Welcome to The Heartland Album

'The list of 144'

No:       Date:        Slug:

1 - 07.06.86 Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy usually slinks up trees, hiding itself in lesser vines. But sometimes it becomes bold.
Sometimes it finds a stump out in the open and reaches above it. It says, "Pull me down if you dare!"

2 - 08.24.86 Cocklebur
Step forward, please! The cockleburs need your help. All they ask to be planted
is for folks to brush them off their jeans, socks and flannel shirts.

3 - 09.21.86 Thistle
Don't tell where these plants are growing. Musk thistle may be pretty, but it's a noxious weed
and a county agent would come along and spray it with something nasty.

4 - 10.12.86 Ragweed
Haughty ragweed flaunts its pollen to the wind, unaware its days are numbered.

5 - 12.07.86 Foxtail
Foxtails hover a few inches above the earth, waiting to be beaten down by a winter storm.

6 - 12.21.86 Coal Chute, Marceline
When steam trains stopped in Marceline, MO., to change crews, they also loaded up from the
"sand house" (left) and the "coal chute" (right). The structures still stand in the rail yard there
about 60 years after they were built.

7 - 12.28.86 Railroad Bridge, Marceline
For almost 100 years this bridge has spanned the Santa Fe Railway mainline about five miles
southwest of Marceline, MO. Area residents say it was built when the first tracks were laid in 1888.
The farm road bridge is now blockaded from use by vehicles.

8 - 03.08.87 Bare Branches, Locust
The bare branches of a locust tree wait out the winter 30 feet above the earth.
Spring's warmth and rains will bring out the foliage to provide shade for a suburban home.

9 - 03.15.87 Pampas Grass
Stalks of pampas grass hold their heads above the earth, useless. Yet even now,
the roots are generating new growth to greet a new season.

10 - 04.19.87 Moon, Maple
The nearly full moon shines through maple buds. A canopy of leaves soon will obscure it.

11 - 05.03.87 Elm Leaves
Fresh new elm leaves glow in the spring sun.

12 - 05.10.87 Fountain. Meyer Circle
The fountain spray at Meyer Circle sparkles in the early morning sun.

13 - 05.17.87 Maple Buds Swell
Swelling maple buds promise to hide bare limbs to form a canopy of summer shade.

14 - 05.24.87 Dandelion W-Beetle
A beetle explores the petals of a dandelion.

15 - 05.31.87 Fountain. Mission Hills
The soft sound of splashing water soothes the neighborhood
around Wenonga Road and Tomahawk, Mission Hills.

16 - 06.07.87 Smoke Tree Blossoms
Blossoms of a smoke tree billow high above the ground.

17 - 06.14.87 Power Substation, Silhouette
At dusk, the dark forms of the structures in KCP&L's
Roeland Park substation belies the power they transmit.

18 - 06.21.86 Birdbath, Reflection
Still water in a bird bath forms a crystal mirror.

19 - 07.05.87 Waning Moon, Locust Tree
At dawn the waning moon moves between branches of a locust tree.

20 - 07.12.87 Thirsty Robin
A thirsty robin surveys the scene before taking a drink.

21 - 07.19.87 Woolf Bros. Plaza
A shimmering curtain of water wraps around the Woolf Brothers fountain on the Plaza.

22 - 07.26.87 Clouds, Fair Weather
Fair weather clouds drift in a summer sky toward the east near Thornburg, Kan.

23 - 08.02.87 Fountain. Ritz
A wall of cascading water gives an illusion of coolness at the Alameda Plaza Hotel.

24 - 08.09.87 Leaves, Summer Ravaged
Leaves that were vibrant and healthy in spring show the ravages of a long and brutal summer.

25 - 08-16.87 Lawn Sprinkler, Side
Thousands of drops from a lawn sprinkler pepper down on a thirsty lawn.

26 - 08.23.87 Patio Door, Dog Prints
A dog's muddy feet paint an abstraction on patio doors.

