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Brent Lind, a University of Kansas senior rolls his Design II class contraption back to the Fine Arts building after a final project presentation on the KU campus in Lawrence, KS. May 12, 2003. For their last class of the academic year Lind and his classmates had to construct a machine that included wheels, was made from only found objects and that had a percussive quality.

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Heather Craig and Brock Thomas, both of Tucson, AZ. practice with their hoops on the stern deck of the Alaska Marine Highway ferry "Columbia" on a trip between Ketchikan, AK., and Wrangell, AK. Craig and Thomas are members of Pyroluscious, a fire/circus-style performance group, was on her way to Skagway for some summer performances.

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Standing on a stone pedestal at a roadside park east of Lebanon, KS., Smith Center High School seniors Mandy Linn and Lance Allen are at the center of America on May 15, 2003. The flag-topped pedestal marks the geographical center of the 48 states of the contiguous United States and was established by the goverment geodetic survey of 1898. Linn and Allen will also be the center of attention when the graduate from High School May 18, 2003.

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Storm clouds begin to darken the early evening sky over U.S. Hwy 75 north of Holton, KS.

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"Liberty of the Plains" a small copy of the Satute of Liberty along U.S. 281 south of Smith Center, KS., faces south overlooking farmland and pastures and the community of Harlan, KS.

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Gary Chaput, ranch manager at the L.C.L. Buffalo Ranch in Clifton, KS. spends three days a week visiting five pastures to spread out 'range cube' food to 250 head of American Bison on the Kansas ranch owned by Lester C. Lawrence, of Clifton. Friday, May 16, 2003, Chaput climbs over a fence to reach to a feeding area.

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Gary Chaput, ranch manager at the L.C.L. Buffalo Ranch in Clifton, KS. has known "Junior" long enough that he can feed the 2,000 pound buffalo by hand. Chaput spends three days a week visiting five pastures to spread out 'range cube' food to 250 head of American Bison on the Kansas ranch owned by Lester C. Lawrence, of Clifton.

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Carol Owen, Washington, KS. holds her 7-month-old niece Kate Allerheiligen, Wichita, while they wait for their food outside the Longhorn Bar & Grill in Washington.

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Workers at Marcon Pies in Washinton, KS. produce 250 to 1,000 fresh homemade pies a day, delivering their "Little Slice of Heaven" to resturants throughout central U.S. in dozens of flavors including a complete line of sugar free pies. Frances Daoenport removes some fresh baked pies from the convection ovens in front of a tour group visiting Marcon Pies.

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Lois Clements, 82, of Kansas City, KS., dances with Robert Sobba, 63, Ottawa, KS. during the weekly Oldsters United for Responsible Services (OURS) dance at the Lawrence Senior Center. "I've had this outfit for 40 years," said Clements referring to her western skirt and boots. "If you keep em long enough they come back in style."

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Sculptor Jim Brothers, Lawrence, KS. is the principal sculptor for the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, VA., and has completed over eight, larger than life-size pieces depicting WWII soldiers landing on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. On Wednesday May 14, 2003, Brothers was working on an additional two pieces for the D-Day memorial, that of a another soldier and a medic. Brothers also completed a sculpture of former President and General Dwight D. Eisenhower that will be placed in the United States Capitol in June of 2003. The original clay sculpure of the Eisenhower stands behind Brothers.

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Tom Krause, a Lawrence, KS. letter carrier hopes to retire in three years and devote his time to creating unique instruments. Wednesday, May 14, 2003, Krause plays the tune "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", on his bottleflute creation. In the foreground beneath Krause is his "pan-lid piano" with two chromatic octaves and each lid's note painted on the front. Above Krause on the wall are his percussive bunt pans.

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Heritage Baptist Christian School seniors work on morning lessons at the church school. From left are LaTawsha Zahn, 15, Katherine Daniels, 17 and Jessica Bartels, 16.

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Joshua Bartels, 14, center, raises the Bible while students at Heritage Baptist Christian School, Lawrence, KS. recite a morning pledge to the Bible. The morning pledges also includes the pledge of alligiance to the American flag and the Christian flag.

