THREE MEN ON A BARK HUNT IN THE FLINT HILLS

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Emporia is located between the Neosho and Cottonwood Rivers in eastern Kansas. The Flint Hills are to the west of us. Every creek and valley has cottonwood trees. The vast prairie lands of the Flint Hills that separate the rivers and streams are lush with tall grass prairie habitat. There is one huge tree just about a mile from my house that probably would supply many bark carvers with a life time of carving. I showed that tree to the guys, but we were going to the Flint Hills to find our bark.

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Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It's Off to Hunt We Go

to find a Cottonwood Tree that has been struck by lightening.

Oh! But wait.

We have to have breakfast first!

We have to have energy and strength to find our bark.

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3Bryan Moody

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6Gregg Thompson

Brian and Gregg are from Wichita

After breakfast, the three of us (Brian, Gregg and myself) loaded ourselves in the van and traveled to the Flint Hills to find "our pot of gold (a huge cottonwood tree).

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I spent some time the week before looking for a tree in the Flint Hills. I wanted the drive to be a typical Flint Hills scenic view and at the same time, I did not want to spend too much time looking for a tree rather than viewing our beautiful Flint Hills. Also . . . we had some bark carving we needed to do.