27 - 09.30.87 Shower Curtain
A small branch is reality. All else is abstraction projected on a shower curtain.

28 - 09.06.87 Stump, New Growth
A sapling shows the will to survive. A sprout tries to take over after the young tree was cut down.

29 - 09.13.87 Pampas Grass
Slender blades carry pampas grass through the summer.
With autumn will come rich plumage laden with seeds.

30 - 09.20.87 Moon & Clouds
A first-quarter moon plows through slow-moving clouds in a tranquil nighttime sky.

31 - 09.27.87 Fountain. Loose Park
Plumes of water, like cloud formations, nudge the imagination. For an instant,
is there a strange life form in the Loose Park Garden Fountain?

32 - 10.04.87 Bindweed
Bindweed snakes itself around anything that will carry it high into the sunlight.

33 - 10.11.87 Black Walnut, Silhouette
Walk beneath these boughs at your own risk. Every few moments
another black walnut thuds to the ground.

34 - 10.18.87 Milkweed
A milkweed pod splits open and tries to hold its contents against the wind. The wind wins.

35 - 10.25.87 Sunflowers
Sunflowers, trying to follow the sun, sometimes yield to the wind.

36 - 11.01.87 Begonia
Inches above the earth, an autumn begonia dares the winter.

37 - 11.08.87 Maple, Translucent Boughs
Autumn's maple boughs are translucent in the early morning sun. Stark branches will wait
through the winter to return next summer's canopy.

38 - 11.15.87 Wild Carrot
A few months too late for a July 4th celebration, wild carrot seed pods mimic an aerial fireworks display.

39 - 11.22.87 Bluejay, Frozen Birdbath
A bewildered blue jay stands on the frozen water it would like to drink.

40 - 11.29.87 Leaf with Raindrops
Diamonds sown by the rain will disappear with the wind.

41 - 12.06.87 Windmill, Vine Covered
A windmill awaits the winter, never to turn again, never to pump water for thirsty cattle.

42 - 12.13.87 Power Lines Glow
Electric power lines seem to soak up the last rays of the settling sun.

43 - 12.20.87 Ozark Hills
Ozark hills are steep, but a telephoto lens seems to turn a Missouri highway into a roller coaster.

44 - 01.03.88 Snow, Evergreen Tip
Snow creates a smooth, flowing sculpture around the framework of an evergreen.

45 - 01.10.88 Snow, Picnic Table
Morning coffee on the patio must wait a few months.

46 - 01.17.88 Shattered Ice, Birdbath
Water beneath shattered ice soon will become ice, too.

47 - 01.24.88 Crows Scatter, Trees
Crows explode from winter branches at a nervous sound.

48 - 01.31.88 BMA Reflection
Curved glass of the Penn Tower Office Building distorts realty. The reflected BMA Tower is solid and well.

49 - 02.07.88 Snowy Steps
Dark angles and white curves are abstract. Footprints in the snow are reality.

50 - 02.14.88 Main St. (Tele)
Main Street glistens under a noonday sun. It bumps over the railroad tracks near Union Station
and meanders uphill past Crown Center Hotel. A 500 mm lens makes 10 blocks seem like two.

51 - 02.21.88 Slush
Everywhere you walk, slush! Everywhere you drive, slush! Everywhere you look, slush!
Slush everywhere!

52 - 02.28.88 Rail Yard, Marceline
Fluorescent strands of spaghetti wander through the Santa Fe railyard at Marceline, MO.

53 - 03.06.88 Sun Thru Sycamore
An anemic sun tries to penetrate the late winter overcast, but a sycamore tree receives no warmth.

54 - 03.13.88 Tulip Tree, Buds Glow
Tulip tree buds seem to be set aflame by the warm, late-winter sun.

55 - 03.27.88 St. Peters' Spire, Roofs
The spire of St. Peter's cathedral in Kansas City, Kan.,
stands guard over a row of roofs on Grandview Blvd.