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Members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans Col's Lewis & Harrison Camp #1864 held their monthly meeting in Constitution Hall, Lecompton, KS. The historical and genealogical oriented organization welcomed three new members to the Camp Tuesday May 13, 2003. Front row from left are Charles Huskey, Brandon Erickson, Bertram Erickson, Rock Erickson and Jack Sanders. Back row from left are Denver Erickson, Kyle Erickson and John McCoin.

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From left classmates Ace Mooney, 12, D.J. Zahn, 11, and David Franklin, 11, show off their class flag poster while removing items from the classroom walls so the room can be painted.

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Sheila Thornton and her fiance Marvin McCurdy never tire of showing their patriotism. The couple painted the side of their barn in the stars and stripes shortly after 9/11 but they painted the satellite years earlier. "She's always been patriotic," said McCurdy as the couple had their portrait taken with their dog Marshe on their farm outside Lawrence, KS.

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The Seizure Sisters perform "It's Raining on Prom Night" during the Monthly Grind at the Saxman Tribal House in Ketchikan, AK. The May 17, 2003, music variety show was the last monthly Grind of the season.

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Employees Sharon Marx and James Curtis, both of Marysville, KS. work a late night shift at Penny's Diner on U.S. 36 in Marysville, KS. while storm clouds gather above the 24-hour food stop.

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An employee at Taco Bell restuarant outside Marysville, KS. off U.S. Hwy 36, begins to clean up near closing time.

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The lights of the Penny's Diner shine bright beneath storm clouds over the food stop along U.S. 36 in Marysville, KS.

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The sun sets behind a wall of storm clouds over U.S. Hwy. 36 near Baileyville, KS.

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Sunshine breaks through dark storm clouds and a rainbow shines over U.S. 36 Hwy. near Seneca, KS.

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Sunshine breaks through dark storm clouds and a rainbow shines over U.S. 36 Hwy. near Seneca, KS.

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A group of young students prepare to locate and read a verse from the Bible before morning classes at Heritage Baptist Christian School in Lawrence, KS. All students participate in the schools morning pledges including the pledge of alligiance to the American flag, the Christian flag and to the bible.

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Students attending Heritage Baptist Christian School at the Heritage Baptist Church, Lawrence, KS. participate in a game of dodge ball during a morning recess.

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Standing on a stone pedestal at a roadside park east of Lebanon, KS., Smith Center High School seniors Mandy Linn and Lance Allen are at the center of America on May 15, 2003. The flag-topped pedestal marks the geographical center of the 48 states of the contiguous United States and was established by the goverment geodetic survey of 1898. Linn and Allen will also be the center of attention when the graduate from High School May 18, 2003.

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Fern Hayes, Lawrence, KS., left, listens to the country songs of bass player Bill Routh, Baldwin, KS., and his bnad during the weekly Oldsters United for Responsible Services (OURS) dance at the Lawrence Senior Center.

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Newlyweds John Studdard, right, 71, feeds Audrey Kamb-Studdard, 68, wedding cake following their ceremony at the University Community of Christ Church on Sunday, May 18, 2003 in Lawrence, Kan. John, who who refused Audrey's offer to "just shack up," proposed marraige on New Year's Eve. Their future plans are simple: Travel and then retire amongst the company of friends and family in Lawrence.

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Devin Miller, left, holds his newborn daughter, Anithia, next to his wife, Annette, and daughter, Sabrina, 4, on Monday, May 12, 2003 in Lawrence, Kan. The Millers, who braved last winter in a rented trailer heated by only a stove, purchased a new mobile home for $200 in far-east Lawrence.

