Siggelkov Park

On a whim late Saturday afternoon---when the angle of sunlight seemed right---I ventured a few miles to a county park along the Wapsipinicon River. Notice who is there to greet me……in the upper right corner of the first photo…….two bald eagles, one with the mottling of youth. Giving the photo an autumnal look are the oak trees which have retained their leaves of deep bronze.

Actually, several eagles were flying around near the park entrance. There are three in this next photo……one is at the bottom and only partially caught in the scene:

The Wapsie is still mostly ice-covered:

The park road boasted a slippery coating of ice, too:

Eagle-eyed observers were still on alert as I exited the scene to head home for evening chores:

In other seasons of the year, I would probably not venture to this park alone in the late afternoon. At heart, I’m nothing but a chicken, worried about encountering people who might be up to no good. Winter’s frigidness, of course, discourages folks from hanging around in the woods, temporarily giving a boost to my wimpy bravado.

I’ll post more photos from Siggelkov Park as the week goes on.

Clermont's Lincoln

Today's post.......in honor of the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth (Where was he born, by the way?):

This statue---erected in 1902--- stands in the historic town of Clermont, in northeast Iowa, U.S.A. The sculpture's creator is George Bissell.

(Click here to see another presidential statue by George Bissell.)

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President Lincoln holds the The Emancipation Proclamation in his hand:

Civil War Era scenes, with inscriptions, grace the four sides of the statue's base.
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"With malice toward none, with charity for all, ...let us strive on to finish the work we are in, ...to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations." (From Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865) :


"They have won the nation's gratitude and undying laurels, not to be forgotten by future generations......". (By Major General Ullysses S. Grant, April 8, 1862, in his general orders to the Army of Tennessee, after the Battle of Shiloh):

I think this next inscription reads, "Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bond of affection......." (From the final paragraph of
Abraham Lincoln's First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1861). Geo. Bissell's name is etched on the lower right of the scene:
"The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature." (From final paragraph of Abraham Lincoln's First Inaugural Address):

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This same George Bissell sculpture of Lincoln stands in Edinburgh, Scotland, in memory of Scottish-American soldiers.

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Click the above photo to enlarge and read the plaque. It says the statue was given to Clermont by Governor William Larrabee, whose mansion, Montauk, sits high on a hilltop estate overlooking the town. Montauk is a state historical site and is available for tours.
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Guess what.......on a much more minor note......today is the 2nd birthday of my blog! It was by random chance that I began blogging on a February 12. That it was Lincoln's birthday did not factor in to my decision......not as I recall, anyway. Certainly, I've always greatly admired Abraham Lincoln. Back in grade school, we once had an assignment to write about the person from history we would most like to meet, and my choice was Abraham Lincoln.
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I hope you enjoyed this "link-laden" Lincoln Birthday blogpost. This is my 817th post. 817 posts in 730 days.......giving an average of 1.12 posts per day. If you're a blogger......what's your posting average?
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Buddy Holly 50th

Fifty years ago today, singers Buddy Holly (Charles Hardin Holley), Richie Valens, and J.P. (The Big Bopper) Richardson---plus pilot Roger Peterson---died in a plane crash a few miles north of Clear Lake, Iowa. They had just finished performing at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake. (Being all of 7-1/2 months old at the time, I have no personal recollection of this event.)

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Here's the story as told in Sunday's Des Moines Register.

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Posters to download from the D.M. Register website:

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From the Waterloo Courier: Recollections from one of the first photographers on the scene of the plane crash.

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And, an article from the Mason City Globe-Gazette.

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An article from MSNBC.com .

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Tommy Allsup, the guitarist for Buddy Holly on that night 50 years ago, relates flipping a coin with Holly to see which of them would get to ride the plane instead of the cold bus they'd been using:


Buddy Holly singing True Love Ways:

Buddy Holly singing Peggy Sue:

Richie Valens of La Bamba fame:

Waylon Jennings gave up his plane seat to The Big Bopper, who sings Chantilly Lace here:

Life Imitating the Blog

Yesterday I told you about attending a Desert Rose Band concert many years ago at the Fayette County Fair in West Union, Iowa. As stated in that post, West Union is about 40 miles from our farm, and is a town I find myself in very infrequently. Ha! Guess what......the first words Husband said to me this morning were, "Can you run to West Union right away to take this pulsator to United Dairy Supply to be fixed?" He didn't have to ask me twice, of course; I love a chance to take a drive, even on snowy roads. But......what is happening here? As life can seem to imitate art at times, today my life is imitating the blog.