56 - 04.03.88 Daffodils at Easter
The daffodils planned it this way: to be awake by Easter.

57 - 04.10.88 Sunset, Silhouette, Reflection
Near the vernal equinox the sun and its reflections still set behind bare trees.

58 - 04.17.88 Geese Fly North
Flying specks of silver will become gees when they arrive at their summer homes in the north.

59 - 04.24.88 Sparrow in Maple, Yelling
A sparrow sings for joy at evidence of spring. Or is it demanding that the maple leaves unfold more quickly?

60 - 05.01.88 Redbud, Buds
Redbuds! On your make, get ready to bloom!

61 - 05.08.88 Tulips Bloom
Will the orchestra please play Vivaldi? The tulips have proclaimed it is spring.

62 - 05.15.88 Dogwood Bloom
Boughs of dogwood blossoms float in the spring sunshine.

63 - 05.22.88 Fountain. Nichols
Molten silver sprays from the J.C. Nichols fountain on the Plaza.

64 - 05.29.88 Lightening
Sometimes in the spring the nighttime sky puts on an exciting show.

65 - 06.05.88 Robin Bathing
No spring shower for this robin. It prefers a nice, boisterous tub bath.

66 - 06.12.88 Dandelion, White Heads
Dandelions, the curse of the urban lawn, have a certain beauty.

67 - 06.19.88 Wheat, 2 Heads
Ripening wheat bows to the Kansas sun.

68 - 06.26.88 Lawn Sprinkler, Fan
A silver fan moves back and forth over a parched lawn. The water almost hisses as it strikes the earth.

69 - 07.03.88 Wild Flower, alone (Valerian?)
Sometimes a wildflower believes it is alone in the woods.

70 - 07.10.88 Farm Road Marceline
Toward sundown a northern Missouri farm road looks much as it did in the 19th century.
Twentieth-century utility lines demand more than their share of attention.

71 - 07.17.88 Ozark Shack
A used-up shack in the Ozark hills appears to be in nobody's way. So there it stands.

72 - 07.24.88 Ritz Balconies
"Now let's see. This balcony is the fifth, or maybe it's the eighth from the north, unless they call it the west.
And I guess it's the 11th or 12th from the south. Or is it the east? This is the Alameda Plaza, isn't it"?

73 - 07.31.88 River Snag
Once upon a time, the Missouri River would rise. Snags combed the rushing water.

74 - 08.07.88 Cows Graze
Snacking and lounging around the home pasture are pleasures enough for a herd of Missouri cattle.

75 - 08.14.88 Fountain. 69 PV
The gentle spray from a fountain at 69th Street and El Monte, Prairie Village,
brings a cooling touch to a torrid summer.

76 - 09.14.88 Smoke Tree, Close   
Two puffs from a smoke tree look like anything but smoke when viewed close-up.

77 - 09.11.88 Starlings Feed
All day long they carry bugs to the bottomless beaks of their brood.
The starling parents do not tally the trips.

78 - 09.25.88 Sunflower, Closeup
Heavy heads of sunflowers bow down before the autumn sun.

79 - 10.02.88 Picnic Table, Rain Shower
A picnic table assumes a strange geography after a rain shower.

80 - 11.06.88 Acorns
Acorns get together to assess the coming winter. They will return to the woods;
some to feed the squirrels and deer, others to germinate in the spring.

81 - 11.13.88 Pond Ripples with Snag  
Gentle ripples in the pool bend the reflections of a twig.
They betray the impression of a branch suspended in space.

82 - 11.20.88 Fountain. Star
A fall breeze may carry a chilly spray onto a passerby.
The fountain is near the south entrance of a large local metropolitan daily newspaper.

83 - 12.25.88 Sunset, 18th & Grand   
The early winter sun can set in shades of silver and gray.

84 - 01.08.89 Reflections, Tic-Tac-Toe
The sun selects each window and reflects its mark for tic-tac-toe.

