Iowa Grasslands

It's DIONNE -- Not Diane

2012-02-12T19:53:00.013-06:00

I woke up this morning to the tragic news of Whitney Houston's death. Very sad. I won't comment on that since it is the big story today. And rightfully so. She was a legend in her own time. She will be missed.

Unfortunately as I was listening to a young newscaster report the news, the 20 something person referred to Whitney Houston's cousin as DIANE Warwick.

She mispronounced the name of this music icon twice before I could hit the remote and shut it off. It was worse than hearing fingernails on a chalkboard. Just for the record - and as I am sure you know if you are an adult (meaning you are over 50) - the name is DIONNE Warwick.

When I was a young person, Dionne Warwick was bigger than big. If it wasn't the Beatles or Simon and Garfunkle or the Rolling Stones it was DIONNE Warwick. In fact, her work was so popular we could never get enough. She worked with Burt Bacharach and Hal David - they wrote the music and she sang it.

I remember seeing Dionne Warwick on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. (I know, I know ... the person who mispronounced Dionne's name would have no idea who he is either and would probably call him Jimmy Carson.) I remember how poised Dionne Warwick was. She was elegant. Regal.

Oh .... here's a picture of Johnny Carson with his long time announcer, Ed McMahon. Johnny's the one behind the desk. He was on TV for over 30 years. (Good thing the kid did not try to pronounce Ed McMahon's name ... she would not have even gotten close.)

There will never be another Dionne Warwick. She turned what would have been an otherwise good song into something special. As with a lot of things in life, you sort of had to be there to understand.

For the benefit of the person who has no idea who DIONNE Warwick is, here's a video of DIONNE Warwick performing at the American Music Awards in the 1990s. She is singing a song called I Know I'll Never Love This Way Again. She won a grammy for Best Female Vocal in 1980 for this song. The man playing the piano and singing with her is Barry Manlow. He produced the song but he did not write it. However, he has written and sung many famous songs.

Even though DIONNE Warwick was most popular during the 1960s, she still retained her incredible voice 30 years later as you can see in this video. My guess is she can still sing pretty damn good today, too.

Chevy Chase introduces DIONNE Warwick and perhaps the person who mispronounced her name will have a chance to hear how the name is supposed to be pronounced. But, to be honest, it doesn't make any difference since even if Dionne Warwick's name is mispronounced, people who count still know who she is as she is unforgettable.

Childhood Role Models

2012-02-10T06:55:00.009-06:00

The other day I was in a store and saw a magazine with a picture of a Cessna airplane on it. As I will be actually getting on an airplane next week - for the first time in 10 years - I am sort of noticing things like that. In any event, seeing the Cessna I immediately thought of one of my favorite TV shows - Sky King.

I always liked watching the grand adventures of Sky King and his niece Penny.

What a life they lived! I was just some kid on a farm doing chores and living a most boring life. But these people were flying around in an airplane catching criminals or finding people who were lost.

And everybody always looked so .... happy.

But there were other heroes to watch, too. The Lone Ranger always fascinated me. The idea of doing all sorts of wonderful things for so many people but no one knowing who you were seemed quite mysterious.

My best friend as a child always pretended he was Roy Rogers. I never cared much for Roy Rogers as I thought he was too much of a sissy. I am sure he was not but he always sang songs with Dale Evans and just seemed too ... clean cut.

I wanted to be Marshall Dillon. I liked him much better as he was tough and strong and never sang songs and drank whiskey in a bar. Roy Rogers was very nice but when I grew up I hoped to be just like Matt Dillon.

I wanted to wear a gun on my hip and walk down the dusty Main Street making sure the bad guys went to jail. No songs for me, thank you very much. Or silly clothes.

If I could not be Matt Dillon, well, I guess I could grow up to be like Ben Cartwright. He had three sons and they were all good men but could handle themselves in a fight. And they always did the right thing.

Yes sir. Matt Dillon. Ben Cartwright. Sky King. The Lone Ranger. Even Roy Rogers. These were role models who I looked up to and respected.

I can't comment on children's role models today as I do not know what children watch on TV or who their heroes are. I only hope the ones today are at least half the men and women we got to watch when we were kids.

Every generation has their own role models. I am glad I had the ones I had.

Thanks for stopping by.

Annoying People

2012-01-31T16:04:00.018-06:00

Is it just me? Or do other people get tired of the annoying (to be polite) things some people do?

This morning I was driving to work. It was still dark. And a car came up on me with no lights. He got right up on my bumper even though I was going the speed limit.

And he was talking on a cell phone. And drinking coffee. And probably texting. Oh, did I mention he was tailgating me? Oh, yes, I did. I really thought he was going to be in my back seat before he passed me and start harassing another driver.

Another thing I don't understand. Why do some people have to be human pack mules? I really don't care if they feel they have to haul every single thing they own with them.

But why do they have to nearly knock me down in a hall or on a sidewalk as I try to get out of their way? Or spread their junk all over my small space in a cafeteria or public area?

Speaking of work, why do some people feel the need to come to work when they are really sick or contagious? Often people will praise them for being such a trooper and so dedicated - as they go around making everyone in the office sick.

Just for the record, I don't praise people for coming to work who are sick. In fact, I know I will be sick within a few days.

Or when you go to the movie theatre, why does THIS person always have to sit right next to you? It will be halfway through the movie before he finally stops making all that noise -- unless he goes back for more.

Don't people ever eat at home any more? I like to get popcorn and pop at the movie - but I don't need a tub of popcorn or a keg of soda.

Just the other day I was in a nice clothing store. Very nice. I was looking for some dress shirts. Coming around a corner I literally ran into a woman carrying this in her arms

I like dogs a lot. But I do not want to see them in a store or restaurant unless they are a service dog.

This woman was totally oblivious to other people as she lugged this poor dog all over the shopping mall. She could not have cared less that some people are allergic to dogs or that, well, they just don't want to be around a dog while shopping in a store!

Another thing that REALLY annoys me are people who use a restroom and do not wash their hands. Can you say GROSS and DISGUSTING???!?

Just today I saw a teacher in the restroom and he walked out without washing his hands. He had a stack of handouts he was going to hand out to his students. I was astounded this guy could be so .... gross.

Why can't people be more like this person?

Yes, yes ... this person indeed!

Thanks for stopping by.

Extreme Things

2012-01-28T04:58:00.008-06:00

The other night I was flipping through TV channels. I stumbled across something called X Games. I think that means Extreme.

I saw people riding snowmobiles. Sort of.

These machines weigh over 500 lbs. Just for the record that's heavy. Especially when you drive one up a steep ramp and do a backwards flip with it.

The idea of flying through the air with (on?) one of these is mind boggling. Talk about an adrenaline (testosterone?) rush. I found the whole business fascinating - as long as I was watching and not doing it.

It reminded me a bit of snowboarding. Another sport I have never done but always found fascinating.

Again, from a distance. If you are my age just watching something like this will cause you to feel pain the next morning.

For some reason I have always been fascinated by monster trucks. I have no idea why but they seem so .... extreme.

Wouldn't it be fun to drive to work in one of these?

Here in the Midwest tractor pulls are popular. They used to always involve just regular tractors that guys used on the farm and brought to town.

Of course today things have gotten a bit more ... extreme.

Or even more .... extremely ... extreme.

Now if I can just find my remote control - sometimes an extreme feat in and of itself - I can sit here and watch people doing extreme things in my extremely less than extreme life!

Thanks for stopping by.

Circus Elephants

2012-01-25T17:08:00.008-06:00

Forgive me if I take a few moments to talk American politics. But after watching the recent rounds of Republican debates, well ... I can't resist.

Newt Gingrich is fond of stating he wants to engage President Obama in a series of Lincoln Douglas debates.

Obviously Mr. Gingrich would assume the role of Stephen Douglas. Mr Douglas was a full foot shorter than Mr. Lincoln.

Both men were lawyers and had been very successful. Mr. Douglas was considered to be a brilliant man and, in fact, he was. No question about that. So was Mr. Lincoln. They simply had different philosophies.

These debates were conducted in Illinois during the fall of 1858. Both men were running for the United States Senate. The state legislature - not the people - elected senators in those days.

In the late 1850s the hot topic was slavery. Stephen Douglas argued that the states - not the federal government - should be allowed to decide the issue. Abraham Lincoln completely disagreed for a variety of reasons.

Today the Republican party advocates letting business take the lead in our society claiming that if business does well then so will the people. And, of course, the federal government needs to stay out of the way.

President Obama and the Democrats advocate for society as a whole - not for the wealthy few. John F. Kennedy said during his inaugural address "that if a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich."

I am not advocating that President Obama is John F. Kennedy. But I do believe that the ideals of the Democratic party are much more aligned with my beliefs than those of the Republicans.

While Mitt Romney talks about how successful he is and Newt Gingrich espouses about what a great historian he is and Ron Santorum talks about how he is not like Mitt or Newt (and I am not really sure what Ron Paul is talking about though he seems like a nice guy), I find myself uncomfortable with all of them and their philosophies.

It might be entertaining to see Newt Gingrich debate Barrack Obama. But when the dust settles it won't make much difference if the Republicans run Gingrich or Romney or someone else.

As John Kennedy said during his 1960 campaign against Richard Nixon "the Republican party reminds me of a circus elephant: a head full of ivory; a long memory and no vision; and you have all seen circus elephants being led around the circus ring, they grab the tail of the elephant in front of them."

Oh ... the Lincoln Douglas debates? I think you know that Mr. Douglas was elected to the Senate. And the majority of the people seemed to agree with his positions on such matters as slavery or, at least, states rights.

Sort of makes you think....

Thanks for stopping by.

Des Moines Cold Continued

2012-01-22T06:51:00.008-06:00

I took some pictures of downtown Des Moines a few days ago and posted them on my blog. Here are a few more. The temperature was in the single digits (I think it was 6 degrees F -- the would be about -15 C) but the windchill made it feel like it was 20 or 30 below.

There are stark contrasts of the old and the new in downtown Des Moines. I suppose that is common to most downtown areas.

Now THAT is creative advertising!

The old courthouse is located in downtown Des Moines.

Of course where there is a courthouse, you will see businesses like this. You have your choice of several in this part of town.

Here's the building with the bail bonds business. It is an old hotel. Notice the American flag at the top. I liked the fire escape stairs.

During the Iowa caucuses, MSNBC did much of its broadcasting from a coffee house called Java Joes. It is located within a block of the courthouse.

Here's the entrance to Java Joes.

Right above the entrance in a second floor window you see this painting. I found it rather whimsical.

This is a restaurant that serves authentic English meals and drinks. It is located next to Java Joes.

Seeing the Union Jack makes you feel like you are in England.

More people are beginning to live in downtown. There are some extremely expensive condominiums and lofts. I liked the railings next to these apartments.

I thought these bicycles were interesting. It would be hard to ride one on such a cold day.

I could not wait to get back in my car and turn on the heater.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cold

2012-01-20T16:00:00.003-06:00

I had to go into downtown Des Moines this morning. My first stop was the county courthouse.

It was extremely cold this morning. I was almost surprised the flags could even move! I thought they would be frozen solid. Well, okay. Probably not THAT cold but really, really cold.

I like this little sculpture of the children reading. Even in the unbearable cold I stopped to look at them.

Here is the federal courthouse. It looked more foreboding than usual. It is not an attractive building on the outside. However, on the inside it has some beautiful woodwork. You are not allowed to take pictures inside a federal courthouse.

Even the large black lanterns seemed frozen.

Looking behind me I could see the tall Soldiers and Sailors monument on the capitol grounds. You can see the ice on the street.

The capitol itself looked bleak on this day. From this part of town, well ... things look a bit tough, especially in the winter.

The good news was that we did not get snow here in Des Moines this morning as was predicted. But it will arrive before too long.

Thanks for stopping by.

Joni Mitchell - Best Keeps Getting Better

2012-01-18T07:32:00.008-06:00

The 4-H motto from my youth was "To make the best better." I never quite understood what that meant. Well, yes, I did, sort of, but ...

I thought of that when I was looking at some of the older videos of Joni Mitchell this past week. Most of us who are, shall we say, of age ... remember Joni Mitchell as one of the quintessential voices of the 60s.

Over the years I have enjoyed a lot of artists. But I have never been as fascinated by any one particular artist more than Joni Mitchell.

I confess I don't know particulars - don't care really - but Joni Mitchell seems to have slipped in and out of what she calls self imposed exiles. I think I have read she did this to find some privacy and reconnect with people and feelings that are important. I would assume this is not uncommon for creative people.

She is an accomplished painter and, again, I assume she has used her time out of the spotlight to paint. This is a self portrait she did for her album Both Sides Now. It is one of my favorite works - period. I love the feeling this painting conveys and its irreverence. I mean, my God, no smoking in a bar?

Though as much as I love Joni Mitchell's early work, I am even more captivated by her more recent work. In 1998 she performed a concert on a small stage on a Warner Brothers lot in Los Angeles. This performance is available on a DVD entitled Painting with Words and Music.

My favorite song from that performance is a jazzy version of her Big Yellow Taxi. She even does a perfect Bob Dylan impersonation.

More recently I heard Joni Mitchell do a new version of Both Sides Now. Unlike the original version, the new rendition is very slow and turns the classic into a jazz ballad that is truly unforgettable.

Joni Mitchell has finally made me realize what the 4-H motto means. She truly does make the best better. Much, much better.

Below is the Big Yellow Taxi as performed in 1998 by Joni Mitchell.

Confessions of a Recluse

2012-01-16T17:08:00.014-06:00

I was in a grocery store today waiting in line. The woman in front of me was paying for her groceries with one of these

I was a bit miffed I had to wait while she wrote out a check and entered the payee's name, check number and amount in her register. I always pay for things with one of these

But then I thought about all the things I do NOT do that most people DO do. For example, I do not do this

Another thing I do not do is this

I guess if I did I could enter up to 140 characters and enlighten the world with such things as "going downstairs to do laundry" or "thought Ricky G was funny on the People's Choice Awards."

But to Tweet or squeak or squawk or whatever it is called, I would need a phone that looks more like this

My phone looks more like this

Please don't get me wrong. I think technology is great. And I do plan to join the rest of the world one of these days. Or months. Or years.

Until then I will be doing this

rather than reading one of my favorite books like this

Technology is nice. But there are some things that are not so modern that I still like, too. For example, I still like to listen to these

on one of these (and I have one of these in my bedroom that I use a lot)

As with everything in life, you need to find a balance. The new, high tech gadgets are great. I love high definition TV and cell phones and .... but a beautifully leather bound book or the sounds of music coming from a record player are pretty nice, too.

Take care and thanks for stopping by.

2012-01-10T17:03:00.003-06:00

The other day I was driving home. I have recently moved to a Des Moines surburb and live close to an open field.

Getting close to my corner I noticed something was going on.

There were machines in the field. Those machines were not harvesting crops. They were taking down trees and moving the earth.

What had been a field of corn or beans last summer was being turned into a housing development.

This is known as urban sprawl. Valuable farm land is even more valuable as housing lots.

When I moved here this past summer I knew it was only a matter of time before the field close to me would be developed. I had hoped it would not be this soon.

As I write this, the machines have completed their work. It only took a few days.

I was reminded of Joni Mitchell's song Big Yellow Taxi.

They took all the trees
And put 'em in a tree museum
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half to seem 'em

Progress ....

Thanks for stopping by.

Presidential Campaign in Iowa

2011-12-31T19:28:00.006-06:00

With only a few days before Iowa's first in the nation Presidential caucuses, it is hard to go very far in Iowa without seeing a candidate for President. This afternoon I was in Des Moines and spotted this bus.

Michele Bachmann is a congresswoman from Minnesota. As I got a bit closer to her bus I could see it is the size of a Greyhound bus.

The detail of the painting on the side of this bus is incredible.

For some reason I was surprised that the license plate for the bus was from Montana. It makes no difference but it was the only thing on the bus that seemed out of place.

I did not realize it until I got out of my car that I was standing in front of Michele Bachmann's Iowa headquarters. There were people from the media in front of the building.

I asked the woman with the camera on the tripod if Representative Bachmann would be stepping out soon. She did not know. She had a heavy accent and I guessed she might have been from Germany.

Soon cameras started flashing as these young campaign workers walked out. I felt like something special was happening with all the excitement in the air.

But to our disappointment the candidate was not with them. Oh well ... I turned and saw this pickup that had been used on her 99 county tour across Iowa. Unlike the shiny bus, this truck looked pretty tired and beat up.

But everything is relative. As I was walking back to my car I noticed across the way this sign for another candidate's Iowa headquarters .....

I wish all the candidates the best of luck on Tuesday night. For the most part I do not agree with the Republican party views but I do respect all the candidates for their hard work and dedication.

Thanks for stopping by.

Walk in the Park

2011-12-29T18:24:00.002-06:00

It has been very warm here in Iowa recently. This picture was taken on December 28. The grass looks green.

This park is located on the south side of Des Moines. It has a walking path that goes around a small lake.

You can see downtown Des Moines as you walk.

There is a long walking bridge that is very popular.

Along the bridge you see small metal memorials of people. Often there are small decorations on them.

When you get closer to this one it is very beautiful, especially in the sunlight.

I liked this one.

I saw an eagle fly across the water.

He landed in this tree.

For some reason this utility pole caught my attention. I liked seeing the crossing white jet trails above it.

I liked this blue bird house.

I could see the state capitol building as I walked around the lake. It is several miles away. Because of the lay of the land it looks like there is nothing between this park and the capitol. In reality there is a lot of housing and development. But I like thinking it is just a big open field.

And there was the downtown again.

It was a nice walk.

Thanks for stopping by.

What is ... Iowa?

2011-12-28T09:31:00.010-06:00

Iowa is a state located in about the middle of the United States. The abbreviation for Iowa is IA.

Two major interstate highways are located in Iowa. Interstate 80 goes east and west. If you went on I-80 east you would wind up in New York City. If you went west you could end up in San Francisco.

Interstate 35 goes from Minnesota to the tip of Texas. Des Moines, the capitol city, is located at the intersection if I-35 and I-80.

Iowa was settled by the French. The state flag is very similar to the French flag. However, the Iowa flag has a wider field of white than red and blue. The French flag has equal fields of red, white and blue.

Iowa is known as a state that grows a lot of corn.

And pigs. In reality you don't see many pigs in Iowa since they are mostly raised in confinement facilities.

Iowa's most famous artist is Grant Wood. He painted American Gothic. You can still visit the house with that distinctive window.

In a few days Iowa will host the first in the nation caucuses. The Republican candidates for President are in the state right now along with media from across the country and world.

The national news media picks spots that provide a nice back drop for their news. The state law library located inside the capitol building is perhaps the nicest venue.

Iowa has a little more than 3 million people. It is about in the middle of the nation in terms of size and population.

If you have never been to Iowa you might be surprised. Like any place it has good points and bad points. On balance it is a nice place to live.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Birthday Johanna!

2011-12-27T14:02:00.008-06:00

It's December 27 and a few people want to wish you a Happy Birthday! This guy is especially fond of you. He says you made an unforgettable ... dish ... the last time he was in Vancouver. Oh, and the dinner you made for him later on was pretty good, too!

This fellow wishes you Happy Birthday! too. Apparently a bit of an argument broke out between Mick and Keith several years ago while doing a show in Vancouver. I heard there was a young woman in the front row they both asked out afterwards. Mick was not too happy you didn't pick him but he says he is coming back to Vancouver again soon. Just in case you change your mind.

Bill says Happy Birthday! He says the invitation to stay overnight in the Lincoln Bedroom at the White House is still open. He says President Obama won't mind if he invites a very special guest to stay overnight. This picture was taken while he was looking at you on his latest stop in Vancouver. He seems to ... approve.

The Queen has ordered that the day before your birthday always be a Canadian holiday. She is quite fond of you and is still upset with Charles for not marrying you.

Cary is trying to slip away for a bit to see you .... I heard he has a bottle of champagne for you.

Deborah wishes you a most Happy Birthday. She says she understands why Cary was dashing off to you. She understands. She always wanted to be just like you!

Oh yes. Marilyn can't wait to sing Happy Birthday just for you. She thinks you are fabbbbulous.

Happy Birthday Johanna!! If you get a chance wish Johanna Happy Birthday, too!

Beautful Christmas Song

2011-12-23T06:31:00.014-06:00

There are many beautiful Christmas songs. One of my favorites is There is No Rose. This was written in about 1420 and is a traditional English song.

You don't hear this song on the radio or find it on CDs in stores. It is never on the list of most popular Christmas songs.

The Luther College Nordic Choir does a beautiful rendition of this work. You can literally hear the angels singing.

I have never heard a song that captures the essence of Christmas better than this one. Here are the words as they have been translated.

There is no rose of such virtue
As is the rose that bare Jesus;
Alleluia.

For in this rose contained was
Heaven and earth in little space;
Res miranda.

By that rose we may well see
That he is God in persons three,
Pari forma.

The angels sungen the shepherds to:
Gloria in excelsis deo:
Gaudeamus.

Leave we all this worldly mirth,
And follow we this joyful birth
Transeamus.

Alleluiah, res miranda,
Pares forma, gaudeamus,
Transeamus

I wish you a most joyous Christmas.

Everybody's Fine

2011-08-13T06:09:00.004-05:00

Recently I watched the movie Everybody's Fine. Robert De Niro plays a man who has recently lost his wife. His four children live in various parts of the country.

He decides he wants them to all come home so they can spend a weekend together. However, one by one they call him and cancel. So he is alone at home.

So since they will not come to see him, he decides to go see them. He takes a Greyhound bus and Amtrak to go from his home to New York City, Chicago, the Pacific Northwest and Las Vegas.

His son plays in an orchestra.

One of his daughters owns a high powered advertising agency in Chicago.

Another daughter works in Las Vegas.

Along the way he meets a variety of interesting people.

Yet he knows something is not quite right. Being a parent he can sense such things.

I won't say too much since I hope you will watch the movie if you have not seen it. I will say that it is a touching movie for any person who has a child who is not living close to them.

When you only see your children a few times a year, well .... This movie captures that situation.

Paul McCartney watched the movie and then wrote a song for it. Here it is. If you have a couple of minutes it is worth listening to and you can see some images from the movie, too.

LaCrosse, Wisconsin

2011-08-01T06:40:00.006-05:00

Recently I was in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. This town sits next to the Mississippi River.

The river is not nearly as wide as it gets farther downstream but it is a good size as it flows past LaCrosse. I really liked this sculpture of these two children and their Scotty dog.

If you look the other way you can see what they are excited about.

The downtown area is along the river and consists of a large number of eclectic buildings. Many are older buildings that have been renovated.

You see a lot of stone buildings.

I was impressed with how neat and clean everything was that I saw.

And there are lots of fun signs.

Here's a gift shop called Cheddarheads.

And one for a place called Coconut Joe's.

This is a well known establishment called Buzzard Billys.

There are many sculptures around the downtown area. This is one of dancers.

And I saw several fountains. As it was a hot day this looked quite inviting.

Right along side all these older buildings and looking out over the river is this newer Civic Center.

Still, I found this place amusing as I walked by -- the bold proclamation that this was a mind altering tattoo shop - heh!

In any event, whether it was mind altering or not, I found LaCrosse an extremely pleasant town and enjoyed my visit a great deal.

Thanks for stopping by.

A Small Town

2011-07-29T06:26:00.012-05:00

A few days ago I drove through a small town. It was late afternoon and not many people were around.

Such towns as this are common across the Midwest. They are very flat and seem totally nondescript. Looking west is not much different than looking south.

Or east.

But if you stop and look a bit closer you find there is more to a place such as this than you might expect. Here's a grocery store that has been renovated. At one time it was a busy store. Today it is a historical site.

Or a new water tower next to a double set of railroad tracks. These tracks go from San Francisco to New York City.

Yes, I am sure those tracks could tell a story. As I stood there in the light rain I wondered about those people who had been where I was standing.

And turning around I saw this.

Thanks for stopping by.

Windy Day

2011-05-30T13:52:00.006-05:00

Today I was mowing my lawn. At this time of year that is something I have to do a lot.

Bailey was just, uh .... helping me. I guess you could say he was sort of supervising.

I had noticed on TV this morning there were wind warnings for our area. I had not thought much about it until I looked up and saw this.

The wind was starting to pick up stronger and stronger from the south. I could see swirls of dirt lifting into the air. A wall of dirt was coming towards Bailey and me.

Above us the trees were beginning to bend and leaves were getting pulled off the trees.

The dirt was filling the air. It reminded me of being in a blizzard.

Looking to the north I could not see past the road. I had never seen anything like this before.

I yelled at Bailey to come into the house. I didn't know if he could hear me.

This is what I saw as I stepped into the house.

Wind is a powerful force. Nothing to mess around with. Bailey and I are lucky as our damage, so far, has been limited to losing shingles, tree limbs, etc.

This is only a taste of what people have to deal with when they are hit by a tornado. It makes you very, very humble.

Take care.

A Visit to McDonald's

2011-05-27T13:35:00.006-05:00

Okay. I confess. I have been living under a rock too long.

I was at a McDonald's recently and realized I had not been to one for a long, long time. Apparently, a very long time.

I ordered a Big Mac sandwich. I remember when Big Mac's came in a box like this.

For a long time McDonald's used the styrofoam claim shell box for their sandwiches. I remember them the best.

In about 1990 McDonald's started getting away from the styrofoam and went to paper boxes.

For about the last two years the company has used this box.

At least there is one thing that will never, never change:

What? Oh .... well, uh, never mind!

Thanks for stopping by.

PS - Yes, I agree and forgot to mention. The Big Mac I had seemed much smaller than the ones I remember in the past! Hmmm....

Hannah and Her Sisters

2011-05-20T07:50:00.006-05:00

The other day I put up a post about the movie Defiance. Though a good movie it is not a fun movie to watch.

On the other "Hannah" (?!) a VERY fun movie to watch is Hannah and Her Sisters.

This is considered by many to be Woody Allen's best movie. I had not seen it until last night. Heck, it's only been out since ... 1986. But it is classic Woody Allen at his best.

The story begins with a family Thanksgiving and ends two years later.

As you can tell from the title, the central characters are the three sisters. Hannah is played by Mia Farrow and is Woody Allen's character's ex-wife. Holly is played by Dianne Wiest and sister Lee is played by Barbara Hershey.

Carrie Fisher has a rather small role as a friend of Holly's. The two of them have a catering business but the business does not last very long. Then again, Holly plays a character who has some major problems.

Michael Cain's character thinks he is in love with Lee and that is a major part of the story.

And, as always, Woody Allen's character is a huge hypochondriac and believes he is facing imminent death. He questions the existence of God and explores various religions trying to find answers to life's big questions. In this scene he is considering joining the Hare Krishnas.

Some interesting tidbits: Michael Cain and Dianne Wiest each won Oscars for Best Supporting Actor / Actress. The next time two supporting actors in the same movie would win Oscars would be in 2011 (The Fighter).

Maureen O'Sullivan plays the sister's mother. In real life she is Mia Farrow's mother. Lloyd Nolan played the father of the sisters. This was his last movie as he died in 1985.

Thanks for stopping by. It is supposed to rain in Iowa this weekend. Maybe I will go see a movie ... that is not 25 years old!

Defiance

2011-05-18T19:11:00.003-05:00

If you are looking for a feel good, happy, fun, light hearted happily ever after movie .... this is not the one to watch.

But if you are searching for a really excellent movie that has some real substance to it, watch Defiance.

This movie is based on a true story of four brothers who lead a group of Jews into the forest during World War II to save their lives. Daniel Craig plays Tuvia Bielski and Liev Schrieber is Zus Bielski.

The movie is not easy to watch. In fact, I shut it off a couple of times while watching it. But I kept coming back and by the end of the movie I thought it was truly incredible. Still, it is difficult to watch at times.

After the movie was over I watched a documentary about how it was made. The producers insisted on complete accuracy. Even the dirt on the actors faces matched the exact dirt found in Belarus. The weapons and clothing were authentic and it was even filmed close to where the actual events occurred.

Originally many of the Jews resist leaving their homes but eventually realize if they stay they will be killed.

They escape the Germans by hiding and moving through the dense forest. What starts out as a small group of people eventually becomes a group of over 1,200 people. They maintain a way of life as best they can under the harsh and almost impossible conditions.

Yet they are always having to keep moving to stay away from the Germans. Often they engage in gun battles with the Germans and the casualties are horrendous. Yet they still keep fighting and resisting and moving.

If you haven't seen this, I recommend it. But you are warned -- it is not easy to watch. If you stay with it to the end, you will be glad you did.

And remember - this is a true story. An incredible, true story.

Take care.

Camera Thoughts Anyone?

2011-05-15T11:18:00.007-05:00

For several years I have used a Canon PowerShot A610 camera.

I like this little point and shoot camera a lot. It has served me well and been a faithful companion over many miles.

However, this summer I am taking a class in digital photography. The first thing I was told was that my little point and shoot camera was not acceptable. I had to get an SLR camera. I think that stands for Single Lens Reflex. I really don't know. That is why I am taking a class.

After looking at lots of used cameras on CraigsList and eBay and other places, I think the camera I have decided to buy is a Canon Rebel t3i.

This looks like a real bad boy camera (is that the right lingo?). It reminds me of a 35 mm film camera I used to own in the 80s and 90s.

So if you are into photography, let me know if you happen to see this. I know nothing but I think I want to get a camera that is new and, most imporantly, easy to use while still taking a good picture.

Any thoughts will be appreciated.

Take care.

Can You Believe This?

2011-05-13T18:16:00.008-05:00

A few days ago a high school golf coach was driving her six team members to a meet. She left Fairfield, Iowa, around 7:00 in the morning.

Ten minutes after leaving one girl texted her father saying she wanted him to know she loved him if she never saw him again. The girls were scared. That is because their coach, the woman driving the van, was drunk.

Believe it or not at 7:00 in the morning the Fairfield High School golf coach was not only drunk but she was three times over the legal limit. And there she was, driving six students to a golf meet in a town an hour away.

This woman's name is Susie Steinbeck. She is 59 years old.

A man from Des Moines happened to be following the van and at first thought the driver was talking on a cell phone or maybe texting since the van went off onto the shoulder of the road and was weaving back and forth.

He soon could tell something was seriously wrong. He was sure that he would be seeing a head on collision within moments as they were on a two lane road and there was oncoming traffic.

For 10 miles this man followed the van and he tried to figure out what he could do. Finally the van stopped at a stop sign and the man drove his car in front of the van so it could not go any farther.

The man kept the van stopped until the Iowa Highway Patrol could arrive. This is the man who literally saved the lives of the six girls -- his name is Steve Lombardi and he is a lawyer from West Des Moines.

By the grace of God the six girls were not seriously injured or killed because of the gross recklessness of their golf coach. The fact she was so drunk at such an early hour is just ... unbelievable.

Mr. Lombardi never dreamed he would be placed in a position of having to do what he did that morning. I guess we never know when we will be called upon to act.

Those girls and their families have a lot to be grateful for because of the actions of one man.

And they have a lot to be angry about, too. We entrust our children to the care of teachers and when one of them does something this stupid it is just beyond belief.

Simple Things

2011-05-06T20:21:00.011-05:00

It was a nice day outside so I took a break to walk around where I work. Walking around I saw a few things I had not noticed before. Here's a yellow fire hydrant. I like the chains that hang from it.

You can see the signs of age on the chain.

Here are some tulips. I like the way they bend.

You can see the wild purple violets growing around these tulips.

You can hear this water as it goes over the stones.

These are cherry blossoms.

This little cardinal was sitting on a light.

I looked up and saw pinecones on a tree.

I liked this bicycle. The green and orange really make it stand out.

The rear tire and spokes are interesting.

Some times the best things in life are ... simple.

Thanks for stopping by.

Easter Images

2011-04-22T08:41:00.003-05:00

Easter is always a nice time of year. It is a holiday that, among other things, seems to be the official announcement of spring. A new beginning.

It is a holiday of colors.

And lots of fun things to eat.

Here's a candy I have never understood - but they look fun!

This meal looks incredible. Sitting down with your family and eating is a big part of any holiday.

And, of course, the Easter Lilly and its strong fragrance is always special.

I hope you and your family have a Happy Easter or Passover this spring.

Thanks for stopping by.

Iowa Spring Arrives

2011-04-03T19:55:00.004-05:00

It is early April in Iowa. Spring has arrived. The grass is beginning to turn green.

Bailey can smell spring in the air and in the grass.

The fields are beginning to wake up. You can see tractor tracks from yesterday.

Yesterday I burned the ditches where my wild flowers grow.

These lilac bushes are beginning to bud out. But you have to look close.

And the sun is setting north of the road. On the first day of spring the sun is directly over this road - or so it seems. It will keep moving north until the middle of June.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This vast, flat land is beautiful to me. It is waking up and shortly the black fields will be an ocean of growing crops and swaying grass.

Thanks for stopping by.

Baseball Season Begins

2011-03-30T19:25:00.005-05:00

Baseball season begins this week. For me, this is the unofficial end of winter. It is a bit too chilly here in the north to be playing baseball, but the grass is starting to get green and the days are getting longer. It's time.

There is something special about baseball. It is a game that is both extremely simple and complex at the same time. That probably does not make much sense but it seems that way to me.

The bases are 90 feet apart. Why that distance was picked seems to be a mystery. But the number of split second plays from base to base is amazing. If the bases were farther apart, the defense would have an advantage. If they were closer, the runners would have an edge.

I guess football is more popular with many people but baseball has a special history. Ken Burns did an excellent documentary about it.

I like the Pittsburgh Pirates. They have the longest losing record of any major league team in any sport. If things go as predicted, the Pirates will have their 19th straight losing season this year. However, most people do agree that their stadium, PNC Park, is one of the nicest - if not the nicest - in the major leagues.

Another team I like a lot is the Washington Nationals. I guess I have a thing for perennial losers. I guess you could call them underdogs.

In any event I am looking forward to another season. I am not a die hard fan. I don't know lots of stats and I cannot recite team rosters. I am a casual fan who just enjoys the game in general.

Thanks for stopping by.

The Accidental Tourist

2011-03-26T07:13:00.006-05:00

Recently I watched a 1988 movie called The Accidental Tourist. It is very good.

William Hurt plays Macon Leary, a man who writes guidebooks for traveling business people. When his 12-year old son is killed during a robbery, his life is changed forever (talk about understatement). His wife, played by Kathleen Turner, leaves him a year after the killing and moves into her own apartment.

When the family dog becomes uncontrollable, Macon looks for someone to train the dog. He meets Muriel, an unconventional, free spirit who not only changes the dog's behavior but also Macon's. Geena Davis won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in this film.

While Macon's family does not accept Muriel because she is ... different, it is obvious they are oblivious to their own lifestyle. Macon's two 40 something, single brothers live in the family home along with their sister, Rose. They never answer the ringing telephone, play a card game they invented and take unconventional to a new level.

When Macon's wife attempts to reconcile after a year, Macon tries to make it work again. But he has changed. At one point he looks at Kathleen Turner's character and says "I do love you but I do not like the person I am when I am with you."

The movie is based on the 1985 book by the same name.

If you have not seen the movie or read the book, I highly recommend either or both. The story is an excellent study of human behavior and one that certainly makes a person think.

Thanks for stopping by.

Girl with a Pearl Earring

2011-03-20T09:32:00.013-05:00

I recently watched Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Colin Firth plays the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer.

The story is a fictional account of the 1665 painting by the same name. Scarlett Johannsen plays the girl. In reality, this young woman's identity is not known and very little is known about the background of Vermeer's most famous work.

The movie is extremely well done and has wonderful costumes, good acting and excellent photography.

Here is the original painting.

The movie replica shown below is pretty good.

If you have not seen this movie I recommend it - especially if you enjoy art or history.

Take care and thanks for stopping by.

Iowa Historical Building

2011-03-15T17:25:00.005-05:00

Today I went to the Iowa Historical Museum in Des Moines. It is a nice, newer building - a far cry from the building I went to as a child. That was pretty much like an overstuffed attic.

You notice this airplane in the atrium.

Here's another one. They remind you of an ultra light airplane. Notice the frame and even the propellers are made of wood.

You have to have a stage coach. I looked at this pretty closely and determined it would be a hard way to go across country.

But it was probably a lot faster and more comfortable that the Conestoga wagon -- the schooner of the prairie. I was surprised at how tall these wagons are - the back wheels are about six feet high.

Okay. These buffalo are not real, are they? They are ... big.

Des Moines does not have Sue the Tyrannosaurus Rex at the Chicago Field Museum of Natural History, but it does have this 14-tall skeleton of a woolly mammoth.

These animals were similar to elephants and were huge.

Fast forwarding in time, I liked this old pay phone.

This gas pump was interesting -- and the price of gasoline was 17.6 cents a gallon.

Here's a cartoon drawn by Ding Darling, a famous political cartoonist for the Des Moines Register for many years.

Looking out the window you could see the top of the Iowa Capitol Building. There was a large rally gathering to protest something or other.

As I was looking at history, there were people across the street making it.

Take care and thanks for stopping by.

Big Yellow Taxi

2011-02-13T19:48:00.006-06:00

One of my favorite artists has always been Joni Mitchell. Like a fine wine she has gotten better with age.

Below is a rendition of her redone version of Big Yellow Taxi. Here's the lyrics and you will see she tells the story about how people paved over paradise to put up a parking lot and a pink hotel:

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swinging hot spot
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot

They took all the trees and put 'em in a tree museum
And then they charged all the people twenty-five bucks just to see 'em
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot

Hey farmer, farmer, put away your DDT now
Give me spots on my apples but leave me the birds and the bees, please
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot

Late last night I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi carried off my old man
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot

Text & Musik: Joni Mitchell
(c) 1970 Siquomb Publishing Corp. (BMI)

Watch this video and you will see a series of images of Joni Mitchell from a young age to maturity. And the new version of Big Yellow Taxi is really good. (I believe this collection of images was complied by Dr. Rob Dammet of North Hollywood. It is very well done.)

Sun Dogs

2011-01-21T20:11:00.003-06:00

Iowa in the winter is ... flat. Looks sort of like the Arctic, doesn't it? Lately it has felt like the Arctic.

The other day I thought I saw the sun in a different part of the sky. Something didn't look right so I stepped out to see what was going on.

What I was seeing was a sun dog. We see these when the weather gets very cold and the sun is out. You can see the sun to the right and the sun dog to the left.

Here's another dog -- Bailey. I think he's ready to go in. Not a bad idea.

Thanks for stopping by. If live in a warm place, enjoy it! Otherwise, get inside and stay warm!

Guilty Pleasures

2011-01-19T19:13:00.005-06:00

Today I was in Walgreens buying generic ibuprohen and I saw a package of chocolate I have always liked -- but never buy because I think it is too expensive. But today, for some unknown reason, I bought the chocolate (and the ibuprohen, too).

That got me thinking. There are a lot of things I like but rarely buy. I love the New York Times but rarely get it. Still, I like reading a REAL newspaper. As in spreading it out on the kitchen table or reading it in my office. I don't like reading papers on a computer monitor.

As a child I always loved buying comic books. They really were only 12 cents in those days. Today I own one Jetsons comic book which I have displayed on a shelf. I might go on eBay and buy another one - or three.

Every spring I buy a couple of magazines that deal with the upcoming baseball season. And every fall I buy a few magazines that give a preview of college football.

The next time I am in a grocery store or a convenience store, I just might splurge and buy one of these.

You only live once. If you do things in moderation, it is nice to make life a bit more fun with ... something fun.

Thanks for stopping by.

Vote for the Steam Train!

2011-01-13T19:09:00.004-06:00

Right now the Union Pacific Railroad is having a contest to determine where a steam train will run this summer. They will pick the route based on a vote.

I am hoping they will choose the route that goes through Iowa. It is called the Tuscola Turn and starts in Boone, Iowa, and goes to Illinois.

The Tuscola Turn (Iowa / Illinois) Route was leading the voting but the Little Rock Express has taken the lead today (Thursday). The voting goes through next Monday, January 17.

Would you please take a moment and vote for the Tuscola Route? I think any and every vote will help. If you know of any one who could get the word out, I would appreciate it a lot.

Maybe you might know people who are on Facebook or have a mailing list through their work. Go to the Union Pacific Excursion website and you can vote! If the link is not working, here is the URL: http://www.upexcursion.com/

The first time you vote it takes a bit of time as you have to submit your email address, etc. but any time you vote after the first time it is just a click of the mouse.

The voting is so close EVERY VOTE WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Thank you if you can help!

Big, Bigger, Biggest

2011-01-12T11:23:00.007-06:00

When I first moved to the country a man told me "always get the biggest piece of equipment you can afford -- you will never be sorry."

I have now been here in the country for many years and every year I realize how right he was. You can have a nice little snowblower that works fine in town.

But in the country, well ... let's get serious. This is my tractor and loader. It has been a life saver.

Of course I see even bigger machines that can move a ton of snow in a few minutes.

If want to get REALLY serious, well ....

Same with lawns. A nice push mower is great for a small lawn.

But if you have very much grass, well, let's mow it and not take all day about it.

Then again, this machine is even bigger and faster.

Still, THIS is one FAST machine!

Men and their toys, huh? Guess I will drive into town and get some bread and milk. Wonder what it would be like to pull into the parking lot with this truck?

Thanks for stopping by.

Disconnected

2011-01-05T20:43:00.009-06:00

Once upon a time TVs looked like this.

When color TVs came out, we thought it was really special.

Today we are seeing 3D TVs.

You need special glasses to see the 3D. TVs are getting bigger and flatter and faster and ... bigger.

It seems like most people have cable or satellite TV these days. You can get over 100 channels.

But today I disconnected my satellite TV. I went from multiple sports, news, movie and other channels to broadcast TV. I now have five stations: ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS and Fox. I also have two other stations that seem to show reruns.

So now I am doing things like reading. As in books. That you can hold in your hands and turn the pages. As in what this person is doing.

Okay. It's a bit cold here to be reading outside by a river. But I can read books and newspapers and enjoy the quiet. It is sort of like the fantasy I have always had of living in a remote cabin with no phones, no TV, no computer, no anything but quiet and nature.

Everything is good in moderation. TV is nice and I will get reconnected in the future. But for now the solitude is refreshing.

Thanks for stopping by.

Lowest Moment 2010

2011-01-02T07:49:00.008-06:00

The lowest moment of the past year, in my opinion, was the judicial retention vote here in Iowa in November.

Bob Vander Plaats, a man who was not able to get the Republican nomination for governor, turned his efforts towards having three of our Iowa Supreme Court justices voted out of office.

This man and his followers see simplistic solutions to complex issues. He uses the Bible to support his logic - or lack of it.

In April, 2009, our Supreme Court ruled that same sex marriage was legal. The ruling was extremely well written and it was a proud moment for our state. However, a group of radical right wingers were outraged and money poured in from around the country to send a message that gay marriage would not be tolerated.

Chief Justice Marsha Ternus, Justice David Baker and Justice Michael Streit were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Their names were up for retention and by a 52-48 percent vote, they were not retained. To me it is unbelievable that an 52 out of every 100 voters could be so intolerant and ignorant. It is truly a sad moment in our state's history.

Now Vander Plaats is raising money to have the other four justices impeached. Apparently he and his followers believe that judges who do not agree with his beliefs are guilty of high crimes.

Though I respect a person's right to engage in political debate, I do not have to respect a person nor his followers when they are so narrow minded and self righteous. If Jesus Christ were walking among us, I seriously doubt He would agree with people like Bob Vander Plaats. In fact, the Vander Plaats of the world would most likely find Jesus Christ to be repulsive given His liberal views.

The Iowa Supreme Court had the courage and wisdom to make a bold, progressive and proper decision in April, 2009, and they are to be commended for their action.

The Iowa Supreme Court has a long history of being progressive in the area of civil rights. In 1839 (more than 20 years before the Civil War) our court ruled that slavery was wrong and that a black man could not be forced to return to his master.

In 1846 the Iowa court ruled that inter-racial marriage was legal. It would not be until 1967 that the United States Supreme Court ruled state law making inter-racial marriage a crime was illegal. (That is true and the state court judge in the case used the Bible to support his ruling that inter-racial marriage was wrong.)

In 1869, Iowa became the first state to license women as lawyers. The first was Arabella Mansfield of Mount Pleasant, Iowa.

Here's a short clip from the West Wing when President Bartlett uses Bible quotations to make a point with a woman who refuses to stand when he enters the room. She is Dr. Jacobs who is the thinly disguised real Dr. Laura.

If you haven't seen this you might want to take a look. It captures my sentiments exactly.

Thank you for stopping by.

Favorite Moment 2010

2011-01-01T00:01:00.001-06:00

On this New Year's Day, I wanted to take a look back at my favorite moment of 2010. There were actually a lot of good things that happened but the most memorable moment, at least for me, involved a professional baseball player and umpire.

The player was Armando Galarraga. On June 2, 2010, Galarraga had pitched a perfect game through 8 2/3 innings. No hits. No walks. Just three up, three down.

The last batter hit a ground ball that was thrown to the first baseman. It was a close play and the umpire called the runner .... safe.

Everyone was stunned. How could that have happened? A perfect game - something that is beyond rare - seemed to have happened. And then it did not.

Within moments it was clear from instant replay that the runner was actually out. The umpire had missed the call. However, professional baseball does not use instant replay to review calls.

The next batter came up, grounded out and the game was over. The call could not be changed. No one felt worse about it than the umpire, Jim Joyce. Mr. Joyce is an extremely respected umpire by players, umpires and managers. He is one of the best. Still, like all of us, he is human.

The tears were flowing down his face the next day when he and the pitcher, Armando Galarraga, met at home plate in a show of unity and forgiveness. It was a hard moment to watch. But it was one I will never forget.

The pitcher did get a new car from his Detroit Tigers. And most people will remember him and his near perfect game more than if he had actually gotten credit for the perfect game. Still, what I remember the most is how honorable both men acted through it all.

Jim Joyce and Armando Galarrago were recognized at the 2010 ESPY Award Program this summer. Right after the incident happened and the days that followed both were professional and respectful of each other.

In this day and age of over paid athletes who are often not role models, it is inspiring to see two men who have the character of Jim Joyce and Armando Galarraga.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy New Year to you.

Happy Birthday Johanna!

2010-12-27T00:01:00.002-06:00

Today - December 27 - is Johanna's birthday.

I always like to find various images on Google to post on her birthday. A blast from the past is always fun. And, yes, I remember when records cost less than a dollar. The 45s were often under 50 cents.

These loggers are a tradion every year.

I don't need to tell you about these flags. The Vancouver flag, the Canadian flag and the flag of British Columbia. They are, of course, flying high in your honor today.

Um, this is NOT me. But, yes, you DO have your, uh ... admirers! Talk about special delivery... oh well. What? You just happen to have a hat pin??! Johanna!

Wine and dark chocolate. Now THAT sounds like a balanced meal to me.

Cup cakes are fun.

Now this fellow is having a very, very good time. I think. Reminds me of a few office parties but let's not get into that.

Candles are a must.

Here's a special person wishing you a happy birthday today.

Get out today and laugh, eat, enjoy and have fun. This is YOUR day. We had a small celebration two days ago but today will be REALLY special!

Happy Birthday, Johanna!

True Grit 2010

2010-12-25T18:40:00.003-06:00

This afternoon I went and saw the Coen Brothers' version of True Grit.

I thought there would not be a big crowd on Christmas Day. I was wrong. The theatre was packed. I am not sure if it is because the movie is so popular or because people were looking for something to do. Probably both.

The movie is based on the novel by Charles Portis.

Though Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon get the biggest hype, the real star is Hallie Steinfeld. Hallie plays 14-year old Mattie Ross, a girl who hires Marshall Rooster Cogburn to find the man who killed her father.

Hallie Steinfeld was 13 years old when the film was made. Watching her on screen she seems much more mature in terms of age and acting experience.

If you get a chance, I recommend seeing the new True Grit. I think you will enjoy it.

It is a bit graphic in spots but as with any Coen Brothers film, the filming is excellent and the pace is appropriate for the story.

Take care and thanks for stopping by.

There is No Rose

2010-12-23T07:31:00.006-06:00

There are many beautiful Christmas songs. One of my favorites is There is No Rose. This was written in about 1420 and is a traditional English song.

This wood cut image appeared in the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer in 1846 - more than 400 years after the song was written. (Thank you to Blog by the Sea, December 13, 2008, for this information.)

You don't hear this song on the radio or find it on CDs in stores.

The Luther College Nordic Choir does a beautiful rendition of this work. You can literally hear the angels singing.

There is no rose of such virtue
As is the rose that bare Jesu;
Alleluia.

For in this rose contained was
Heaven and earth in little space;
Res miranda.

By that rose we may well see
That he is God in persons three,
Pari forma.

The angels sungen the shepherds to:
Gloria in excelsis deo:
Gaudeamus.

Leave we all this worldly mirth,
And follow we this joyful birth
Transeamus.

Alleluiah, res miranda,
Pares forma, gaudeamus,
Transeamus

I Saw Three Ships

2010-12-20T19:20:00.009-06:00

A few people were taken back by my tongue in cheek post a couple of days ago. So let me set the record straight. First, I really do have a co-worker who believes Jesus is his buddy and plays Mormon Tabernacle Choir music over his computer. I think Jesus and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir are both great. But I don't think either needs to be pushed into my face at my place of work.

Secondly, and more important, Christmas is a beautiful holiday. It is too beautiful to have been turned into a commercial free for all where such a high priority is placed on materialistic things.

Third, when I think of Christmas music I think of songs like I Saw Three Ships being song by an incredible choir. I like to think of hearing this music in person or watching it on TV in my home.

I love the choir to have a beautiful orchestra backing it up.

Every year many colleges have Christmas programs. One of the very best is put on by Luther College of Decorah, Iowa.

Listening to these combined groups you feel like you are hearing the angels singing from heaven itself.

Of course, a real pipe organ is used. There is no substitute for a pipe organ.

And bells. Real handbells.

Take a few moments to listen to one of the true Christmas classics performed as it should be -- strong, big, powerful and truly angelic. This was aired over Iowa Public TV in December, 2008. (You will note there is an announcement that all digital TV will begin in 57 days!) Luther College is very well known for having one of the very best music programs in the country.

Santa Baby

2010-12-19T08:12:00.008-06:00

The man in the cubicle next to me claims Jesus is his buddy and that Jesus helps him pick out what tie to wear each day and what route he should take to work. I am amazed Jesus has the time to deal with such trivial matters, but what do I know? I am not saved much less deposited. I am not even an account receivable.

He enjoys listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing traditional Christmas carols. In fact, he often plays them over his computer so the rest of us can, uh, enjoy them. When this happens, I feel it is only appropriate that I play some music I like so he can, well, uh, enjoy my music, too.

My favorite song to crank up is Santa Baby by Madonna.

For some reason this song drives him totally insane. I have no idea why. But if it makes him leave for a while, well, good. As soon as he steps back, I play it again. He seems to think the song is somehow offensive. I suggested he take it up with his buddy the next time they go out and have hamburgers, fries and soda.

Seriously the song was made famous in 1953 by Eartha Kitts. Looking at the promotional material for this song it must have been beyond scandalous in the early 1950s.

A lot of people believe Marilyn Monroe recorded this song. She never did.

So here's to Eartha Kitts and a truly wonderful Christmas song that captures the essence of the season. Well, okay. Maybe not completely the essence but a lot of it. Maybe that's the reason I like Thanksgiving best.

The lyrics are wonderful. I took these from http://www.madonnalyrics.org/_santa_baby.html.

Santa baby, slip a sable under the tree, for me
I've been an awful good girl
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight

Santa baby, an out-of-space convertible too, light blue
I'll wait up for you dear
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight

Think of all the fun I've missed
Think of all the fellas that I haven't kissed
Next year I could be oh so good
If you'd check off my Christmas list
Boo doo bee doo

Santa honey, I wanna yacht and really that's
Not a lot
I've been an angel all year
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight

Santa cutie, there's one thing I really do need, the deed
To a platinum mine
Santa cutie, and hurry down the chimney tonight

Santa baby, I'm filling my stocking with a duplex, and checks
Sign your 'X' on the line
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight

Come and trim my Christmas tree
With some decorations bought at Tiffany's
I really do believe in you
Let's see if you believe in me
Boo doo bee doo

Santa baby, forgot to mention one little thing, a ring
I don't mean a phone
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight

Hurry down the chimney tonight
Hurry down the chimney tonight

24 Hours

2010-12-12T09:13:00.005-06:00

Saturday morning it was a warm day. Temperatures were in the 40s and there was a very light rain. It felt like a spring day.

Water was flowing out of the rain spout.

But later in the morning the temperature dropped quickly into the 20s. The rain drops turned into snow.

Before long the rain spout looked like this.

When night came it brought winter with strong winds and blowing snow.

And by Sunday morning - only 24 hours later - winter had arrived.

But even with the cold temperatures and hard wind, there is still beauty.

Mother Nature has decorated the trees better than I ever could.

Thanks for stopping by.

No Christmas Tree for Ames High

2010-12-05T07:01:00.013-06:00

A big story in Iowa this weekend involves Ames High School. Ames is the home of Iowa State University. (Iowa State is home of the Cyclones and the University of Iowa in Iowa City is home of the Hawkeyes.)

A year ago the BIG news out of Ames High School was where Harrison Barnes would go play college basketball. He was the #1 high school basketball player in the country (yes, that is true) and picked North Carolina.

This year Ames High is back in the news. Just as I was disappointed Harrison Barnes did not pick Iowa State, Drake, the University of Northern Iowa or even some school in eastern Iowa called the University of Iowa to attend, the news from Ames is again disheartening.

Last week a person donated a nice Christmas tree to the school. It was decorated with some lights and Iowa State University decorations and placed in the cafeteria.

I am not sure if the above image is the actual tree but you get the idea. It was called a "winter tree" (God forbid you would say Christmas tree) and was primarily intended for the school's winter dance.

However, apparently someone complained that the tree was too religious and so the school officials - exhibiting the backbone of a jelly fish - removed the tree.

The school officials should have told the overly sensitive people to (1) get a life and/or (2) deal with it and/or (3) go to hell. The school should have told those people they were over reacting and that the generic Christmas tree was not going to go anywhere. Thank you very much.

I am all for diversity and being sensitive to other people's beliefs. But our United States Supreme Court has ruled that Christmas is a secular holiday as well as a religious one. If a courthouse or government office wishes to put up Santa Claus with his reindeer or a lighted tree or candy canes that is okay. Really, it is.

Even a nativity scene is legally permitted if it is part of an overall Christmas display.

(Yes, I know. That is beyond gaudy but it illustrates the point.)

So Ames High School, which is regarded as being a very excellent school, is not doing a good job of teaching diversity when its solution is to just take the tree down and cave in to the complaints of a few overly sensitive people.

We need to embrace each other - not exclude each other.

Instead of defending its already overly politically correct "winter tree" it just allowed the Grinch to take even that away. Why not encourage people to say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Hanukkah" or "Happy Kwanzaa" or just "Have a nice day" instead of pretending to live in a vacuum? There is nothing wrong with Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or just appreciating a nice day. They are all good.

Oh well. What can you say? It is sad the kids at Ames High School have to deal with such nonsense. By doing what they have done, the officials at the school have created a huge controversy when their objective was to avoid one. There are times when common sense is a good thing and should be followed.

Speaking of Christmas trees (and Christmas tree farms are actually a fairly big business!) here's my ideal Christmas tree.

Thanks for stopping by and Merry Christmas to you!

Christmas Decisions

2010-11-28T06:44:00.006-06:00

It's been several years since I had a Christmas tree. So this year I decided to correct that situation. The first question was should I get a real tree or a fake tree?

Silver aluminum trees look very elegant in a close up picture.

But they don't look quite as elegant from a distance.

Though the color wheel is somewhat irresistible.

Fake trees can look very real.

Especially if you cover them up with lights and oranments and presents.

Once the real versus fake tree dilema is resolved, then the even bigger question comes in: colored or white lights?

And if that is not enough, do you go with the traditional Christmas tree lights or the new LED ones?

Hmmm..... makes me long for the days when every Christmas tree I drew looked like this.

For some reason the red balls were imperative as was the yellow star on top. That was back in the days when there were no decisions to be made. Everything was so .... exact.

Thanks for stopping by. I will really try to get around to some blogs one of these weeks (!!).

The Great Race

2010-11-21T07:19:00.004-06:00

For the past 32 years Living History Farms in Des Moines, Iowa, has hosted a special off road race. It is always on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. I went to watch it this year as my daughter runs in it.

From a distance it looks fairly normal.

But looking a bit closer, well ....

What in the world??!

Apparently this is not an overly serious race!

Here's Ken and Barbie! You can't see Ken but this couple was on the front page of the Des Moines Register this morning.

The race is a fund raising event (if you had not already guessed!). But it is a real race despite the crazy costumes. They even run through water several times during the event.

You can see even Santa Claus was running this year. There were about 7,500 runners and they were from 38 states.

One of my favorite costumes was Thing #1 (or is she Thing #2?).

And I liked this young man, too. Reminds me of those Mountain Dew ads that were so popular years ago (Ya Hoo! Mountain Dew!!).

Who could resist the always popular Gumby??

It was truly an .... amazing race.

Thanks for stopping by.

New Kittens

2010-11-07T07:50:00.008-06:00

Late this summer a new cat showed up in my barn. She was a nice cat and I called her Penney Lane. I could tell Penney Lane was quite pregnant and figured someone may have abandoned her.

It was not long after she had kittens. But I could not find them. I heard them every so often but Penney Lane would move them if she thought I was getting close. After a while I never heard the kittens and figured they had died. I thought the little young mother cat probably just did not know what to do.

But I was wrong. One day about two weeks ago I saw this kitten looking back at me.

And then I saw this one.

And then a third one.

Penney Lane cat turned out to be an excellent mother. But I thought it would be good to get them some food just to make sure.

They liked it. The kittens were big enough to eat. In fact, they really seemed to enjoy the meal.

But Penney Lane figured her kittens need to know how to hunt and survive on their own. She brought in a mouse and they all ate it. Then she brought in a bird and they ate that.

Then she brought in a .... squirrel. And they ate that!

So now I am working to make sure the barn will stay as warm as possible when the cold weather arrives. And as I work away I enjoy watching kittens being kittens.

Each one has its own personality. The black and white one is by far the most playful. He likes jumping on this rope and swinging back and forth.

Or batting his mother's tail.

Thanks for stopping by.

I Can't Make You Love Me

2010-11-02T18:11:00.006-05:00

One of my favorite recordings is Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me." As this election season comes to an end, this song has been going through my head.

To all the people who ran for office at the federal, state and especially local level, I say "thank you" and "God bless you." You were willing to step up and try to make a difference. I respect that. Not many of us are willing to actually enter the fray and take the abuse. It is easy to critize from the sidelines.

And, yes, we all want to be loved. But, as the song says, we can't make someone love us if they don't want to. Elections are a lot about acceptance whether it be in school or for President of the United States.

If you know anything about Bonnie Raitt, you know she is a political activist and has been her entire life. Not many people have that type of strength. She went to Radcliffe College -- the women's counterpart to Harvard before the two colleges became one. And you don't find any town that is more politically astute than Boston.

So as I sit in my home tonight watching the election returns, I think of this song and the woman who made it famous. And I am humbled by both.

If you hear the piano in this song, you will recognize the distinctive tones of Bruce Hornsby. But it is the voice of Bonnie Raitt that is ... haunting. It is so haunting it literally captures the heart and soul of a person so you can hear it.

Take 5 minutes and listen. You will be glad you did.

Windows

2010-10-27T08:05:00.005-05:00

Several days ago I was at Iowa State University. I was taking pictures of the colorful fall scenery. It was not until I got back home I realized that one of the most interesting things I had seen were the many different types of windows.

So often we are so preoccupied with looking through a window we do not appreciate the beauty of it.

Many windows are extremely simplistic. A person really does not even notice it is there. That is probably the idea.

I noticed the windows in this classic Richardson Romanesque building. Notice the roller shades on some of the windows.

I like these windows towards the top of the building.

I showed this window in my last post. But this time around I noticed that the window itself is quite remarkable, though your attention is drawn to the people.

Who could resist this window?

Paul Klee was a famous Swiss and German artist. I did not know that, of course, until I looked it up. He his most famous work is called "The Twittering Machine." He did that in 1922.

And here you thought Twitter was something new!

Thanks for stopping by.

Fall Day

2010-10-10T16:53:00.005-05:00

Today I drove over to Iowa State University in Ames to just walk around a bit. It was a beautiful fall day. Coming out of the parking ramp I saw this.

On a sunny, warm fall Sunday afternoon it is nice just to take a walk around the campus. I like this bench. You see a few of these around campus. Usually they are in memory of a long time professor or sometimes a student.

You see a lot of these gold maple trees.

I always like these big buildings. Of course such buildings are not built today but there was a time when they were very popular. I love the tall columns.

Though a large university, Iowa State still has quite a bit of big green spaces. This is what the students call Little Siberia. If you wonder why, stop back in winter.

I came across these wonderful metal sculptures. This is a man -- even has on red trunks.

These two are dancing. I think. Whatever they are doing, they are having fun.

I really liked this red man. It seems like he is saying "the fish was THIS big!"

Looking a little closer you can see some bolts holding him together.

This building appears to have people inside. Are they having a party?

The symbol of Iowa State is its campanile.

Let's stop for now. We'll step into the Student Union and take a look at the lake.

Come back in a few days and I'll show a bit more of the sights from Iowa State.

Thanks for stopping by.

Coffin Corner

2010-10-07T20:42:00.002-05:00

On Thursdays I teach classes from 8:00 in the morning through 2:30 in the afternoon -- without a break. Actually, I go from 8:00 to 11:05 and then have 25 minutes to go to another building on campus for a class that goes from 11:30 to 2:30.

The building I go to has an interesting structure in front of it. It is a reddish grid with a fading gold "O" on it.

The golden "O" was the symbol for Golden Circle. This was a grouping of buildings that housed incubator businesses on our campus. The idea was to give small businesses a place to start and then, once they were sort of established, they would go out on their own. I am not sure if that program still exists. In any event, my class is in this building.

Does this sign give you any clue as to the group of students I meet?

Yes -- I teach a funeral law course for students who wish to own and operate funeral homes. It is a very excellent program and students often have bachelor degrees before enrolling in this program. You can see the classroom looks pretty normal.

Until you look this way! Heh!

The first time I stepped into this classroom I was a bit ... taken back. The room is used for a funeral merchandising course.

I sort of wondered why one of the coffins was missing. But I didn't ask.

You get used to it after a while. But every time I step into this classroom, well ...

Sort of makes you appreciate being alive!

Thanks for stopping by.

College Students Sculpture

2010-10-03T19:11:00.012-05:00

Often some of the most interesting things are right in your backyard.

I enjoy art and often drive to a city or town to see an exhibit. Yet within a few feet of where I work every day there is a work of art I never really noticed until recently. As you are walking on our central campus you can see water be sprayed up in a large arc and hear it splashing down in a pool.

It appears to have a large silver hula hoop over the top of a sculpture.

But when you are standing next to the fountain and look behind you, you see another similar sculpture on a small rise.

The work is made up of two pools of water and two sculptures. They are connected by a little stream of water that goes under the sidewalk. The first sculpture is made up of three college students.

One of the students is an older man -- a non-traditional college student.

One is a young man with a guitar.

And a young woman who is pregnant.

The water flows from the three college students to the larger pool and you see them a few years later on in life.

The young woman has a baby (and the child is holding a doll).

The older nontraditional student is dressed in a suit and looking at his watch.

And the young man is now holding his guitar out and it appears he is a rock star. Or maybe a local performer. Or maybe a teacher.

After working at this college for six years, this is the first time I really stopped and studied this very nice work. And it is only a few steps from my office.

Some times the best things are right in your backyard. Or closer.

One Can of Tuna

2010-09-20T17:16:00.006-05:00

This afternoon I decided to try and do something nice for my animals. I opened a can of tuna and took it to the barn. Here's Bailey finishing off his share.

I doubt there are many things in the world that Bailey relishes more than a tuna can.

He likes a tuna can like I like pizza. And we eat it about the same way.

Here is the Grand Dame. She was raised here as a kitten and is now about 14 years old.

Make no mistake. This is HER hay. Thank you very much. Now go away. Leave me alone. This is also MY barn!

Cody Pony doesn't like tuna. So I gave him some new hay and a new bag of sawdust. He rolled in it immediately.

Like the older cat, he prefers to eat alone. He was telling to get lost with that silly camera.

And let me introduce you to our NEW cat. This is Penney. She showed up a few weeks ago. Very, very pregnant. But she is not pregnant now.

She and her new kittens are doing just fine. Though a young cat, she seems to know how to be a mother. She is small and very polite.

When Bailey and I come into the barn at 4:30 in the morning, this little cat always shows up on her on perch. She and Bailey have become pretty good friends. Even the older cat seems to tolerate her - and that's saying a lot.

But, yes, Bailey's still #1. He knows he is the only animal that gets to live in the big house. And he knows it is time for him to get his real meal after this appetizer.

Thanks for stopping by. Maybe I should call this my monthly post...!

New Age

2010-08-28T09:50:00.003-05:00

This past week I got a new pair of glasses, my fall classes started and I got a different car. And, yes, it was getting a new car that topped the list. Everything is relative.

After driving my grey car for four years, I decided to be adventurous and get a .... red car.

Call me a wild and crazy guy. Living on the edge of danger. Throwing caution to the wind. After years and years of grey and beige, I went ... red.

Bailey probably wonders if his master has gone a bit crazy. (Okay, HE'S the master but that's another story.)

When I was considering the car, the salesman kept telling me it came with a built in, modern, state of the art navigation system. I told him I really did not care. Give me a map. Who needs a navigation system? I was almost upset the car had the dumb thing. But what can you do?

Then yesterday I took my first trip in the new, used car with the dumb (!) navigation system. As so often in my life, I was so, so wrong.

I drove to Minneapolis to a wedding and, fortunately, there were family members in the car who helped me realize the navigation unit was a pretty nice feature. Going in and out of traffic in a big town, I soon realized the navigation system was pretty nice.

By the time I got home, I was hooked. I will never again drive a car, if I can help it, without a navigation unit. They are incredible.

Remember, I'm the guy who told people I would never have a cell phone. I was the guy who said my typewriter was just fine, thank you very much, and asked that the computer be taken out of my office. I was the guy who said I would never have a big screen TV.

Sometimes it is a good idea to listen and learn - even though you are convinced you know everything! I could not be without my cell phone. I love my computer and big screen TV. And now the idea of having a car without a navigation unit is .... well, unthinkable!

State Fair

2010-08-22T12:54:00.008-05:00

This morning I went to the State Fair. Going early on Sunday morning is a good time - it is still cool and there are not many people around. I have been to the fair so often I knew exactly the few things I wanted to see.

This double Ferris wheel probably had a busy night last night. It looks much grander at night with all its lights.

In the morning light it looks much different. It was always my favorite ride. And it seemed SO BIG when I was a child.

Now days I like the flower garden by the Agricultural Building. This year I noticed a lot of brightly colored chairs as well as other things decorating the garden.

Here's another set. Not sure I like the pink but ...

This monarch butterfly was happy. There were several in this area.

Inside the Ag Building you could see the results of a recent flower show.

A ribbon like this is pretty special.

I liked the window in the background of this image.

Every year the Iowa State Fair features a life size cow made out of butter. This year along with the cow the sculptor did a tribute to Green Eggs and Ham.

Here's a children's play area that looks like a train.

Before the heat got too intense, I was on my way back home. The crowd was already starting to get heavy and it was only 10:00.

I was home by 11:00. The fair is nice but I had seen all I wanted to see before it got hot.

Thanks for stopping by.

Heritage Farm Show

2010-08-21T13:59:00.013-05:00

Today I went to a heritage farm show. One of my brothers and his family have been involved with this for over 20 years. It is held at a farmstead that has been turned into a working museum.

You can see farm things from the horse and buggy age

and tractors as new as the 1950s and 1960s - such as my all time favorite tractor, an International Harvester 560.

This monster tractor is from the 1920s. Notice the steel wheels. It is hard to comprehend the size of this machine from this photo. The wheels in back are over 10 feet high. You see a man on an ATV in the background. Believe me, this tractor is HUGE.

But before that 1920s tractor, there were steam traction tractors - called steam engines. This is the one my brother and his family run. These machines are much larger than they appear in photographs. However, this particular one is a moderate size engine.

The long belt is connected to a sawmill. You can see it here.

The steam engine powers the sawmill. Be careful there!

Here's another view of that blade.

Oh - for people who think wind power is something new, take a look at this. Every farm and ranch had one of these for pumping water.

I confess. I sure like this steam engine. The smell of it is quite nice - a mixture of wood and steam.

And I like the way it looks - the red and yellow and black go together well.

But maybe this is the BEST part! And, yes, there really was a Russell steam tractor engine company!

Thanks for stopping by.

Summer Rain and Crickets

2010-08-10T06:20:00.004-05:00

This morning we had another rain storm in Iowa. We have had a lot of rain the past couple of days. Rainfall amounts of 4 to 6 inches have been common. The days are excruciatingly hot and humid and this makes things perfect for summer storms.

Even though such heavy rain is not good, I find the lightning fascinating.

I am one of those people who stand outside and watch the lightning. Of course when it starts to get too close, I get inside but I still find it one of nature's true wonders.

There is something calming about listening to the thunder in the distance, seeing the flashes of lightning and hearing the gentle rain.

Here is a video I took early this morning. You can hear crickets chirping and hear thunder. The clicking noise you hear in the video is actually drops of water hitting the camera. I was standing in the doorway of my barn when I took this video.

My friend Johanna mentioned to me she always liked to hear the sound of crickets when she was on Vancouver Island. Apparently crickets are not common in Vancouver. So here you go! Crickets, crickets, crickets! And a bit of lightning.

Thanks for stopping by.

Intolerance

2010-08-07T08:36:00.005-05:00

Okay. Chances are about 100% you can identify this person.

How 'bout this man?

Or this gentleman?

Of course you knew Sarah Palin. The next man is Congressman Steve King of Iowa. The third image is of Bob Vander Plaats. Mr. Vander Plaats ran (again) to be Iowa governor and lost (again).

All three of them are extremely conservative politicians and, in my opinion, are the epitome of intolerance. To be overly generalistic, they are self righteous people who believe they have the right to tell others how to live. They are each very critical of people who do not share their rigid beliefs. Each of them will loudly and boldly proclaim that progressive liberals are destroying the United States.

The Tea Party movement - which each of the above supports - recently put up this billboard in Iowa.

Bob Vander Plaats is spending the next few months trying to get some of our Iowa Supreme Court justices voted off the bench. He and his followers are upset that the court ruled gays have a legal right to be married. When he was running for governor, his primary message was that he would issue an Executive Order outlawing same sex marriage.

Here's an image of extreme intolerance.

These idiots are from the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas. They protest military funerals since they believe the United States is endorsing gay rights by allowing gays to be in the military.

Of course, Sarah Palin, Steve King and Bob Vander Plaats do NOT support these crazy people. But these extremists illustrate the ignorance of excessive intolerance. Yet it is the court system that protects the right of these people to engage in such hate speech.

We live in a world that is getting closer every day because of the internet and other advances in communication and technology. It is time we think of ourselves as a world community and get away from parochialism. And as a world community, we must embrace diversity. It is through diversity we get stronger and can enrich our lives.

I respect the right of radical conservatives to say what they want. But I hope they remember it is because of progressive liberals and intelligent judges that all of us have the rights we have today.

Thanks for stopping by.

Grotto

2010-08-01T10:03:00.008-05:00

In the movie Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner see a ghostly figure emerge from a corn field. The man asks "Is this heaven?" and Costner says "No, it's Iowa."

As you look at this first image you might wonder what part of the world this church is located. Believe it or not, it's Iowa.

In 1912, a Catholic priest arrived at a tiny Iowa town. He had survived a serious illness and kept his promise to the Blessed Mother to build a shrine in Her honor.

One thing sort of lead to another and 80 years later the world famous Grotto of the Redemption was finished.

The grotto, which is actually nine shrines, is made up of rocks from all over the world and all 50 of the United States. This area sets out the Stations of the Cross.

How 'bout this for a restroom sign?

Here's the snake from the Garden of Eden.

Throughout the grotto there are several beautiful hand carved statutes. These come from Italy and were each made especially for this grotto. Here is the Angel who banishes Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.

Moses with the Ten Commandments is also here.

These photographs cannot begin to do justice to the real thing.

See the large ball? That is actually a rock that started out as a large ball of mud in South Dakota.

In a separate building there is a display of all the various rocks used to create the grotto and where each is from.

These few images give you just a glimpse of what some people call the Eighth Wonder of the World. And this is located in an out-of-the-way tiny town on the prairies of Iowa.

Sometimes the greatest wonders are in your own back yard. Most likely only a very small percentage of Iowans have visited this place. And that is too bad.

Thanks for stopping by.

A Real Treasure

2010-07-28T19:31:00.010-05:00

Today I was driving through a small town in Iowa and came across something that was astounding. There, sitting side by side on a quiet little street were two beautifully preserved Frank Lloyd Wright houses. I was astounded beyond belief.

You can see the local grain elevator is in the background. (You may wish to click on these images to see them larger.)

The house on the corner was incredible. Notice the beautiful roof lines.

The first house even has a three car garage.

The ivy growing up the side of this first house accentuates it character. Notice how immaculate everything is. It is like looking in a magazine.

Though the first house grabs your attention, it is the second house that has even more appeal in its subtle ways.

For example, look at the brick window box with the purple and white petunias on the second level. This did not happen by accident. This was carefully planned.

And in classic Frank Lloyd Wright tradition, the windows are multi paned and identical throughout the entire level of the house.

The windows of the first house were similar but just a bit more intricate.

My guess is that Frank Lloyd Wright probably did not actually design these two houses. However, the archetict who did was definitely a strong believer in the Praire School of design.

These two houses, side by side, are as much Frank Lloyd Wright's design as anything you would see in Oak Park - the famous suburb of Chicago where several of his houses are located.

In all probability, people most likely drive by these two houses every day and not even notice them. But when I saw these I nearly wrecked my car! They are beyond incredible.

Thanks for stopping by.

Morning Flowers

2010-07-26T09:11:00.006-05:00

I heard Johanna has a couple of visitors this week. So I thought I would drive to a nature trail and take some pictures of flowers to show them. Late July is a great time for flowers on the prairie.

But as I was walking to my truck, I happened to look around me and realized I was surrounded by flowers. So here is a sampling of some of the flowers that are on my own property.

The purple cone flower is always a favorite.

But I confess, I have a special place in my heart for the pale yellow cone flower.

The yellow and happy looking coreopsis is always a summer delight.

I was very close to these in the last image and they look huge, don't they? But they are actually a somewhat small flower. Here's a more realistic view.

Can you see the little bumble bee on this waning spiderwort blossom?

Here's some wild purple sage. It is actually very invasive so if you plant this be careful! It really spreads.

This is bee balm. Butterflies love this flower. See the pale yellow coneflower in the background?

Here's another image of bee balm. It is actually a fairly tall flower, though most prairie flowers are usually small and close to the ground.

The Asian daylilly is very common in Iowa. However, what is not common is that it is a plant with vividly blue blossoms. For some reason, blue is a very unusual color in wild flowers.

And see this rather less than attractive plant? It is a thistle that is dying away.

But you know what? Thistle seed is the favorite food of Iowa's state bird -- the gold finch.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you liked this little tour of some flowers around my place! Oh, Bailey says "hi!" to all of you in Vancouver. I will post some pictures of him soon!

He wants to know if dogs are allowed in such a big city????? He is, after all, a country dog!

Spray Plane

2010-07-19T20:30:00.006-05:00

At about 7:30 this evening I heard an airplane flying over my house. I ran outside to see what was going on.

Right away I could see it was a crop sprayer plane. See the spraying equipment mounted to it?

These planes fly over a field of corn or soybeans spraying chemicals to destroy bugs and other things that can damage the growing crop.

After turning a big circle in the sky, it swoops down on the field.

There he goes.

Flying over the crop at over 100 mph.

Within seconds he is back in the air ready for another run.

And I thought my riding lawnmower was fast. Everything is relative.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cable Free

2010-07-16T18:42:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I called DirecTV and told them I no longer wanted satellite TV.

DirecTV (which is a very fine company) lets you do anything online -- pay your bill, change your TV package, etc -- but if you want to discontinue service, you have to call. So I did.

I think satellite TV is great. But I decided it was time to be a bit more frugal and to go back to basics. I can listen to baseball games on the radio and broadcast TV has a variety of programming. Not like satellite but enough.

This is what my HD digital indoor TV antenna looks like. It can pull stations from towers up to 35 miles away. I get ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS and a few other stations.

Last night instead of Larry King, I watched a bit of Magnum P.I. I admit the show is a bit dated but it was okay.

I am hoping this will force me to do some more reading when I am inside. Also, I can watch movies on my DVD player.

Of course the big test will come when college football starts up in a month!

Fountain Down

2010-06-12T17:05:00.007-05:00

We have been having one severe storm after another for the past several days.

A few days ago I stepped out into my yard and saw my Wacky Bird had blown over. I wasn't suprised since he blows over quite often.

But I was shocked when I saw this.

I have lived here for 15 years. Never once has this fountain toppled over. This fountain is made out of solid concrete and is very, very heavy. It is also bigger than it looks in these pictures.

So I started the process of putting it back together again.

My problem was the large bowl at the base of the fountain. It is extremely heavy. There was only one way I would ever get it back up on the pedestal. Time to get my tractor. Fortunately this is a real tractor. A little lawnmower type tractor would never lift this thing.

I could easily lift the concrete bowl with the loader. It was just a matter of getting it positioned in the right spot.

Nice and easy. Take your time.

Yes! Okay!

I was able to put the rest of the fountain together pretty easily once the large bowl was on. I will need to get it balanced - but first I will let the ground settle.

Oh, my Wacky Bird? He's back up and going again.

Thanks for stopping by.

Rainbow

2010-06-08T20:49:00.005-05:00

Tonight after supper I stepped outside and saw this.

And looking the other way I saw this

Do you remember learning ROY G BIV? Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

Whenever a person thinks the advancements in computers, cell phones, high def TVs, and all other sorts of technology are incredible -- and they are -- look at a rainbow. And be truly amazed.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cody's Trailer

2010-06-05T17:38:00.006-05:00

Today Bailey and I took Cody Pony over to the farrier to get his feet trimmed and to get his yearly shots.

I just had the little livestock trailer painted and put new tires on it. The paint job was supposed to match my truck and have white wheels to set off the black tires.

But after having it for a bit, I decided not to get all upset. I am sort of getting used to it and I like how understated it is (!). It looks like it has black tennis shoes on - and that is sort of popular these days.

Once we got Cody back, we decided to let him out in his pasture. Bailey was there to, uh, supervise.

A livestock trailer is an open box. I let Cody stand in the front part of the trailer and I do not tie him up. I believe he can move easier that way if he needs to shift his weight.

Bailey steps in to make sure everything is okay before we open the gate.

Gate open and time for Cody to step out. Bailey seems to be encouraging him to step down.

Cody can't wait to get into that grass.

Life is good. Feet trimmed. All yearly shots received. Time to play and eat.

Thanks for stopping by.

Deja Vu

2010-06-03T11:07:00.006-05:00

I was driving through a small town recently and thought I saw .... a phone booth.

At first I thought it was probably someone's yard ornament. A novelty from the past. But as I got closer it certainly looked real.

I stopped, got out of my car and walked over to it.

It was most definitely real. I really don't recall the last time I have seen one of these stand alone pay phone booths.

Then I spotted this tiny park.

There was a classic merry-go-round.

A jungle gym -- something you always found on every playground but never see any more. At least, not this type.

The old swing set with high metal frame.

And a once upon a time pretty fancy teeter totter. Which would would I run for? The yellow one or the white one?

Looking down this street I can almost see kids riding their bicycles as they hang on to fishing poles.

Small towns. They still have a heart. And in this little place, I felt like it was 1960 all over again.

Take care and thanks for stopping by.

The Gardens

2010-05-31T14:47:00.008-05:00

Recently I visited a popular public garden near Iowa State University. As you walk in the main gate, you are greeted by several large statutes.

Several bottle trees were inside the main building.

The are quite fun. Short pieces of rebar are welded to a long rebar piece and the bottles are placed upside down on the rebar (which is used to reinforce concrete).

Here's Iowa's official flower - the wild rose.

I liked this bronze sun dial.

This whale is made out of willow. He is pretty big and even has a large tail.

These colorful small turbines are promoting wind energy.

My goodness! What do we have here??!?

This was very peaceful. I liked this.

An old gate makes a nice decoration in a flower garden.

Lots of water features are found throughout the gardens. The sound of water is very soothing.

There are thousands of daisies in one part of the gardens.

This is a creative use of a livestock water tank!

Here's a little girl catching fireflies. Don't you love the jar? In Iowa, a favorite past time is going out at dusk and catching fireflies. You put them in a glass jar and you have a lantern.

The gardens have lots and lots of flowers. But I enjoyed some of the non-flower features a lot, too.

Take care and thanks for stopping by.

Memorial Day

2010-05-30T14:53:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow is Memorial Day in the United States. It is a time to think about and pay respects to all the men and women who have served their country in uniform.

Thank you to all of them and to all the proud and brave Canadians who have fought and served side by side with the Americans and Allied forces. Young men and women of both countries are still placing their lives in danger so those of us at home can live in freedom.

I still remember January, 1980, when the Canadians rescued six American diplomats by smuggling them out of Iran at great risk to the Canadians' lives. The six diplomats had managed to avoid being caught and held hostage in November, 1979. There have been many, many times when the Canadians and Americans have worked together over the years.

God bless you all and God bless the USA and Canada.

Project Mulch

2010-05-28T13:06:00.011-05:00

I was looking at a large flower bed by my house and was dismayed to see the sad state of affairs it had fallen into.

Bailey agreed to supervise if I would do the actual work of cleaning up this awful mess.

The first thing to do was to rip off all the old mulch and the underlying weed guard fabric.

Then I dug out all the existing perennials except the peony bush. The flowers I dug out went to a holding area in my garden until I decide where to put them.

Once all the old vegetation and fabric was cleared away, I used my roto tiller to smooth out the ground before laying the weed guard fabric on.

The weed guard fabric is rolled out and cut. Pins that look like large staples are used to keep the fabric in place.

I started putting the red cedar mulch down before the fabric was all laid since you can get to it easier and I wanted to have the mulch keep the fabric down.

It takes a lot of mulch to cover an area this size. My truck holds about 2 cubic yards - which is quite a bit.

When it is done it looks much better than it did!

Sometimes just a little work can make a big difference.

Thanks for stopping by.

Flowers

2010-05-27T06:31:00.003-05:00

It's spring and time for flowers. One of the queens of the season is the purple iris.

Mixed in with some flocks, it makes for a colorful, delightful scene.

Flocks are airy and move easily in the breeze. Irises are elegant and regal.

I was surprised to see these flowers this spring. I planted them last year and assumed they were annuals.

These flowers look pretty delicate - but they are actually pretty hardy.

And, of course, what would spring be without peonies?

Peony bushes seem to be a favorite and you see these in nearly every yard.

Turn off that computer, get outside and smell the flowers! That's where I'm going right now.

Thanks for stopping by.

Bailey's Walk

2010-05-25T15:03:00.008-05:00

Today Bailey and I took a walk. We drove to a nature trail. It used to be an abandoned railroad track. But now it's a 33-mile trail.

The trail is for horses, bicycles and walkers. Snowmobiles are allowed in winter.

And so we began our 4-mile walk. On this trail you can walk as much or as little as you want. I figured going two miles one way and then walking back would be enough for us today.

We had no idea what this concrete post could be. The holes indicate that something went into them but we could not figure it out.

Often we would stop and just listen. The sound of Baltimore orioles was very clear and I even saw a few.

I liked this old wood wagon that was off the trail. You don't see those any more.

This old telephone pole was hidden by trees and brush. But you can still see it back in there. I wondered if it could have been for a telegraph wire, but most likely not.

I almost stepped on this fellow! He is a Prairie King snake and is harmless. Well, not exactly. He is one of the few snakes that can eat a venomous snake! Snake venom does not bother him.

With all the recent rains, this creek is pretty full.

Bailey heard something.

He started looking intently at the river.

That's what he heard! Some kids kayaking.

Time to go home!

Thanks for stopping by.

Then and Now

2010-05-24T08:22:00.007-05:00

Two months ago, around mid March, I stopped to look at a little park I like. It looked like this.

Now it looks like this

Two months ago it looked like this

Today it looks like this

The little flowing well looked like this

Today it looks like this

The simplicity of this pipe with water flowing out is amazing.

So is Mother Nature.

Thanks for stopping by.