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Here's the notorious, non-working pulsator.......a crucial part of the apparatus which milks the cow:

The highway maintenance guys were out early make the roads safe for today's traffic. Looks like some multi-tasking going on here......pushing snow with the blade while at the same time spreading sand on the road. If the driver was snapping a photo, too, I'd be extra impressed.
Taking a detour through Russia, here. Click the picture to see the green sign better. It says "Volga River". Yes, I believe I hear Song of the Volga Boatman wafting in from downtown Fayette, just to my right.

Well, here I am at United Dairy Supply. Yup, they left the loaner pulsator on the door, as they said they would. I left ours hanging on the doorknob.
Well, since I'm now in West Union, might as well go snap a picture of the Fayette County Fairgrounds......to prove to you that I really was here today.

We sat in that grandstand during the Desert Rose Band concert. Fans of a more adventurous and uninhibited nature were "dancing in the dirt" out in front.

Goodness, I should run a contest here........to see if anyone knows where this photo was taken. I drove through it on my way home. What would the prize be? Good question. My blog has few readers---probably none, actually---from northeast Iowa, so most likely no one will recognize this place.

I'm always trying to snap birds in flight......rarely successfully. Got lucky this time, even though its only a common ol' crow. I read once that crows are the most intelligent bird.....they can count to three. Don't ask me how researchers figured that out, or how they could prove such a thing.

Gotta hurry up and get back home to get on track for the day.

Before going home, though, I stopped at my sister's house to wish her a happy birthday. We had a nice visit. She's so busy......running hither and thither everyday to two jobs and keeping up with three kids and a house and acreage, and volunteering at church. I advised her to practice sounding out the word, "NO". It isn't hard to say, really.

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Hey.......great fun today.....on my "life-imitating-the-blog" drive, and I was being helpful to my husband, too. Can't beat that. He's happy.....I'm happy. Besides these scenes, I snapped windmills, delapidated farm buildings, snowy-etched trees, and church steeples. I couldn't wait to get home and see which pictures turned out half-way decent.

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Lastly.......the outing called for some driving music, and I just happened to have one of my favorite CDs along. Here's a line I like, although you might not be able to hear it very well:

"We can live lifetimes......in a single day.

No matter what you do.......I love you anyway."

Atlanta Sampson, Artist

Greetings from within the PRE-Christmas frenzy!

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Here's notice of an upcoming POST-Christmas event (click to enlarge for easier reading):

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For a long time, I've meant to do a post about artist Atlanta Constance Sampson, but just never got around to it. Its been my privilege in life to make the acquaintance of her nephew, Fred Langrock, who operates the Unionhurst Gallery and Museum in Toeterville, Iowa, where his aunt's artwork is displayed and sold. Here's link to

a brief bio of Atlanta Sampson........her story is rather amazing; she wasn't "discovered" until she was past 90 years old! Her life is a study in perseverance and marching to the beat of one's own drum. Oh, to be so constituted.

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[Don't recoil in horror, but I sometimes ALMOST envy my friends who never married, who are free to live their lives as they please. Gasp! As much as I love my husband and children, this farm wife and mother gig has threatened physical and mental exhaustion for the past 25 years or so, and I sometimes wonder, "When and where did I sign up for this?" The answer is: when I signed my marriage certificate......I guess. But, no.....it was before that, when I listened intently to my parents reiterate that getting married and raising a family is the most important thing one can ever do........yeah, I fell for it......hook, line and sinker. Like the majority of people do and are meant to do. Sorry to vent here, but its the only place to do it. Most likely, NONE of you have ever felt like this, so my apologies for writing these depressing thoughts.]

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A variety of artistic giftedness runs in Atlanta Sampson's family. Her nephew Fred is blessed with musical talents---I met him when he was the instrumental music instructor at our Lutheran school. Before that he was for many years the band director at schools in Forest City, Iowa. He was "retired" when he taught at our Lutheran school, and since "retiring" from that position, he continues to operate the art gallery in Toeterville, travels (his Christmas card photo shows him in Prague), and is a member of the "New Horizons Band" in Cedar Falls. Fred can play any instrument, and I think he's playing saxophone in the band right now. He also directs a church choir in Austin, Minnesota.