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From left, Joe May, 13, Ben Folsom, 15, and his brother, Richard Folsom, 12, hold a rock-throwing competition on the banks of a sand pit on Saturday, May 17, 2003 in Mayetta, Kan. The three Topekans attended the dirt car races at Thunder Hill Speedway, a breeding ground for NASCAR hopefulls

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Audrey Kamb-Studdard, left, 68, and John Studdard, 71, share one last word before walking down the isle for their wedding at the University Community of Christ Church on Sunday, May 18, 2003 in Lawrence, Kan. John, who who refused Audrey's offer to "just shack up," proposed marraige on New Year's Eve.

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Ashley Henly, left, 9, hustles for the ball underneath teammate Shelby Pursel on Wednesday, May 14, 2003 in Tonganoxie, Kan. The Tonganoxie Chieftains girls youth baseball team, composed mostly of newcomers to the game, learned the basics of base running, hitting and defensive play in preparation of summer league games.

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Little action on first base bores Chelsie Hallgrimson, left, 9, and Dannie Oelschlaeger, also 9, during baseball practice on Wednesday, May 14, 2003, in Tonganoxie, Kan. Both new to baseball, Hallgrimson and Oelschlaeger play in the Tonganoxie Chieftains' youth baseball league.

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Members of the "Rez Boyz" dirt track racing team Sam Potts, left, team mechanic, and Willie Potts, team driver, stand next to their car on Saturday, May 17, 2003, at the Thunder Hill Speedway near Mayetta, Kan.

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Willie Potts, team driver for the "Rez Boyz" dirt track car, hangs out the window of his race car on Saturday, May 17, 2003, at the Thunder Hill Speedway near Mayetta, Kan. The "Rez Boyz" are the only American Indian race team currently competing in the weekly races at the speedway, which is located adjacent to the Potawatomi Indian Reservation in northeastern Kansas.

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Cow dogs chase a passing truck in downtown Home, Kan., on Saturday, May 17, 2003. Located on the Oregon Trail, around 250 people currently reside in the northeastern Kansas town.

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Berrigan Willmott scowers the field for ripe spinach leaves as Lori Yoder (hands) makes a pick on Wednesday, May 14, 2003, at Pendleton Country Market in rural Douglas County. Pendletons, located in the Kansas River Valley between Eudora and Lawrence, grows fruit, vegatables and flowers. The farm hosts tour groups which come year-round to learn about Kansas agriculture and during the fall for a stroll in the corn maze.

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Lori Yoder, Berrigan Willmott and Carole Davis scower a spinach field for ripe leaves on Wednesday, May 14, 2003, at Pendleton Country Market in rural Douglas County. Located in the Kansas River Valley, Pendletons is the epicenter for what some argue to be the most fertile crop-growing land in the nation.

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John Pendleton, owner of Pendleton's Country Market, pulls a group of elderly tourists along a tractor path on the edge of his asparagus field in rural Douglas County on Wednesday, May 14, 2003. Born and raised on a farm in Iowa, Pendleton combines the knowledge he gained from his youth with modern sustainable farming methods including hand-picking his crop and foregoing the use of pesticides.

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Dirt track cars line the straightaway, passing a small crowd of fans, at the Thunder Hill Speedway near Mayetta, Kan., on Saturday, May 17, 2003. The speedway, a popular place for NASCAR hopefulls, holds weekly races throughout the spring, summer and fall.

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Car enthusiasts lean on a car as they watch racers speed around the Thunderhill Speedway at dusk in Mayetta, Kan.

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Thunderhill Speedway race enthusiasts watch the races from atop a trailer in Mayetta, Kan.

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An aerial view of the Thunderhill Speedway work area in Mayetta, Kan.

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A racer at Thunderhill Speedway prepares for the next run.

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Mud covers the windshield of a car at Thunderhill Speedway.

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Laura Ritter, foreground, and Amelia Rylko giggle while sorting asparagus at Pendleton Country Market in rural Douglas County on Wednesday, May 14, 2003. Pendleton's, a purveyor of hand-picked fruits and vegatables, operates year round and sells their products locally in and around the Lawrence area.

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A ponytail dangles from beneath a baseball helmet as a girl readies herself to run bases on Wednesday, May 14, 2003, in Tonganoxie, Kan.

