PrairieDust visual journal

photographer Dave Leiker

The Sunflower In – west wall

Melvern, Kansas
The Sunflower In leaves one with a mix of feelings. The aging environment feels like a homey refuge. There’s a charm that pulled me in and held me as I visited with the owner of the store. It all felt so real and human. Smaller than most living rooms, it holds a pool table, groceries, the town’s only video checkout library, dusty potted plants and a few bar stools. I think it might be a good place to spend a snowed-in evening.

It's best to decline a snapper's invitation to join in the swim. -found in a small creek in south Lyon County, KS