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Along with his artistic talents, Fred is gifted with cheerfulness, good humor, and down-to-earthness; it was always a pleasure to visit with him, and I miss our conversations, as our paths rarely cross anymore. He is interesting AND is interested in everything---very special qualities! A remarkable thing about him is that he appears and acts young (he's in his early 70's), a trait which may run in his family tree. Fred's mother, Myrtella, lived to be 100, and when I attended her funeral in Toeterville several years ago, while viewing the casket, I was struck by how young she looked; she could have been 70. Perhaps her appearance was due to skilled funeral directors, but I have a hunch that the trait simply runs in the family. Maybe its a Scandinavian thing......they settled in far northern Iowa and up into Minnesota. Everybody in my world---me included---is of German, or Irish, or English descent.......mostly shorter, stouter, older-looking-sooner, older-acting folks, with a few tall, kiddish ones thrown in here and there for good measure.

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To get back on to the post's subject: I believe Fred told me that his mother, Myrtella (she and Atlanta were sisters), could play piano by ear, and blessed others with her ivory-tickling abilities throughout her life, and played hymns in the nursing home until near the time of her death. When she was young, Myrtella played piano in a family band which performed at dance halls in the area. Later, she organized a church band in Toeterville, to provide special music in the church and community. She also was an accomplished woodworker, creating wall hangings and furniture. (Obviously, I still have Myrtella's obit on file.) Wow......can you see the creative giftedness flowing in this family tree!

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Oddly enough, I recall the day Atlanta Sampson passed away.......I was one of the chaparones along on my daughter's 8th grade class trip to Minneapolis. Fred was along, too, to help steer us country bumpkins around the big city. We were all just about to step on board the Paddleford Packet Boat for a tour to St. Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River. Right then, Fred received an emergency phone call saying his Aunt Atlanta was near death's door.......and he took his leave of us. Atlanta had resided in a nursing home for a several years, and each time Fred visited her he would take along a stack of prints for her to sign, to try and get as many done as possible before she passed on.

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As stated in the above blue announcement---which was included in Fred's Christmas card---there is an Open House at Unionhurst Gallery in Toeterville on December 27, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There will be performances by local musicians and wine tasting from a local winery. Located just south of the Minnesota border, tiny Toeterville, Iowa, is just east of Highway 218, north of St. Ansgar, Iowa. Its about 1-1/2 hours from where I live........I'd like to go, but probably won't......then, again, if I'm feeling adventurous and the weather is decent, I just might make the trip! If you happen to be in the Toeterville vicinity that day......stop in at the gallery! (The name "Toeterville" is amusing to me---it sounds and looks like something from a Dr. Seuss book, and I envision everyone there walking around on their tippy-toes!) Fred told me once that a Toeter family descendant from Germany visited Toeterville during an annual summer celebration several years ago.)

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By the bye, Atlanta Sampson's website is attached to the site of

"Six Mile Grove", a country-rock band from southern Minnesota.......two members are named Sampson and are relatives of Fred's........the artistic and musical gifts just keep on keepin' on. The name "Six Mile Grove" comes from the name of the Lutheran church Myrtella and Atlanta attended as children, in the countryside north of Toeterville. The Lutheran church I attend is known locally as simply "The Klinger Church", and Fred told me that it is very similar to the "Six Mile Grove" church. (Hmm......"Six Mile Grove" sounds better as a band's name than "Klinger" would!)

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Cure for Loitering

Hey.......if there are any researchers out there trying to discover the cure for loitering.......here it is.......shown on this thermometer:

Yup, when the temperature is THAT cold, with a whipping wind to boot, the temptation to indulge in loitering completely disappears. There's no tarrying, lagging, dawdling to be found anywhere.......in the out-of-doors, anyway.

YA GOTTA KEEP MOVIN' OR YOU WILL FREEZE!

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Woof! Woof! Excuse me.......I was wrong........we did see a sun dog loitering in the sky this morning:

Here's a pageful of cool parhelion photos.

