Sunday, February 8, 2026
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My favorite Coleslaw

By
Debbie Dance Uhrig
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Well; it certainly takes a while to catch up on needed rest these days. After my big weekend up north I’ve been taking things pretty ‘easy’. I’ve found when you’re still working full-time you have a hard time keeping things done on the home-front. This past weekend I found myself resting at every opportunity. A great deal of things did not get done, but I decided my health was calling, so downtime it was. In the long run of things pushing ourselves can certainly have repercussions. Don’t get me wrong I ‘did’ things, but on Sunday I called a halt and rested, and I’m glad I did!

This week I wanted to share my simplest Cole slaw recipe, the one I go to 90% of the time. Actually; with enough compliments on a recipe all of us tend to stick to what gets good feedback.

When I’m asked to make coleslaw for 30, 50 or 100, this is my go-to. There will be plenty of space for added ingredients, anywhere from meat, vegetables or fruit.

These days when our family takes a road-trip I do as many things as possible to keep from eating processed or ‘fast’ food meals. This frequently means a good deal of planning before departure. Cole slaw is an easy side dish, with the addition of pre-cooked chicken pieces it can turn to a main entrée. I’ve given 3 main ingredients for my standard fav., but I would enjoy the cooked meats, raisins, nuts or sunflowers too. The biggest tip is to put the salad together when you are at the table. If it’s a picnic take along a large gallon Ziploc and put all the pre-prepared ingredients in the bag, with the dressing and shake. Zip up any extras for later, and there’s no bowl to wash. I’ve also done the Asian Cole Slaw recipe with the ramen noodle mix, in the same way, added chicken made It a one dish meal. You might take along a few fresh muffins to go with either salad format.

Another salad that makes a great travel meal is the cauliflower, broccoli, green onion, bacon cream salad. If this is a chosen travel salad purchase 4 oz. containers with lids and pre-pack it for the trip. A quick trip to a large grocery store can also yield potato & macaroni salads versus French fries and onion rings. If I’m traveling solo hard-boiled eggs are one of my favorite tag-a-longs. Should you be staying in a condo or camping, versus a hotel stay, make breakfast burritos and breakfast sandwiches before departure allowing the family to have a healthy breakfast while you sleep in, drink coffee or go for a morning walk.

The dressing for the Cole slaw is predominantly a poppy seed dressing. You can certainly make it fresh, but often a bottled version is handier. I have not commented on which label, because I feel that’s more of a personal decision. So here we go, Simply Yours, The Covered Dish.

Simple Cole Slaw

1 bag of Cole slaw blend

Chopped radishes

Halved grape tomatoes

Green Onion, chopped fine with tops

Chopped Celery or peppers, optional

Poppy Seed Dressing

Purchase ingredient amounts based upon the number of persons being served. AND consider if you’re using the recipe as a main entrée or as a side. As a side expect 1 bag of Cole slaw to feed 4-5 persons.

Spring Wrens…Sometimes

By
Steve Gilliland
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Years ago, we had a wren house hung under the eaves just outside my office window. We watched a pair of wrens raise a family there for a couple years, then they never returned. I took the old tattered house down and didn’t have a wren house for a while. Two years ago, I got a pattern from a friend who is a very avid back-yard birder. I build two new houses, hung one at the same place outside my office window, and the other under the eaves of our workshop. We had no renters last year, and this spring, I guess a robin decided the house on the shop would make a nice two-story condo, and built a nest on the roof. She raised 3 chicks up there, but still no wrens. I’m suspicious they might not like the location any more because of the plethora of Baltimore Orioles we now feed nearby.

House wrens are cocky, brownish little birds with long pointy beaks that can easily be recognized by the way their tails point upward at a jaunty little angle. Next to Purple Martins, House Wrens seem to be the second most popular backyard songbird home owners like to provide with housing. Having wintered in the south, male wrens arrive here several days before the females, around mid-April, intent upon staking out their territories early and having a nice selection of summer homes for the ladies to choose from when they arrive. They take very well to the homes we provide for them, but wrens have been seen nesting in many places other than those nifty houses we build. Their nests have been found in overturned flower pots in garden sheds, in the small hole in the center of a ball of twine, in a large abandoned hornet’s nest, in old shoes, boots and hats, and in the pocket of a scare crow’s coat. The style of the house doesn’t seem to be important, as long as the interior is kept fairly small, as wrens are cavity nesters and feel secure in small tight places. I found directions showing entrance holes anywhere from 7/8 to 1 1/8 inches in diameter. Smaller holes keep out starlings, sparrows and other bigger birds. I found results of a study suggesting that slotted holes seem to work well and are evidently appreciated by the males, as slots allow them easier access into the house with nesting materials in their mouths.

When the male arrives (often to the same general nesting area each year,) he chooses more than one nesting site and immediately sets about stuffing them all full of sticks and twigs. After he has successfully wooed a female, she makes her choice from the options he’s provided and adds a lining of feathers, hair or wool to his bachelor pad and moves in. Male wrens are known to literally stuff these chosen sites so full of material that the female has to remove some just to get inside. One writer had watched a male wren in her backyard as he crammed a house so full of sticks they stuck out the hole. When the female arrived, she threw most of it back out into a pile on the ground below. While she was gone to hunt for suitable lining material, the male put one of his precious twigs back inside, and when the female arrived back, she again threw the stick out into the pile. I guess it’s that “When mammas happy everyone’s happy” thing.