85 - 01.15.89 Glowing Wire/Rails     
Cold steel rails, power lines and a concrete highway seem to heat up
under the long rays of a cold winter sunset.

86 - 01.22.89 Pipe Smoke   
Pipe smoke curls about a dark corner.

87 - 01.29.89 Potted Dry Plant  
The shell of last summer's greenery waits out the winter in its urn.

88 - 02.05.99 Swings in Snow   
During the winter, the chains of the swings will squeak and clatter, propelled by the wind.
In the spring, children will replace the wind, and add their own squeals.

89 - 02.12.89 Slush, Footprint
Fossil-like evidence of mankind will be preserved only briefly in the crystalline modeling of clay slush.

90 - 02.19.89 Arch Reflections, Mullions
Many of the mullions in the world are marked by the arched frames of a mason.

91 - 02.26.89 Moonrise, Winter     
Some winter evenings when the sun sets, the moon rises at the other end of the sky.

92 - 03.05.89 Birds, Condos, PV     
In frigid weather suburban birds keep warm by seeming to fly just a bit into the fourth dimension.

93 - 03.12.89 Sumac, Backlighted    
The evening sun sets sumac seeds and stems aglow with a promise of energy that spring soon will fulfill.

94 - 03.19.89 Rooftop Sunset    
The dusk of March lingers over the rooftops

95 - 03.26.89 Sycamore Street Light
A street light will not do the job. Bare branches need spring sunlight to bring out the leaves.

96 - 04.02.89 Vapor Plumes, Winter  
A cityscape on a late winter morning is drab until it dresses itself in the plumage of condensing gas vapors.

97 - 04.09.89 Clouds Over St.Fe. Marceline 
Lazy clouds drift over a Santa Fe railroad bridge in Marceline, MO.

98 - 04.16.89 Redbud Bloom
The redbud resisted the temptations of warm March days, waited out an early April freeze and,
when it was safe, it bloomed.

99 - 04.23.89 Pin Oak Leaves    
Fresh pin oak leaves crowd their way into the April air.

100 - 04.30.89 Tulip, 1 Wide Open
A tulip, believing itself to be the only one on the block, opens wide as though to shout its dominance.

101 - 05.07.09 Union Station. Reflections   
A cross-picture puzzle: Two words, across or down, for a Kansas City landmark at Main and Pershing.

102 - 05.14.89 Flowering Peach    
Blossoms of a flowering peach tree try to convince Mother Nature that they are more important
than leaves which will push them aside.

103 - 05.21.89 Crow Landing Birdbath    
Birdbath ahoy! Gangway! Gangway! Crow coming in with provisions!

104 - 05.28.89 Feet, Balcony  
An apartment balcony becomes the scene of a scientific field experiment to determine if feet
can photosynthesize spring sunlight.

105 - 06.04.89 Fountain. Ward Parkway    
The Ward Parkway fountain is like a family in the park. The kids go off in all directions while
the adults settle near one spot.

106 - 06.11.89 Alyssum? Mat    
A welcome mat of alyssum beckons to spring.

107 - 06.18.89 Cloud of Trees, Ozarks
Clouds of trees cover the Ozark hills.

108 - 06.25.89 Papyrus Plant  
A papyrus plant is happy as long as the gardener keeps its feet wet.

109 - 07.02.89 Log Shed, Ozarks
The log shed is old and the gaps many, but to livestock in the hills of the Ozarks
it may be a welcome shelter from the summer heat.

110 - 07.09.89 Shady Grove, Trees  
A grove of shade trees coaxes the traveler into a southern Kansas highway rest area.

111 - 07.16.89 Mimosa Moiréé
Mimosa leaves form a moiré as they filter the sunlight.

112 - 07.23.89 Day Lilly
Today is this day lily's day in the sun.

