Many of you who know my husband John and me have heard the news that our daughter, son-in-law, and three of our precious grandkids are moving to Clyde, Kansas. An opportunity for Art to advance his career and for our daughter, Kristen, to be a stay-at-home mom, factored into their difficult decision. The move is just about complete, so once our Fair activities are over, they will have time to get settled in before school starts.
Grandparenting is a wonderful chapter in life and if you are fortunate enough to be a grandparent I am sure you agree. We have been blessed to have our daughters’ family close by since she and Art got married in 2002. Now, they, along with three kids, ages 8, 4, and 18 months, are moving 141 miles away from Great Bend. Those spur of the moment, drop-by visits will require more planning. At least it doesn’t require a trip to the airport or a long drive. We have friends who have to take off work to be able to fly and see their grandchildren. Social media has changed the way we communicate whether it is across town or 141 miles away. FaceTime is a great tool to see and hear the accomplishments of the grandkids. It’s the hugs we will really miss, so that means we will have to make regular trips to Clyde.
Clyde really is a nice little community. Our first trip to Clyde happened back in 2012 when one of the overnight stops on Bike Across Kansas was at their High School. Pitching our tent on a grassy area near the football field seemed like a good idea. Little did we know that the wind generator a few yards away from the tents would sound like a fire truck siren in the distance ALL NIGHT LONG! Needless to say, we didn’t have the most restful night but it was a memorable visit to Clyde.
Now, four years later we find ourselves helping the kids move to this north central Kansas community of 716. The other evening John and I were sitting in lawn chairs in the front yard of the kids’ home in Clyde. We had a great time catching lightning bugs with the kids and waving to residents who rode by in their golf carts. (Yes golf carts are permitted to be driven on city streets)
We have checked out the paved roads heading out of Clyde and are mapping out a bike route for a future visit. With a little tailwind I think we can make it in on our tandem bicycle in two long days!
Donna Krug is the Family & Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research & Extension – Barton County. You may reach her at (620)793-1910 or dkrug@ksu.edu