see what she wanted..
She was a beautiful girl and could not keep her robe from falling open to reveal that the robe was all she was wearing.?ÿ She needed someone to help her replace the light bulb in her bedroom...above the bed.?ÿ With her sultry innuendos and the tone of her voice it was apparent to me that I had encountered that perfect storm.?ÿ
My knees started to tremble.?ÿ I could feel my heart pounding in my throat.?ÿ This girl looked like a million bucks and was luring me into her bedroom!?ÿ
Somewhere in my throat I could hear someone else's voice saying "I'm sorry m'am, I'm pretty busy..."?ÿ She retreated into the house with a wink and I walked back to the truck on numb feet.
As soon as I was back in the truck a car pulled up in her driveway.?ÿ It was apparently her husband, a uniformed (and armed) local police officer...probably home for lunch.
I wound up down in the creek with the crew.?ÿ I told them I just needed to pee really bad...
It was good to find out what I was made of....not very much fun...but good.
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She probably knew her husband was coming home.?ÿ A murder charge would get him out of her life quicker than a divorce.?ÿ She could then be with her 17 y.o. lover.
You made a very good decision that day.
Ok, I'm kinda hung up on Kansas, hills, a 600' "hike".?ÿ
Sooooo, how good did she look?
Those situations come up every now and then,,,,,,,,just repeat, business, business, I'm here on business.?ÿ
Reminds me of a scene from ??Thunderbolt and Lightfoot? (I think).
From what I have understood in previous posts related to your massive DNA presence within The State of Kansas, it's a good thing you withheld from her tempting advances. If not for maintaining tranquility within the institution of matrimony, then certainly to avoid any accusations/felony charges concerning incest. Anywhere outside Kansas is OK, but not advised. ?????ÿ
There is an obligation to raise the average IQ within the region. Have relegated that charge to the next two generations, however.?ÿ?ÿ
I think geologists refer to the hills we were encountering as the Chautauqua Hills which fall between the Flint Hills and the Osage Cuestas in southeastern Kansas.
Intrigued by the name "Chautauqua" being used for a geological formation in Kansas.?ÿ There is a Chautauqua Lake in Western NY, but it's use is more associatiated with a part of American social history that's always interested me: the "Chautauqua Movement"
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This explains the connection:
Chautauqua County?ÿ(county code?ÿCQ) is a?ÿcounty?ÿlocated in?ÿSoutheast Kansas. As of the?ÿ2010 census, the county population was 3,669.[1]?ÿIts?ÿcounty seat?ÿand most populous city is?ÿSedan.[2]?ÿChautauqua County is?ÿnamed?ÿfor?ÿChautauqua County, New York, the birthplace of Edward Jaquins, a Kansas politician who was instrumental in getting the county established.[3]
The town of Chautauqua is located in Chautauqua County.?ÿ I have taken a brief tour of a nearby cemetery where quite a number of the headstones are simply large chunks of the local sandstone with no markings on them of any kind.?ÿ I have been told that was a custom used by certain Native Americans.
You might be amazed to learn that Peru is located in Chautauqua County.?ÿ All 139 residents.
The link below shows the geologic regions of Kansas, including the "finger" of the Chautauqua Hills.
Got a street down here near campus named Chautauqua.?ÿ I've got no idea from where it came.
This is offered as the origin of the term but another source simply refers to the lake with that name in New York State.
The name is from?ÿja'dahgweh, a Seneca (Iroquoian) name, possibly meaning "one has taken out fish there," but an alternative suggested meaning is "raised body."