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My chore boots are constructed of materials that are supposed to keep feet warm in temperatures down to -20 degrees F., and they did seem to be doing their job this morning, in spite of the -35 degree wind chill factor. Though, if I'd foolishly indulged in loitering out in the windy cold, my feet would have quickly succombed to a freezing numbness.
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I would imagine that in extreme cold weather conditions like we have today, there is a drop in crimes, misdemeanors, and sins that involve being out-of-doors. What criminal in his right mind would loiter around on an icy cold night, stalking someone or waiting for the right moment to break in and steal something. Drug dealing, or adultery, or any number of disreputable activities that might depend on a clandestine meeting out-of-doors, would need to be rethought or the plan nixed altogether. Just think.......what an improved society we might have if we were reined in by extreme cold more often!!
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Not surprisingly, our rural church cancelled Sunday services today. After morning chores, we enjoyed family bantering and a pancake breakfast, followed by more frosting of cookies and watching of football games and a movie, Crimes and Misdemeanors. I enjoy the slow-paced, almost-buried humor in that odd story, with the interspersed old movie clips connecting the two seemingly unrelated story-lines. Perfect for a cold winter afternoon's entertainment.
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And, finally......here's something that gave me a chuckle today: This morning, as I was stirring pancake batter, Husband was perusing an Iowa history and trivia book......he suddenly said, "Hey, did you guys know Iowa has a song?" To which Daughter replied, "Yeah......its Fight, Fight, Fight for Iowa-a-a!" I shook my head and said, "No, no......that's the U of Iowa Fight Song, not the state of Iowa's song." We peered over Husband's shoulder to view the lyrics of the Iowa song. Here's my reason for chuckling......the song is sung to the tune of "O Tannenbaum" (the carol "O Christmas Tree"), which was the subject of my blogpost this morning! None of the family knew that. Heehee......go ahead and belt it out:
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You asked what land I love the best,
Iowa, tis Iowa.
The fairest State of all the west,
Iowa, O! Iowa.
From yonder Mississippi's stream
To where Missouri's waters gleam
O! fair it is as poet's dream,
Iowa, in Iowa.
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See yonders fields of tasseled corn,
Iowa in Iowa.
Where plenty fills her golden horn,
Iowa in Iowa.
See how her wonderous prairies shine.
To yonder sunset’s purpling line,
O! happy land, O! land of mine,
Iowa, O! Iowa.
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And she has maids whose laughing eyes,
Iowa, O! Iowa.
To him whose loves were Paradise,
Iowa, O! Iowa.
O! happiest fate that e’er was known.
Such eyes to shine for one alone,
To call such beauty all his own.
Iowa, O! Iowa.
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Go read the story of thy past,
Iowa, O! Iowa.
What glorious deeds, what fame thou hast!
Iowa, O! Iowa.
So long as time’s great cycle runs,
Or nations weep their fallen ones,
Thou’lt not forget thy patriot sons,
Iowa, O! Iowa.
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Oh, yeah.......one would soon tire of singing "Iowa, O! Iowa" over and over again!
Here is info about how the song came to be written. And, here's a site which would lead you to all 50 state songs, should you be loitering there at your computer with lots of free time on your hands. If you're from Iowa and are sitting there perplexed because you're thinking that Iowa's song surely must be, "The Iowa Corn Song"........Oh, we're from Ioway, Ioway.......that's where the tall corn grows!.......well, you were mistaken, as was I.
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Stay WARM........and, if you abide in a warmer clime, then stay COOL!
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[P.S. - Here's a link to another Iowa song, shown on YouTube: The Iowa Waltz. I had not heard of it before someone kindly mentioned it in a comment on this post.]

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Limestone Church

In keeping with my normal Sunday blogpost subject........church windows.......here are some:

Last Friday, Husband sent me to an implement dealership in Fort Atkinson, Iowa, to pick up netwrap for the round baler. The town of Fort Atkinson actually does contain a preserved fort, and I will post about that sometime soon.

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Up the road from the fort are these limestone ruins of a church, and much to my surprise, the sign denotes that it was a Lutheran church.......this is the St. James Lutheran Church Preserve, which I've never been to before. This is a predominantly Catholic community, which is why I was surprised to find out this church was Lutheran. The Catholic church down the hill in the town of Fort Atkinson is called St. John Nepomucene......someone I'd never heard of before. Read about this Bohemian saint. Many people in this part of northeast Iowa are of Czech Bohemian descent.

