Approximately two hours from my front door exists one of America's best kept secrets. Visiting the Flint Hills of Kansas is as close as you can get to stepping back in time a few hundred years. Granted, you must do some visual editing in your mind for the oil pumps and collection tanks that pop up here and there. But it is not that difficult to visualize this country as it must have looked in the 1700 and 1800s. It's a special region and at the top of my list of favorite places to photograph. Visit my Flint Hills online gallery at www.jeffphillippiphoto.com by clicking here.

March Blizzard

Here is my favorite sycamore tree the morning after the blizzard. I'd love to know how many March snow storms this big fella has witnessed in his lifetime. Sadly the storm last Saturday, March 28th, 2009 might be his last. He has a fungal infection which is causing his trunk to rot. Trunk rot is bad for anyone but especially if you're a tree located next to a county park trail. The big guy has already got the neon orange mark of death. It is a beautiful tree. I have to admit though, I want to be there the day he comes down. That is going to be one tough job. This tree is big! I want to know just how old he is. What has he seen while growing on the banks of Mill Creek. Quantrill's Raiders? Native Americans? The Kansa people? I hope to be there and document his demise, count his rings and contemplate his existence.

Stream-way Trails

This is my youngest son Jake from about seven years ago. He is ckecking the bottom of his shoe. He probably stepped in something that came from the south end of a north bound hound.

First Day on the Blog 022309

This is my crew right down to the dog. That is me on the left, wife Denise, sons Jacob 14, Caleb 20 and Logan 18 and the mutt Duke 2.5.

I'm blogging to help my website, www.jeffphillippiphoto.com show up on google searches more often. Like anything this will be a learning process.

More later...