113 - 07.30.89 Birds Argue, Birdbath    
Both the water and the conversation seem to draw these birds who gather at a birdbath.

114 - 08.06.89 Lawn Sprinkler, Mission Hills 
Lawn sprinklers will have no dealing with the shade. They must dance in the sun.

115 - 08.13.89 Maples, Single File
In single file, maple trees march toward the horizon.

116 - 08.20.89 Neon Fence
The later summer sun seems to turn a farm fence into a neon sign.

117 - 08.27.89 Pershing Square. Reflection 
The Mutual Benefit Life building moves into a strange new dimension when it's reflected
in the mirror-like windows of Two Pershing Square.

118 - 09.03.89 Birdbath, Tempest
One bird in a hurry leaves a bird bath in a tempest.

119 - 09.10.89 Wet Highway, Warsaw
Bright ribbons of roadway wander around a rainy landscape near Warsaw, Mo.

120 - 09.17.89 Wicker Chairs
Wicker chairs that have served so well soon will go on vacation until spring.

121 - 09.24.89 Fisherman, Truman Lake
Silver ripples of sunset sweep toward a bass fisherman on the Truman Reservoir.

122 - 10.01.89 Foxtails, Random
Foxtails stand at ease, waiting for the autumn rain to bring them to their knees.

123 - 10.08.89 Maple Leaves, St. Light
Clusters of maple leaves reflect the glow of a street light.

124 - 10.15.89 Leaves, Patio Table
Autumn takes over from summer. Fallen leaves begin to take over a patio table.

125 - 10.22.89 Spider Web, Grass
A fall morning provides a spider web with a blanket of dew.

126 - 10.29.89 Oak Branch, Fall
A cluster of leaves waits on a branch for autumn to determine its fate.

127 - 11.05.89 Fountain. Crown Cntr
A chorus line of jets at the Crown Center fountain moves to the rhythm of a fall breeze.

128 - 11.12.89 Roots, Maple Tree
Roots of a large maple tree have difficulty cramming themselves into the earth.
For its branches the sky's the limit.

129 - 11.19.89 Pin Oak Leaf
A pin oak leaf seems to be suspended between autumn and night.

130 - 11.26.89 Birds Fill Sky
For an instant they are all flying west. In an instant in unison and in a swirl they'll all be flying east.

131 - 12.03.89 Clouds, Whispy Winter
Wispy clouds fly through the winter sky.

132 - 12.10.89 Leaves to Rake
Used-up leaves await a homeowner's rake.

133 - 12.17.89 Branch, Gnarled Silhouette
Gnarled branches filter the light of a cold sky.

134 - 12.24.89 Snow, Big Flakes, Plaza
Snowflakes by the thousands catch all sound. The streets are silent.

135 - 12.31.89 Snowy Woods    
Snow forms a stark backdrop for a wooded hillside.

136 - 01.07.90 Birds, Phone Line
Birds seem to find warmth clutching the wires of a utility service.

137 - 01.14.90 Crow Into Tree
A crow charges into the branches of a tree to survey a winter landscape.

138 - 01.21.90 Icicle, Wide
Crystal. the intermediate physical state between water and snow.

139 - 01.28.90 Snow, St. Light, Bough
A fresh snow blossoms by street light. By sunlight the blossoms fade.

140 - 02.04.90 Snow, St. Light, Shrubs
A night the newly fallen snow demands the attention of a street light.

141 - 02.11.90 Chimney
A vapor plume billows into the frigid winter atmosphere. The furnace works fine.

142 - 02.18.90 Snow, Chainlink, Closeup
If snowflakes are hexagonal and chain-link fences are quadrangular,
then a combination of the two is... quite pretty.

143 - 02.25.90 Ice, Diamond Branches
Sparkling in the sun, ice crystals become diamonds. Then shortly in the sun the diamonds dissolve.

144 - 03.04.90 Stairstep Reflection
Stair steps seem to lead through a field of lightening in the reflections of a Crown Center building.