Saturday in Camden Point

Early in the day I went and visited with Lindy Waldrop. She moved to Camden Point recently, meaning within the last twenty years. We talked about some art projects she is working on such as her ceramic rocking horses and some beautiful paper invitations that she is making for a store is Leavenworth, KS. We talked about our craft and gave each other some new ideas. She had to run some errands in Kansas City, and my next stop was to visit the Barn Artist’s show just west to Camden Point.

The Barn Artist’s show takes place on the property of Bill and Marsha Hankins. They have a beautiful barn that has been renovated into a horse stable/living space. It’s really beautiful. Every few months of late they have been having this show to support local artists in ceramics, painting, photography, metalworking, wood carving, and more. Bill Hankins is a photographer and wrote the book Landmark People, which partly inspired this project. There is a section of the book that is about my Great Grandfather, R. J. Asher, that Bill and I talked about today. He said that Grandpa had many stories to tell and that Bill could have written an entire book on him alone. He and Marsha are really good people, and very gracious hosts. Marsha Hankins:

For more information on some of the artist’s whom participated: http://farmsteadlifestyleevents.blogspot.com/2010/04/more-coming-barn-artists.html

Kathy Truders is one of the Barn Artist’s that I saw at the show. She lives southwest of town and makes raku-fired ceramics, mostly with horse themes. We talked about her process a little and then went upstairs to talk about some of Bill Hankin’s work. She had scene a new piece called Creek Mosaic and just had to show it to me. We looked through the rest of his prints that he had taken here in Platte County and talked about some of the places featured, and what memories they brought to mind.

This is Kathy Truders:

Next to Bill’s photos were Jerry Kuhn’s. He used to work for the local newspaper and was at quite a few of my High School events documenting what we were doing for the entire county to read about. Cathy and I saw that one of his photos was of a veteran’s funeral in Weston that was attacked by the no-good Phelps’s and their crazy followers. Luckily, the good people of Weston realized what was going on and made a blockade between the family and these intruders. Jerry caught a snapshot of three local men holding up their hands in protest and a seven-foot American Flag preventing the Phelps crew from getting near the cemetery. Here is a link to the story on Fox 4 news: http://www.fox4kc.com/wdaf-cjsadell-funeral-westboro-church-protest-110610,0,575122.story

This got us all shook up, but then I recognized a picture of Ralph Shackleford, a veteran of WWII and great friend to all in Platte County. Kathy and I both know Ralph, he taught me how to ride a horse! Ralph is one of the great treasures of Platte County. I’ll have to visit him and write more later. In the mean time, check out this cool website about Ralph: http://connections.smsd.org/veterans/ralph_shackleford.htm

He can still wear this uniform!!

After visiting with the Barn Artist’s I went to another little venue in Camden Point called Willow Bend Designs. Karen Seckel was my Elementary School Principal, and now she is a good friend. She and Charlotte Johnson, an elementary teacher, run a temporary holiday shop out of the Camden Point Community Center. I usually try to find something to get my Mom and Grandma for Christmas while I am there, but just wasn’t in the mood to buy this year. I think that I would rather make something instead, but don’t ruin the surprise!

Charlotte and Karen:

I saw Dorothy Deal when I was coming out of the Camden Point library. She was my Sunday School Teacher growing up at the Camden Point Christian Church, and one of the kindest hearted women I have even known. She says that she is disappointed that there is not much more to Camden Point than the library, bank, and post office. I asked her what she remembered, and she said, “Well, of course the Asher Grocery Store, the hardware store, and the gas station.” Great Grandpa owned the grocery store. As a child I can just barely remember the hardware store. I can remember when they had chicks in a water tub in the spring and Mom would not get any because our border collie, Rip, would eat them. I asked Dorothy about the gas station located in Camden Point. She said that Ray Flemming owned the station when he first moved to Camden Point, and someone else ran it before him.