Read In June 2019

Nine books read this month. The first six are from the Corning Library, books by authors I follow that my local library doesn't have (yet). I'm grateful to have two libraries from which to feed my reading habit.

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger is not one of his Cork O'Connor series, which I love, but a stand alone, young adult, historical fiction which won the Edgar Award for Best Novel in 2014. I highly recommend it.

Kingdom of the Blind is #14 in Louise Penny's Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series. I like the series and characters so much. I'm glad Penny decided to keep writing after the death of her husband.

Undone and Pretty Girls by  Karin Slaughter as mentioned, are books the Corning library had by an author I've been reading my way through.

As are The Old Man and Poison Flower by Thomas Perry. Now I'll have to wait until they come out with new books.

Broken Bone China is #20 in Laura Childs' Tea Shop Mystery series. Childs has two other series which I don't follow, but am always glad to read a new Tea Shop book because I'm invested in the characters and enjoy learning more about teas.

The Peacock Emporium is Jojo Moyes latest. It was a good read, but I did not like it as much as her previous books.

Devotions is a book of selected poems by Pulitzer Prize winner Mary Oliver, who died in January. I have come late to this poet, but that doesn't mean I don't love her writing. This is my favorite June read.  (Ordinary Grace and Kingdom of the Blind are close seconds.)

Wrapping Up June

I don't know that I remember a month that has gone any faster than this one. Perhaps because we've been busier than usual - painting the deck, planting flowers, weeding and that mid-month weekend trip to Eastern Iowa for a wedding. So before the month is over, here are our last three stops on the way home two weeks ago.

On the west edge of Albia, there is an impressive display of flags. If you pull into the parking lot, this replica of the Iwo Jima US Marine Corps Memorial is front and center. On the wall behind: "Welcome Home Soldier".

Somewhat reminiscent of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C., is a long black granite wall inscribed with the names from all branches of service, living or dead. Called The Wall of Honor: "Donate $150.00 to have "your" veteran's name on to the wall for eternity."

Those flags seen in the corner of the 'wall' photo are the fifty state flags in their own area to the northwest side of the Welcome Home Soldier Monument.

Humble Hero Hill is the name where all the U.S. flags are flying. For a $1000.00 donation, you can honor a veteran with a flagpole in their name.

The monument is still in process, with plans for more additions. This billboard at the head of the trail gives an overview of what's already done and the future plans. It is an impressive and beautiful site to take in if you are traveling along US Hwy 34.

On a hill on the west edge of Chariton is the Lucas County Historical Society Museum, the centerpiece of which is the A.J. Stephens house. The complex consists of seven buildings on three acres. I had read ahead of time that it wouldn't be open the day we were there but that visitors were welcome to tour the grounds and admire the flowers.

Which I certainly did.

Lavender

 Roses

And this little one that I'm still working on identifying. Anyone know what it is?

It started to rain while we were touring the grounds, so we didn't stay as long as we might have otherwise. We just missed Art at the Museum by a week. It is something I know I would have liked. Maybe I can plan for it next year. In the meantime - