Topeka Kansas

When we stopped in Thackerville, OK we did not expect any problems. While it was not a big problem it was a surprise. I had my camera bag setting by the drivers seat in the motor home while we drove to Thackerville and I picked it up to take the pictures of the killdeer. Apparently I bumped the turn signal handle on the steering column and activated the lights. I was not aware that the turn signals would work when the ignition switch was off. Every car I have ever had needed the switch on for the directional lights to work. That is not the case with the motorhome. When we got up in the morning and had every thing ready to move as soon as the engine started, the engine would not start. The battery was not completely dead but it was too weak to start the engine. It would not start even with the battery boost from the house batteries. I figured that we were going to spend another day in Thackerville. I have not had luck in the past with jumping from another battery like on the Jeep. I got the battery charger out and hooked it to the battery and started charging. After about an hour and a half Erma asked me if I thought it would start yet. I said "I don't think so." "Stranger things have happened." It may not be strange, but the engine started and we were on the road within fifteen or twenty minutes with the engine putting a full charge in the battery.

So we went from a very relaxed day with lots of time to get to Wichita to one in which we kept our stops to short minimums and I drove ten miles an hour or more faster than I normally drive. We got to Wichita early enough to meet our friends and spend some time with them as we had planned. We don't like to travel on Sunday unless it is really necessary so we spent two nights there and saw a cousin on Sunday instead of driving on.

We are in Topeka now and relaxing a bit. We have gone back to the Presbyterian church here to see the Tiffany stained glass windows again. As I have said many times to people once you see a Tiffany stained glass window you will never look at stained glass windows the same way. We were lucky to be able to go during the time that a class of fifth graders was there for a special tour. One of the retired ministers told the kids about the windows. He was quite good. To see any picture of the windows cannot do justice to the experience. They have to be seen in person and they can even touched and people, even fifth graders are encouraged to touch them. If you ever get a chance either see the windows here or go to Dubuque, Iowa to the ones in the Saint Luke's Methodist church. We have not seen the ones in Iowa but we will. The one here is just across the street from the Kansas State Capitol building.


THIS IS THE LARGEST OF THE WINDOWS


YOU CAN SEE THE KANSAS STATE CAPITOL BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET

I have a friend here in Topeka that works at an auto salvage yard. I say works, but he goes in when he wants, goes home when he wants, does not get paid anything, but he does delivery work all over Topeka and Kansas and sometimes other states. So does he work? I don't know what else to call it. Anyway I spent some time with him a couple years ago and got to see an auto auction for the first time in my life, and also saw car crushing in person rather than on TV. This time I saw an auto auction that was going on in Kansas City over the Internet here in Topeka. To see a car sold every 15 seconds or less via the Internet was very interesting. I have heard of this sort of thing but I have never seen it before.

We are enjoying ourselves.

Till Later This is Uncle Duck