Click this next photo to enlarge it and read the sign which says "English Congregational - 1857" and "German Lutheran - 1871. As I was taking these photos, a pickup drove up and honked......I thought, "Oh, dear, maybe I'm trespassing." But, no, the driver rolled down his window and said, "Thank you for taking a picture of my cross!" He made the cross in front of the old church. We talked for a few minutes........in that short time I found out he is a dairy farmer, now living in town, but still helping his sons out at the farm. He's very involved in his community, but here's something surprising that he said: He asked me what I thought of the upcoming election, and then he told me that he's NEVER once voted in the presidential election......not in his entire life, and he appeared to be in his 70's! He said, "I don't trust any of those national politicians."

Since yesterday was All Saints Day, a day to remember the departed, here's a couple little tombstones that were nestled amongst the tall pine trees behind the church ruins. Here's Tille and Milly.......twins.......

.......and Georg, whom presumably was also a young child, for his gravestone is tiny and has a lamb depicted on it.

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Today, in some parts of the world, people spend time in cemeteries, putting flowers on graves and having picnics near the resting places of departed loved ones. Seems like in the U.S., we do our best to stay away from graveyards.
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Enjoy your day! May we remember our departed loved ones and friends with thankfulness.......the Communion of Saints.......the Cloud of Witnesses.......they may be nearer to us than we realize.
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[WARNING: If you're still of the opinion that Sarah Palin is the greatest thing since sliced bread then you probably won't care for my opinionated blogpost tomorrow. Gotta get one more rant in before Election Day! What would life be without varying opinions......right?! Then I think I'll hunker down and hide out from blogging for awhile. Let the election whirlwind blow over.]

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Turbines & Football

Around sunset last evening I passed by a wind farm along Highway 218 on the way to my son's substate football game. The turbines are intriguing eyecatchers.......this is the first time I've ever seen them silhouetted at dusk. Sorry for the blurriness of the pictures.

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And, hey......we won the game! In the first half we built up a commanding lead which carried us successfully through the rather ugly second half. As Russell of Iowa Grasslands blog (Click the link to see a very cool post!) mentioned in a comment on the previous post, the high school play-offs in Iowa were expanded this year to allow more teams to participate. Thus the reason this game was referred to as a "substate" contest. The expansion is good for the smaller classes.....8-man, A, 1A, 2A, because of the numbers of teams in those divisions. But, in the larger classes of 3A and 4A, it means that the majority of teams will make the playoffs, despite having losing records in some cases. My daughter teaches at a 4A school and she said 5 of the 6 teams in their district are in the playoffs, which she thinks is a bit ridiculous.

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After the game, I grabbed a late supper at an Arby's drive-through and headed back east on Highway 18, listening to a replay of the game on an AM radio station. It was fun and interesting to hear the play-by-play, but eventually the station retreated into the ocean of static. I rolled the radio dial around, landing on a late-evening religious broadcast. Oh, my.......it made me feel young again to hear the self-proclaimed prophet speaking intensely about things to come. He said we are now in the Night of the Lord......it began around 500 years ago, when the U.S. began its rise. (Everything's about us.) The Night is almost over........what needs to happen now is prophesied in Zechariah chapter 14, verses 12 and onward.......the speaker said this passage refers to a nuclear war, which must take place before the Day of the Lord can dawn when WE righteous people will be drawn up into the clouds to watch the evil people be destroyed. Then WE, the sons of God, will return to earth to be the rulers. And......he repeatedly promised, "This WILL happen in YOUR lifetime!" It was such a joy to hear this message that I almost detoured to Independence, where I could have begged to be admitted to the Mental Health Institute. Thank goodness for words of wisdom wafting over the airwaves to bring enlightenment during the darkness of night!

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Happy I am, of course, that the airwaves in this country can be used to disseminate all kinds of teachings. Its good to hear many, many ideas, and get a handle on what people are thinking about. The other day during lunch, Husband and I turned the TV to a religious station which is rather fuzzy, but does come in at times. The show right then was an interview with an author who's just written a book containing teachings similar to what I heard on the radio broadcast. Husband, who usually brushes off any comments I make about End Times prophecies, listened attentively to this TV show. He told me this morning that he has finally made up his mind who to vote for, and it was this TV show which convinced him. I didn't ask him who's he's voting for, though.

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Now......Husband has just asked me to go pick up netwrap for the round baler. Once the corn is done being combined here today, we will make round bales for bedding from the cornstalk debris left in the fields. Anyhow.......the town where I'm going to get the netwrap has a historical site and I might stop there quick to snap a few photos! Very exciting.......it makes the trip worthwhile!!

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Have a wonderful day!

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Towers, Steeples & Nose

On Saturday, during morning chores, Husband announced that he wanted us to go visit our newly-wed son and daughter-in-law, who live 2-1/2 hours away. Years ago I learned to never suggest going anywhere........Husband must come up with the idea himself, in order for me not to be considered a nag. Call me anything you want........but don't call me a nagging wife......that's the absolute LAST thing I ever want to be thought of......because I AM NOT ONE! I'm a blogger, not a nagger!!

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After chores were done, I hurriedly packed a cooler of snacks and drinks and off we went, heading south to catch four-lane Highway 20. As we motored east, the sunlight filtered soothingly through the clouds and into my passenger-side window. Ah-h, very relaxing......

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Along the way, I zoomed the camera and blindly snapped at watertowers, steeples, old barns, trees........you name it! The following photos show some of the results. As you view these pictures, remember we were sailing along at 70 miles-per-hour, thus there was no way to plan the composition of the photos.

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First of all, the patriotic Independence, Iowa, watertower, backed up by the Mental Health Institute's spooky buildings. MHI was built back in the 1800's.......it was probably known as an "insane asylum" then. Its a big place......there must have been alot of crazy people around then, and it would probably have been my abode, had I lived at that time! Years ago, when I was in LPN school, our class toured MHI.....even the dungeon-like basement. My parents referred to MHI as, "the silo", a corruption of the word, "asylum". They would speak of so-and-so being "in the silo". And, sometimes my mom would yell at us kids: "You'd better straighten up, or you'll drive me to Independence!" To us kids, "Independence" was not a town......it was the place where parents ended up after their kids drove them crazy!

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Next we have the Manchester, Iowa, watertower. "Adventuregirlwannabe", this photo is for you, because you once lived in Manchester:

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Slowly, slowly......the sun made itself known across the landscape, but with clouds casting long shadows here and there. As for a farm harvest report: the majority of corn remains in the fields and we noticed many soybean fields not combined yet, either.

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Ok, these next twin church spires belong to a very famous landmark in Iowa........

The Basilica of St. Francis Xavier in Dyersville. (Its by complete chance that the DQ sign ended up also in this photo.) There are 52 basilicas in the U.S., and this is the only one located outside of a major metropolitan area. A few years ago, I had the privilege of touring the Basilica with a school group; it is gorgeous inside and is probably as close to a cathedral as I will ever experience. Somewhere in my shoebox archives are photos from there; maybe I can find a few to post someday. A few miles northeast of Dyersville is another famous spot........

The Field of Dreams, where the Kevin Costner movie of the same name was filmed (rhymsie, that's for you). I've also been there several times on school trips.

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A few miles east of Dyersville is Farley, Iowa. My sincere apologies for this random encounter between Husband's nose and the church steeple. I guarantee it was entirely unintentional! A large car-racing stadium exists at Farley, too, on the south side of the highway.

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Not far down the road is the town of Epworth, home of Divine Word Seminary. The scenery there went by too fast; I couldn't get a photo. This part of Iowa is definitely Catholic country, and traditionally Democrat, though who knows how things will turn out with next week's election. We saw many political signs promoting Democrat candidates, state and otherwise.

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This next photo, obviously, shows the Peosta watertower. Let's see.....what else is at Peosta? The Northeast Iowa Community College, I believe.

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This next scene came along later, on Highway 61.......the old Hurstville watertower. Someday, I hope to be able to explore the historic Hurstville lime kilns built into the hill below this landmark.

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Just past Hurstville on Highway 61 is Maquoketa, Iowa. Years ago, when our first two children were very small, we spent a day here in Jackson County, touring Maquoketa Caves State Park and artist Patrick Costello's renovated grist mill/art gallery.

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This final photo is my favorite of today's post........it was snapped along Highway 61 and I don't recall the name of the place. I like the random combination of the steeple, the leafy tree branches and dead trunks, plus a spindly evergreen tree. If you click the photo, you will see that the bellfry louvres are in need of a paint job! Maybe they'd hire Husband to do it.......he painted the cross on top of our church's steeple once. Seeing him up there scared me half out of my mind.