Wrens often raise 2 broods a year. Five to eight tiny ½ inch eggs are laid, 13 to 15 days later, the hungry youngsters hatch, and 12 to 18 days after hatching are ready to fly from the nest. A wren’s diet is primarily insects and for those 12 to 18 days the parents’ life is put on hold as they strive to keep a house full of ravenous little insect guzzlers fed. One observer (who had way too much time on their hands and obviously a worse social life

than even I) counted over 1000 feeding trips made by a pair of wrens in one day! Just one of many good reasons to place wren houses near your garden.

A friend recently told me there seems to be a little controversy whether to clean wren houses or not. All my research shows that wren houses SHOULD be cleaned out each fall after the birds are done with them for the year. Cleaning helps rid them of any parasites, and removes any old nesting debris and anything else leftover after raising a couple families of hungry chicks.

I used to scoff at back-yard birders, but now I spend time on our deck most mornings with binoculars and a Kansas bird book handy, listening and learning to identify all the finches, orioles and other songbirds that frequent our seed and jelly feeders. Beautiful, colorful back-yard songbirds, yet more reminders of God’s marvelous Creation…Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.

Steve can be contacted by email at [email protected].

Seize The Grey Wins 149th Preakness Stakes In Muddy, Thrilling Race

By
Frank Buchman
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“There will be no horse racing for the Triple Crown in 2024.”

Seize The Grey won the 149th Preakness Stakes at a muddy racecourse in Baltimore, Maryland, edging out Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan and six other horses to win.

Before the race, all eyes were on Mystik Dan and the race track itself, as some rain before the event forced officials to downgrade the track to muddy conditions, which was the first time the track had been muddy for the Preakness in 85 years.

With its victory, Seize The Grey denied Mystik Dan a chance at the Triple Crown, one of the most coveted accomplishments in sports.

However, Mystik Dan came in at second, and appeared to be gaining on Seize The Grey towards the end of the race before the victor pushed ahead to hold on to its lead as it crossed the finish line.

Catching Freedom came in close behind Mystik Dan at third place. Seize The Grey and its team took home the top prize from the Preakness’ $2 million purse this year.

That compares to a $5 million purse at this year’s Kentucky Derby and a $1.5 million purse for last year’s Preakness winner.

A crash course on the economics of modern racehorse ownership. Julie Hobson bought a 0.02 percent share of Seize The Grey for $127.

When the horse won the Preakness Stakes, she and every other micro share owner earned $158 of the $2 million purse.

But Hobson also spent $2,000 just to get to Baltimore after her flight was delayed from her home in northern California. The night before the big race, her daughter wondered if they ought to give up.

“No way, she thought. You only live once,” Hobson said. “You only can live this dream.”

It took her nearly two grand in the red, but Hobson found herself in a place someone with such a small investment in racing would almost never find herself: the winner’s circle.

Through the microtransaction service MyRacehorse, 2,570 people had bought a share of Seize The Grey.

According to MyRacehorse founder and CEO Michael Behrens, 512 people applied for ownership privileges traditionally given only to deep-pocketed backers by tracks where their horses race.

Hobson was among the lucky few who, after the NBC cameras had cleared, was welcomed into the circle with a spirited chant of “Seize The Grey!”

“This is what it’s all about,” Hobson shouted as she squatted in the front row, sloshing around a nearly empty wineglass. “Right, everybody?”

Seize The Grey went wire to wire to win the Preakness Stakes, giving 88-year-old Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas a seventh victory in the race.

The gray colt took advantage of the muddy track just like Lukas hoped he would, pulling off the upset in a second consecutive impressive start two weeks after romping in a race on the Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill Downs. Seize The Grey went off at 9-1, one of the longest shots on the board.

Mystik Dan finished second running in the 1 3/16-mile race. After falling short of winning, it would be a surprise if he runs in the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Racecourse.

No one in the race’s 149-year history has saddled more horses in the Preakness than Lukas with 48 since debuting in 1980. He had two this time, with Just Steel finishing fifth.

Lukas has now won the Preakness seven times, one short of the record held by two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer and close friend Bob Baffert, whose Imagination finished seventh.

Baffert was also supposed to have two horses in the field and arguably the best, but Muth was scratched earlier in the week because of a fever.

Muth’s absence made Mystik Dan the 2-1 favorite, but he and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. could not replicate their perfect Derby trip to win. Instead, Jaime Torres rode Seize The Grey to a win in his first Preakness.

This was the last Preakness at Pimlico Racecourse as it stands before demolition begins on the historic but deteriorating track, which will still hold the 150th running of it next year mid-construction.

That process is already well underway at Belmont Park, which is why the final leg of the Triple Crown is happening at Saratoga for the first time and is being shortened to 1 1/4 miles because of the shape of the course.

