Iowa Musings

The wind is up in Iowa. Not unusual for this area. In fact we've had a lovely 10 days here with light to moderate breezes and clear, sunny skies. It's been great.

South lot, (taken last summer)

The gravel road runs 1-mile from Jan's house to the hard top road and I try to walk it everyday. This year I see how much Maggie has slowed down. We always did the 2 mile walk together, but this year I took her to the South lot (a section of out buildings one field down)  where she could browse around, and then back, (a scant 1/2 mile walk). 

Yesterday the wind showed up. It will be here through tomorrow. I headed out for my morning walk alone. 35 minutes later I was back. "Keep the young un's close!" I told Jan. It took me 20 minutes to walk the mile south. I made it back in 15. Guess which way the wind was blowing!

I've never been able to walk a 15 minute mile. It has always been a goal of mine. Now I know how to do it. With the wind at my back, on a flat (more or less) gravel road, in Iowa.

A Spot of Color. Looking east from Janice's house I can see a farm with a small horse barn. In the afternoon, with the sun shining on it, this little barn pops out of the landscape, the bright red siding adds the perfect spot of color to the spring landscape.

This week the field turned green. The corn is up. Soon everything will be green. When the corn is high it will block my view, but for now, I love seeing this little red barn.



Samantha, Maggie and Oreo--Truce

Truce. For the past 5 years, the barn cats would run and hide the moment the little red car from Pennslyvania, with the big yellow dog, rolled into the yard. This year it changed. Friendly cats have moved in. They are braver around Maggie and less likely to run. The first day we were here, Oreo posted himself right in the middle of the doorway, daring Maggie to walk past him. She finally did and a truce was declared.

Samantha took a little longer. She didn't like Maggie on the floor around her. It took several days before she stopped crying when Maggie walked in the room. Samantha also is not crazy about men. No sooner had she decided Maggie could stay, than Larry showed up for a visit. As soon as he walked in the room, she would run crying to her mother. Finally she decided he could stay, too.