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Now your day is complete, right?! You've seen some really exciting sights from along Highways 20 and 61 in Iowa. Yeah, right. Like Kate the Country Girl states on her blog's header......"Try not to get too excited!!"

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Look Out Below!

Have you been receiving political email forwards? This photo arrived in my inbox the other day:

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Here's a story of a real-life two-story outhouse which existed in the town of Oran, Iowa, years ago!

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Another politically motivated email forward solemnly informed me of the probable identity of the Antichrist. This urgent message came from a Mo-Synod Lutheran----and someone I'm only distantly acquainted with----but it showed me that some of the LCMS may be getting hooked into End-Times thinking, too. (Sigh and shake my head.)

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A much better email included historical info about the Women's Suffrage movement of the early 1900's. The message was encouraging readers to remember the courageous women who worked diligently for that cause nearly a century ago. Here's a link to some information on that subject.

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I am at peace politically........happy to NOT be watching or listening to any election coverage anymore!

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Port of McGregor

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Alrighty-then........after our pleasant two hours or so at Pike's Peak, we motored with care down the steep road into downtown McGregor, Iowa. The town's autumn festival was going on, meaning Main Street was very clogged with traffic and parking places were filled. We ended up pulling onto a side street, which turned out to be providential as far as historical fact-gathering goes. In the background of this first photo you can see the grain terminal silos which sit next to the Mississippi River. Barges load up there.

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We parked near this Bluffside Memorial Garden:

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This historical plaque stood in the garden area, too, providing us with interesting

tidbits about McGregor's past. I had never before heard of the Ringling Brothers' connection to this town. (If you click on that link......be sure to read the boxed story recalling the Jesse James' gang stopping for breakfast at a farm near here.......on their way to rob a bank in Northfield, Minnesota!)

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And, sure enough, across the street was a Ringling Brothers' Circus tribute........in the alley behind the Main Street stores. By the way.......that fascinating alleyway is shown in the first photo on this previous post. The coffee shop photo is from Main Street.

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Main Street was cheerfully busy; there were flea markets here and there, and an art show in the park. We didn't have time to delve into any of those places........which is fine.......I have enough stuff in my house already, but it would have been fun to browse.

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For $4.00, you could take a horse-drawn carriage ride:

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This next photo is my favorite one from McGregor.......because of the tree reflections in the windows of the old building!

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Oh, boy......its almost 4:00 p.m.......our drive home will take 1-1/2 hours........I will be late for chores!! Too bad.....boo-hoo!

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Someday, it would be fun to spend a couple days here, exploring the shops. Although a river town, McGregor doesn't have much of a riverfront. Main Street runs perpendicular to the river, with a railroad track running parallel to the river, servicing the grain terminal.

Actually, wouldn't it be fun to have lots of time and money, and own a house up here. Oh, it would be frivolous and silly, and God knows what he's doing by giving me exactly what I need to live, without silly extras. But, there are quite a few people from our area who own trailers and cabins along the Mississippi River in northeast Iowa, as get-aways for fair-weather weekends. My sister's inlaws own two little houses along the river in Lansing, Iowa, north of McGregor........their family is free to spend time there whenever they want. Wouldn't that be FUN!! I'm not really envious, of course (wink).......but, it would be pleasant to have a place like that to escape to once in a while!

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Well, our afternoon's outing needs to draw to a close. Its time to go home. We followed the old highway below the bluff from McGregor north to Marquette, hoping to catch closer glimpses of the river. It was difficult, as there were train cars sitting in the way most of the time. Near Marquette, my daughter was able to snap this photo of the Highway 18 bridge to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. I remember the old bridge that was there before this one was built. It was in the old style, similar to the one still is in use at Lansing, Iowa.

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Well......I truly enjoyed this pleasant outing to Pike's Peak and McGregor! It was great fun spending time with my two daughters. I would say we're all good friends now, having weathered the sometimes bumpy trails and trials of childhood, adolescence, and the teenage years. If that's where you are now.......I can hopefully assure you that it will pass, and there will be smoother roads ahead. Be the mom when you have to be, and someday you will be friends.

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