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Nina Cobb, left, wheels LeRoy Hatch through the grass at Lakeview Manor to a ceremony in which he and other war veterans were honored on Wednesday, May 14, 2003. in Lawrence, Kan. The retirement home celebrated National Nursing Home Week with a flag-raising ceremony, which honored those who served in the military.

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Kent Engler takes a stroll down the hallway at Lakeview Manor in Lawrence, Kan., on Wednesday, May 14, 2003. Engler, a life-long Lawrence resident, attended a ceremony honoring war veterans on National Nursing Home Day at the nursing home.

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Newlyweds John Studdard, right, 71, exits the wedding ceremony with his wife Audrey Kamb-Studdard, 68, at the University Community of Christ Church on Sunday, May 18, 2003 in Lawrence, Kan.

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Devin Miller greets his daughter, Sabrina, after a day's work constructing suburban homes on Monday, May 12, 2003, in Lawrence, Kan. Miller, a first-time homeowner, purchased a trailer for $200 in late April after surviving the Kansas winter in a rented trailer heated by an oven. He and his family now live in far-east Lawrence.

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A calf is dropped while being unloaded from a trailer.

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A worn out tire gets a second life as a "No Hunting" sign next to a wheat field near Bird City, Ks.

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Dorothy is alive and well in Liberal, Kansas, at the "Dorothy's House and the Land of Oz." There is also a yellow brick road and other sights to see. The "Dorothy" with the Oz scarecrow figure is Kristen Hall, 16, a junior at Liberal High School. There are 17 youngsters in Liberal who take turns representing one of Kansas' most familiar fictional icons.

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Two old, unused water tanks, labeled "Hot" and "Cold," always get a second look from strangers as they pass through Pratt, Kansas.

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Farmers always deal with dust but Kansas has been in the throes of a drought for the past three years. This tractor is sometimes obscured while discing and seeding near Montezuma, Kansas.

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Figures of cowboys and horses cut out of steel stand on the edge of Dodge City, once part of the legend of the wild west.

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Photos in the pens at the Farmers and Ranchers Livestock Commission where cattle are loaded to be auctioned. Rancher who pulled a trailer of cows and a bull watches as his livestock run into the pens.

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Montezuma, Kansas is the home of the Gray County Wind Farm. There are 170 electricity producing windmills on 12,000 acres. The 200 foot-tall windmills generate enough electricity for 33,000 farms.

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An aerial view of Cheyenne and Rawlins counties in the extreme northwest corner of Kansas. Long straight roads divide the land into sections. Crops are mostly wheat and corn.

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A long-abandoned house in Rawlins county sits in the middle of a pasture between two bookend-like trees.

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Cattle and pigs that arrived at the Farmers and Ranchers Livestock Commission auction house finally get indoors at auction time. An auctioneer starts bidding as the livestock comes in one door and out the other.

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Long shot of the Dodge City limits steel cowboy cut-out sign showing the many grain elevators in the downtown area.

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Cattle and pigs that arrived at the Farmers and Ranchers Livestock Commission auction house finally get indoors at auction time. Small pigs sleep in indoor pens after they've been sold, waiting for yet another ride on a truck.

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Cattle and pigs that arrived at the Farmers and Ranchers Livestock Commission auction house finally get indoors at auction time. Workmen sort the cattle by groups when they are sold as a lot.

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Two-laned highway 255 looks small as it cuts through the green countryside between Victoria and Gorham in western Kansas. Victoria is the home of a catholic church called "The Cathedral of the Plains," the two spires to the right of the highway.

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Photos in the pens at the Farmers and Ranchers Livestock Commission where cattle are loaded to be auctioned. Livestock handler Karen Ehrlich watches her charges.

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A crop duster, Ron Schlittenhardt of Grace Flying Service in St. Francis, Ks, sprays a field of oats about 15 miles south of the town, May 13, 2003. Much of the land in Cheyenne County, located in the extreme northwest corner of Kansas near the Colorado-Nebraska border is irrigated.

