Iowa you steal my heart!

Alyse and I met Bruce and Midge in Nauvoo Tuesday afternoon and then went back to Iowa City with them.  We had so much fun. It was about this time that I became fascinated with barns.  Oh my they are wonderful to look at.  Bruce and Midge taught us about "Quilt Square Barns."  As we were driving to Iowa it started to rain pretty hard so it made it harder to see these  new found delights.  I told Mike I wanted to go on a barn quilt tour.  Want to come?

Bruce, Alyse and I drove all over in Bruce's blue 65 Mustang WITH the top down.  He drove us over to Kalone where the Amish folk live.  What fun it was to see the homes and to listen to Bruce as he drove us around.  I learned that the Amish put steel wheels on their tractors and such.  I guess rubber isn't used.  I also learned that you can tell an Amish home because it has no electric or phone lines running to the house.  And of course there was usually an Amish carriage in the yard.  No matter what you think about the Amish you have to take your hat off to them for living the way they do in this world and in today's mass media makeup.  This first car is not an Amish family...  it's out of order but it is way to hard to move so...  you get to see it first! 

Wow that's a lot of people in one car and family! Alyse and I passed this car on our way home... just had to get a picture. 

An Amish grocery store. Those are propane lights you see.  Very fun store to walk through. I found some cough drops my mom use to use that I hadn't seen in years.  This is a place I need to go back to someday.

Amish Farm!

I have always loved looking at barns but this was amazing.  These were barns made with sweat and hard work.  Barns that were probably built with the help of a community.  Amazing.  I love the Midwest.  There is nothing better and no better people then those who live in the heartland of America. 

Amish horse and buggy!

Lots and lots of corn and soybeans.  I learned another tidbit of information.  Do you know how many ears of corn grow in each stock?  ONE!!  That is generally the rule of thumb.  This is field corn for the livestock.  The soybeans are beautiful when in bloom but I kept thinking.... those little things can kill my husband.  Pretty to look at but not so much to eat!

Largest truck stop in the world.  It was huge. 

One thing I do miss living in Tallahassee is the open and flat land.  For those who haven't been to see us yet we have more trees than people here.  While I love what Tallahassee looks like I do miss seeing a horizon!! 

This is the biggest cross I had ever seen.  Too bad I can't remember where it was...  but it was massive.