Kansas Fences and Sisal Twine

Some fences are built for privacy; however, this one in Kansas attracts attention!

The artwork is created from a variety of scrap metal and road signs.  In 2010 when we saw this fence on a road trip to Texas, we didn't have time to visit the studio, but I would imagine the designer has an interesting story.

Another attraction we drove by is the world's largest ball of twine in Cawker City, Kansas.  Frank Stoeber started his ball of twine in 1953.  By the time of his death in 1974, he had 1.6 million feet of twine on an 11-foot in diameter ball, and it is believed he had the largest ball of twine in the world at the time of his death. 

Francis Johnson of Minnesota began a twine ball project in 1950 and wrapped twine 4 hours a day for 39 years, passing Stoeber's record.  His twine ball was 12 feet in diameter at the time of his death in 1989. 

 However, the residents of Cawker City decided not to let Stoeber's project stop.  Every year they hold a Twine-at-thon where residents wrap more twine around the ball.  The world's largest ball of sisal twine is now their claim to fame.

The variety of interests in the world makes it a fascinating place.  Every person is in some ways like a book full of interesting stories waiting to be read.  If you walked by the designer of the fence or one of the sisal twine ball creators, chances are you'd never guess.  People don't usually wear nametags with a title and table of contents.  We have to talk with them to find out!

It's important that we think of the heritage we will leave behind.  For what do we want to be remembered?  Will our legacy be the patience invested in a ball of twine, the love shown to our families, the concentration involved in our chess games, the kind deeds we do for others, or a combination of these things?  When we come to the end, a lot of things we now consider important won't really matter. As someone once said, "Only one life, 'twill soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last."

"Common looking people are the best in the world: that is the reason the Lord makes so many of them."  
--Abraham Lincoln

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Check out TexWisGirl's blog for links to more fences from around the world!