When I was in college, I petitioned my parents for a bicycle as a birthday gift.

I saw other students zipping around campus on bicycles and I thought it would be fun to be a part of this crowd.

True to my preference for vintage things, I asked specifically for an old-fashioned red bicycle with a wide seat and tires and a basket in front. Wonder of wonders, my parents gave me the bicycle for my 21st birthday.

When I moved to Kansas, we loaded my bike into my father-in-law’s truck and it moved with me. My first year in Kansas, I lived just a mile from the library and rode my bike to work many times, enjoying the relatively flat landscape in comparison to the Ozark foothills I was used to. Unfortunately, my tires went flat before too long and my husband would fix them only to have them go flat again after a day or two.

It wasn’t until a couple of weeks ago that my husband was finally able to permanently fix the tires.

On my first ride in over a year, I rode tentatively, but soon I was zipping along the gravel country road near our house. I’ve been riding my bike almost every evening since then. From my vantage point on my bicycle I see the sun disappear a little earlier each evening, I see the dragonflies chasing their supper against the pink evening sky, and I see the deer creep out of the woods and into the darkening fields. I am so looking forward to a September full of cool evening bike rides. September is sort of magical in how it slips by so quickly, making us wonder when — in the space of a month — the summer got traded in for fall.

September is bound and determined to go by in a flash, so I’m focusing on just two public programs for the month.

On Sunday, Sept. 7 at 2 PM, I’ll be hosting Bingo in the library’s gallery. Ever a popular game in western Kansas, Bingo will be open to all ages and is free of charge. We’ll be playing classic Bingo (horizontal, vertical or diagonal), 4 corners Bingo, and we might even sneak in a game of blackout. Never played? Bingo is easy to learn and fun for all ages. You don’t need a team or even a partner to enjoy playing the game. Prizes will be awarded to winners. Get ready, get set, BINGO!

My second and more highly anticipated event is the second annual chili cook-off! We’re looking for all kinds of chili: red, green, white, and vegetarian. This event will take place from 12 PM – 5 PM on Thursday, Sept. 25. To participate, you must drop off a crock pot full of your chili at the library by 12 PM on September 25. The public will have the opportunity to taste each chili and vote for their favorite one! You must register your chili for this event by calling 625-9014 or emailing [email protected]. The chef behind the winning chili will win a delicious prize.  This event was lots of fun last year and I’m hoping for an even greater turnout of cooks and tasters for our second annual cook-off.

Finally, I’d like to invite every one of my readers to “save the date” for the upcoming premiere of Hays’ Turning Points story, The Art of Change. Turning Points is a short film project supported by the Kansas Humanities Council through a generous gift from Suzi Miner in memory of Kansas historian Craig Miner. Four towns throughout the state – Hays, Ulysses, Kinsley and Olathe – were selected to have short films made about a significant “turning point” in their communities. Hays’ film is about the formation of the local arts council and how the council has impacted both the people of Hays as well as the reputation of the community as a whole. The premiere will be held at the Robbins Center on FHSU’s campus on October 17, 2014. The evening will begin at 6:30 PM and will last until about 8 PM. Please don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime premiere event!

The Kansas Room is located in the basement of the Hays Public Library and is open from 9 AM to 4 PM Tuesday through Saturday, and by request.

Lucia Bain is Kansas Room Librarian at the Hays Public Library.