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Elvis lives in Elkhart, Kansas. 13 years ago Forrest Lusk, owner of the Downtown Restruant in Elkhart sang Elvis's "Can't Help Falling in Love With you" at his own wedding. Not an Elvis fan at the time, people came up to him after the wedding saying he sounded like the real Elvis. He worked on some moves and practiced and was asked to perform before local groups and eventually made it to the Kansas State Fair...twice. The promoter said he outdrew country singer Ricky Van Shelton. When the spirit moves Lusk he dons his Elvis garb and takes a full length mirror out in the flat brush covered countryside and practices under some spectacular Kansas sunsets.

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Cattle being driven down a county road from one pasture to another.

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Aerials in Cheyenne County Kansas in the northwest corner of the state. Trees planted as windbreaks surround a house on three sides to protedt it from the northern winds.

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An aerial view of Cheyenne and Rawlins counties in the extreme northwest corner of Kansas. This is where the state borders on Nebraska and Colorado. The circles indicate fields that are irrigated by pivitol water systems. Long straight roads divide the land into sections. Crops are mostly wheat and corn. Windrows of trees are planted around houses as protestion from the wind. The small town is Bird City, Kansas.

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An aerial view of Cheyenne and Rawlins counties in the extreme northwest corner of Kansas. This is where the state borders on Nebraska and Colorado. Long straight roads divide the land into sections.

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Dr. Philip Stevens has practiced medicine in Tonganoxie, Kansas for over 50 years. He's 75-years old. He arrived in Tonganoxie by bus direct from The University of Kansas medical school in Kansas City, Kansas. Dr. Stevens watches as a young patient, Danielle Irwin, weighs herself on scales that were used by Dr. Steven's father Delos Stevens when he practiced in Oskaloosa.

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How many doctors offices have you been to lately that have a screen door? Dr. Stevens leans out his to say goodbye to one of his patients. He sees about 35 patients a day.

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Dr. Stevens chats with long-time patient Walter Denholm, 76 who has been "doctoring" with him since 1950 when he came to town. The photographs on the wall are the more than 300 babies Stevens delivered during his first eight years of practice.

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An aerial view of Cheyenne and Rawlins counties in the extreme northwest corner of Kansas. This is where the state borders on Nebraska and Colorado. The circles indicate fields that are irrigated by pivitol water systems. Long straight roads divide the land into sections.

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Aerials in Cheyenne County Kansas in the northwest corner of the state. The little town of McDonald and its grain elevator sitting next to US Highway 36.

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An aerial view of Cheyenne and Rawlins counties in the extreme northwest corner of Kansas.

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Jim Gray is a fourth generation Kansas rancher. His great grandfather George Gray set up Gray's Ranch in central Kansas in 1883. Jim Gray is active in promoting and preserving the Kansas cowboy. He organized C.O.W.B.O.Y.S., or the Cockeyed Old West Band Of Yahoos Society. He also runs the Drovers Mercantile in Ellsworth whre he sells clothing, books, furniture, and other merchandise relating to Kansas' past.

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A row of utility poles form a line along US highway 36 in Rawlings County in northwest Kansas. A grain elevator, one of many in Kansas, is silhouetted in the background.

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During a photo shoot for the "Women of KU" calendar Ashleigh Garcia, left, shot some candid photographs of her model/friends gathered around the University of Kansas mascot, a Jayhawk. Others in the photo are, left to right, Sheena Quinn, Jessica Sands (skirt) and Shannon O'Connor.

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A crop duster, Ron Schlittenhardt of Grace Flying Service in St.Francis, Ks, sprays herbicides on a field of oats about 15 miles south of the town, May 13, 2003. Much of the land in Cheyenne County, located in the extreme northwest corner of Kansas near the Colorado-Nebraska border is irrigated.

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An aerial view of Cheyenne and Rawlins counties in the extreme northwest corner of Kansas. This is where the state borders on Nebraska and Colorado. The circles indicate fields that are irrigated by pivitol water systems.