Kentucky Derby second-place finisher Sierra Leone, a half step from winning, is expected to headline that field.

“I think they’re trying to get rid of me,” Lukas said. “They probably want me to retire. I don’t think that’ll happen.”

For Seize The Grey’s jockey Jaime Torres, it was his first Preakness win. He only went to jockey school in Puerto Rico in 2022 and was quite emotional.

“I’m very excited, very excited,” Torres said. “I’m very thankful to all the people who have been behind me, helping me.”

Going into the race, Mystik Dan was the favorite, with 5-2 morning line odds, after Muth had to be scratched, bringing the total number of horses to eight.

Muth was trained by Bob Baffert, a Hall of Famer, and the trainer for Imagination, who was also seen as a contender in the race, but ultimately came in seventh. Imagination came into the race tied as the runner-up odds favorite, along with Catching Freedom, at 6-1.

Mugatu, the horse named after Will Ferrell’s Zoolander” character, came in tied for the lowest odds, along with Uncle Heavy, at 20-1 odds. Mugatu finished last at eighth.

Here is the full leaderboard: 1, Seize The Grey; 2, Mystik Dan; 3, Catching Freedom; 4, Tuscan Gold; 5, Just Steel; 6, Uncle Heavy; 7, Imagination; and 8, Mugatu.

Last of the three races for the Triple Crown is the 156th Belmont Stakes.

2024 Water Garden Tour

By
tammiehoeme
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What – 2024 Water Garden Tour, produced by The Kansas Pond Society.

 

When – June 15-16, Saturday 9 to 5 p.m., Sunday Noon to 5 p.m.

 

Where – Thirteen locations throughout Wichita/Metropolitan Area listed on the ticket map and brochure.

 

Why – An invitation to tour various water gardens and 

Features and to visit with homeowners and others who have experienced the facets of designing, building, and maintaining backyard ponds and water features. In addition, we invite the public to join or attend the monthly meetings The Kansas Pond Society has all year. Information is included in the ticket/map brochure.

 

How much? – Only ten dollars per carload buys an unforgettable opportunity to tour a variety of unique and interesting sites over two days! This tour is a great way to spend the Father’s Day weekend! Ticket/Map brochures can be purchased at both Johnson’s Garden Centers, Scenic Landscape, and Hong’s Landscape and Nursery.

 

Background – Every summer The Kansas Pond Society selects a variety of local water gardens and ponds for the public to visit and enjoy. Varying in size and features, from a few hundred to several thousand gallons, situated in small yards and yards up to several acres, these ponds will get each visitor’s attention. You can talk with each homeowner on how they were designed, built and are maintained. Featuring fish, from goldfish to colorful Koi, these backyard retreats can create an oasis within the smallest of city lots.

 

This is one of the goals of The Kansas Pond Society:

to encourage potential members to join them at any of their monthly meetings and learn from members, gaining confidence from their experiences designing, building and maintaining oriental ponds and water features. There are also their famous ‘potluck’ dinners that have become a highlight of each meeting.

 

Featured on this tour you will see a diversity of streams, waterfalls, and beautiful water plants (some growing in the water, some along the bank nearby). Throughout the tour sites one can enjoy the creative and personal touch some homeowners have performed in converting their backyards into sanctuaries. Your Tour ticket will also give you admission into Botanica, The Wichita Gardens. There 

are several water attractions to enjoy, many of which The Kansas Pond Society have helped build and maintain over the years.

 

Our club’s president, Mike Kandt, is available for interviews and information. He can be reached at 316-619-7501. Or you can contact our Advertising and Publicity person, Ron Williams. Video and photo files are available upon request.

 

Ron Williams, 316-755-2476, [email protected]

AI, RI

By
John Marshall
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john marshal

Artificial Intelligence, the darling of master nerds, coding maestros and computer virtuosos, is shined up as an indispensible part of life as we scroll it. Tech spinners, today’s rendition of the door-to-door salesman, are packing apps and bots that do it all. Fuller Brush, meet OpenAI.

We’ve been introduced:

‒ Those “can we chat?” bubbles that spring up during a search of online merchandise;

‒ The pop-up words or phrases anticipating text we might need ‒ or not ‒ while tapping a keypad;

‒ The phone robot fixed with a steadfast menu, options that sidestep a caller’s particular inquiry. If the caller persists, a robot (“bot”) is likely to provide a person (Real Intelligence), the reason for the call to begin with.

OpenAI recently released an updated ChatGPT chatbot named GPT4-o. The company believes this bot will better understand a caller’s instructions. It also performs on video. “The updated voice can mimic a wider range of human emotions, and allows the user to interrupt… with fewer delays…” And so on.

The idea is to shrink the difference between human and machine until human peters out and no one is sure who or what is running the show ‒ shopping inquiries, medical appointments, weather alerts, bank accounts, elections.

Defenders of scientific advancement claim that this is progress. This may be. A lot of people are alarmed at the decay of our system, how we govern, how we pursue our lives. We need Real Intelligence, not the artificial brand. If chatty robots can be programmed to think for us they can be taught to worry for us and come up with some answers.

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