Tipton's Prairie

And on Sunday afternoon Colleen and I went to Tipton's Prairie for a guided tour. This is untouched land and what the prairie looked like before man settled in. There are spots of it here and there throughout the state but anymore you need a guide to find them or to know what you are looking at once you do.

                                     Prairie Sage

                                    Lead weed

                               The experts doing their inspecting.

                                Below:That's Ty Smedes taking photos of the pieces of the fabulously rich web of life in a tiny four acre remnant that has survived for at least five thousand years along the Raccoon River. Thanks Greene County for caring.

                                 Compass weed

                                  Compass weed in bloom

                                Butterfly weed

                           Curved horned beetle- The insect lady was glad to see him/her.

When crafting they tell us to look to nature for color combinations. This weed is a very striking soft pink and sage green.

The leaves on this plant curl up in a big way after death.

 This is Prairie Drop Seed- When Mickey and I made our trip to Minnesota we stopped at the Story City Iowa rest area at mile marker 119 on I 35 and they had a very large patch of Prairie Drop Seed at the entrance to the building. At the time I did not know what it was but I recognized it among the prairie grasses and one of the experts told me its identity. It has a very distinctive aroma I found to be pleasant but in large doses at the rest area it was also a bit overwhelming.

The whitish plant is prairie sage in the photo above and the plant in the foreground of the photo below is Blazing Star.

 Colleen is not going to be happy about the abundance of photos containing her image but she just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

                 This is small Blazing Star

 This bloom is long gone but still left a beautiful image.

This was outside the prairie area. It was a 2.5 mile walk in and out of the area where the prairie is located. Cross country walking is a whole different way to go-slower but you see more.

Here are some websites of interest if you have an interest in Iowa's prairies.
http://www.northraccoon.org/North_Raccoon/RRWA.html

Eileen was the insect lady so be sure to check out her blog. It is located on the left of the page. I am sure the other links on the left are equally interesting.

Mike Delaney led our prairie walk and you can find his blog here:
http://www.northraccoon.org/North_Raccoon/Delaneys_Blog.html

More Deer than People

It used to be rare to see a deer in Iowa and I do not know how or when it happened but there are now more deer than people. Sunday morning Keri and I did an early morning bike ride when it was barely light enough and as we approached the first tree covered section we saw a dark shape alongside the trail and it turned out to be a mama deer and her fawn. They did not seem to have much fear and stepped casually farther into the trees as we passed. Then further down the trail near the river bridge another mama and two fawns crossed the trail in front of us. And then after we joined up with Colleen for the walking portion or what could be referred to as the "Walk and Talk" Keri spotted this sight just off the trail not more than 15 feet away.

So we had a deer filled morning...again!

This mornings deer sighting

 Keri and I rode this morning before meeting up with Colleen for the walking portion. Keri spotted this deer. She was located near the river bridge on our side of the river.

We have company coming on Monday. Gary and Lou Nelson who we met at Snow Mountain Ranch YMCA of the Rockies when we volunteered there. Gary and Lou are Texans and we see them either spring or fall as we are either coming or going from the Rio Grande Valley but this is the first time we will see them in Iowa.
Work is progressing on the interior of the room. The rain slowed the progression on the exterior. More and better pictures will be posted soon.

Mundane

Now that I have given you lots of info, posts to read and things to look at I will bring you back to everyday life for us. Russ and Tyson came back yesterday and got one day in before the rain put a stop to things today. So Butch is reading and I am posting.
Sunday I was pretty well shot after the 40 mile ride. On Sunday morning we being Keri, Sherri and I rode our bikes out a ways past the bridge and back to Jefferson meeting up with Colleen for our walk. Colleen now has a bike but she is not ready to hit the trail. Her bike is a twin to the Schwinn Butch has in Texas so she has a super duper bike. I was amazed at how well that bike rides. Very smooth. I am still partial to my Raleigh however. That being said I would not have counted the ride out and back to be one of my favorites. Same with the walk. I had a bad case of 40 mile hangover and it was Monday before I felt like my normal self.

On Monday I rode with Mickey to Minnesota to pick up the remainder of her things that would not fit in her previous load. It was a quick trip up and back and she now has all her possessions in her place in Jefferson. She gave me a tour of Alden Minnesota and it is a very clean, well kept and pretty little town.

Tuesday I spent getting caught up on the blog...mostly. Then in the late afternoon we had a gathering at one of the deja vus, Pat Limberg Rusnak, for a special meeting with one of Butch's classmates from Olympia,Washington-Diane Bryan Rae. Butch and I had not seen Diane since high school and she is much the same high energy, fun person she was then. Diane and her dog Max had traveled from Washington to Georgia and back through Iowa on her return trip home. We had a great time and visited past dark. That is pretty good considering our advanced years...ahem.

So now it is Wednesday and raining buckets...This too shall pass.
Till next time!!

Sally's Alley

Photos by Sherri Clark, Atlantic Iowa

The dedication of Sally's Alley took place in June 2014. It is located in the middle of the block south of the courthouse. They have more photos of birds they plan to place in the old window spaces in the future.

RVP1875.com

These are Sherri Clark's photos of the woodworking shop of 1875 Located on South Wilson Street  in Jefferson Iowa

These chairs, made in the woodshop happened to be located in the theatre portion where they present 3 productions a year. Tickets go on sale 30 days prior to the event and seating is first come first served.

Robby Pedersen

rvp1875.com

The Mahanay Belltower in Jefferson Iowa

Here are some quick facts about the tower

http://www.belltowerfestival.org/foundation-history.php

Sherri Clark has spent two weekends in Jefferson and still has not seen all there is to see. Last weekend included a ride to the top of the Mahanay belltower and here are the photos she took from the top.

This is the courthouse yard and where a part of the Farmers Market takes place each Tuesday night through the summer from 4:00 to 6:30 PM.

Looking east 

Looking south

 Looking north...

Raccoon River Valley Trail History

Here is the history of the RRVT that I ride nearly every morning. I happened to look it up because I could not remember when it was completed. 1997 is when the Jefferson to Herndon section was completed. I thought perhaps there may be others who wondered about it as well. So You can read about here:
http://raccoonrivervalleytrail.org/history

Another Viewpoint

Today I am posting Sherri Clarks photos she took while we were riding. It is always interesting to see things from another persons perspective.

Near Redfield Iowa. There is always a cathedral type atmosphere in the canopied parts of the trail on a warm summer morning with the delicate sunbeams filtering through.

Iowa countryside...

Lemonade stand in Jamaica Iowa

No, Johnny Carson isn't buried here. He was made an honorary citizen in 1981 and people from Cooper Iowa made their way to California to be guests on his show.

I dampened my kerchief and placed it under my helmet to cool me off a bit. When I say I am hot and do not care how I look you can believe me.

I love how the clouds are reflected in the river.

Taken from the north side of the Raccoon River bridge not a shot I take very often. This one is Sherri's shot.