Chikaskia River family memories

Happy Easter!  We are having a great weekend and Easter is here!  He is risen!

My favorite Easter memories are from my childhood and family picnics at the Chikaskia River in Argonia, Kansas.  Easter egg hunting, eating Grandma Haskins' fried chicken, fishing, and playing with my cousins at the family farm on the river's edge.  My cousins would all agree, we were so lucky to have such a beautiful place to play.

Haskins dam on the Chikaskia River

My Grandfather built this dam across the river and my uncle has maintained it for decades.  It is a great place for fishing and playing. 

My mom was raised on the family farm and wrote a poem about her memories on the river.  She really captures my feelings about spending time at the river's edge.  Because she put it on her Facebook page, I am able to share it here and I also made a wall display dedicated to the beauty of our family place.

My Mom, Susan Haskins Berry

The Mighty River Flows On

The river I knew as a child
Still lingering in my mind
The wonder of it all
Bringing comfort so sublime

I can hear the water rushing on
Taking all my cares away
Filling my heart with joy
Renewing my soul today

The warm sand under my feet
Glistening from the sun
The birds, trees and sky so high
Remembering all the fun

The damn so majestically holding
The water in its arms
Preserving a home for the life within
Protecting the catfish farms

A moment of peaceful beauty
Seeing the current swirling about
Giving solace to all who come here
Mending broken hearts no doubt

The Chikaskia River was a blessing
In the memories I have had
The happier times of youth
Growing up with Mom and Dad

Somehow there is a lesson
In these thoughts that I hold dear
The ever-mighty river flows on
No matter what the time of year

I love to pause and ponder
Remembering quiet times I've spent
Sitting at the rivers' edge
Wondering where the water went!!

Susan (Haskins) Berry



My mom fishing off the Haskins dam





I put the Mod Podge to work again and made a plaque with this poem and then, because I'm not lucky enough to have a painting of the dam, I had a couple of prints made to put beside the poem.  This is a work in progress, but this it so far. 

This is what I did:



I took this blank canvas and painted it brown.

The poem was then printed on scrap book paper and the edges of the paper were burned.

The poem was glued to the canvas and 2 coats of Mod Podge applied.  Now I have a nice keepsake of the wonderful poem my mother wrote.

I wanted to show the river in different seasons, so I picked this picture for the fall-winter scene. 

This is the picture for spring-summer.  I uploaded the pictures to Walmart.com and made  faux canvas prints.  The link is here.  I had coupons which made this more affordable than traditional canvas.  You can't really tell they are card board unless you touch the pictures.

Now I have a great display and I recall wonderful memories every time I look at that wall.

Best fishing hole, ever! 



I hope you are making wonderful Easter memories,











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