Fertile land

Before the drought, it was so lush here that it was growing buckets of buckets!

Catalpalicious

(back in Lawrence)

This, ladies and gentlemen, is a catalpa tree. When I had a catalpa tree in my backyard, I didn't rake the leaves, I picked them up individually (with a forklift).

Crestwood, MO

Crestwood is a sweet little area near the University of Missouri-Kansas City campus, where you have to be very short to be a resident.

I was getting the vibe that they wouldn't appreciate people taking pictures of their houses, so I only took pictures of houses for sale:

All the yards and gardens are so well maintained that I felt that if you went two days too

long without weeding or cutting the grass, a neighborhood group would come calling.

They even have a neighborhood shopping district for your everyday shopping needs (if your everyday shopping needs include alpaca sweaters, Georgian antiques and $7 coffees).

So, in conclusion, while Crestwood may be near a university campus, it is nothing like our favorite college town.