Fall Frolics in Iowa Day 3
Fall Frolics in Iowa
Day 3 - October 23, 2015 - Friday – Work in Garden; Dig Sweet Potatoes; Drive to Carroll; Lake City Tour; Sunset Walk
We woke up to heavy rain. It was almost 65 degrees, but with 100% humidity, it seemed colder. We watched a little of the news about the Clinton Hearings and then had a light breakfast.
Between rain showers Jim and Gen went out to dig sweet potatoes. There was a bumper crop this year – some as big as footballs, well deflated ones anyway!
Linda had a doctor’s appointment so we got a few chores done while she was gone. We got a bucket of field corn for Vic’s Colorado birds and squirrels and then made a list to plan for the day.
It was still raining when the four of us set off to the big city of Carroll, almost 10,000 people. We took a little tour of the town and drove by the Des Moines Area Community College Carroll Campus where Jim will teach statistics next semester.
The nearby small town of Templeton claim to fame is its Templeton Rye Whiskey that was begun in the 1920’s as a way for farmers in the area to supplement their income. Near enough to Chicago, Omaha, and Kansas City, the town thrived during the Prohibition Era. Templeton Rye is carried in the local liquor store – not cheap by any means; it is still known as “The Good Stuff”.
A visit to the Hy-Vee grocery store, the liquor store, and then to the hardware store almost wore us out. The town is proud of its new Dunkin Doughnuts so we had to stop by for a coffee, hot chocolate, and a few doughnuts and Munchkins. Yummy!
Fully refreshed, we drove back to Lake City and began our tour of the almost 1,700 population town. The town boasts "Everything but a Lake" and is a thriving town with a hospital, booming downtown, and surrounding agricultural industries.
After the Mother’s Day tornado last year, the cleanup has progressed and almost all of the homes and buildings have new roofs. Some homes were hit harder than others and the roof of the high school was totally torn off.
Jim said there was pink insulation everywhere and they are still picking it out of the trees. The roof of their barn was raised about 10 inches, but instead of blowing away, it settled back down on the rafters. Lucky them as it took down many trees in their grove but did not damage their home.
We visited Jim & Linda’s friends at the hardware store, the grocery, and the flower shop before heading home. Our Fall Frolics ends tomorrow so we spent a little time organizing our things and packing the car.
Gennie visited Linda’s home produce center and was gifted with peas, beans, tomatoes, salsa, mushrooms, and jams and jellies from the family produce freezer and pantry.
The rain stopped and the sun came out about 4:00 so we went back to town for a sunset walk to see the new swimming pool and enjoy walking through the leaf covered streets of small town Iowa.
Our late dinner consisted of Iowa beefsteak, the elusive morel mushrooms, and sweet potato fries. You cannot eat any better than that!
Saturday morning we got up at 7:00 and left Jim & Linda at 8:00. That was plenty of time for the deer to cross the road and settle down in the groves to watch the heavy machinery cut and shell the corn and flatten the fields.
The truck traffic was heavy but we made good time with no delays. We stopped in Denver at our favorite Mexican restaurant, La Loma and then negotiated the Saturday night traffic on I-25.
Home by 7:00, we were happy to be back at Elephant Rock. However, with such a welcoming visit to Iowa, we are already talking about our next trip across the Great Plains.
Comments
I knew you grew up in Iowa. Remind me to tell you two about my trip to Chicago via Amtrak, through cornfields, etc.
So, you did know that I grew up in Iowa, right? I lived near Sioux City, IA on a farm until I was 11 and then we moved to Monument, CO. Iowa does have a spectacular fall, the the rest of the seasons can be miserable!!! :)
Post a Comment!what an idyllic visit to Iowa! the picts make me nostalgic for midwest autumns! Love, S
Harvesting Sweet Potatoes
Corn Stalk Bales
Pumpkins and Squash
Sunset Over Lake City
Winter is Coming to Pikes Peak
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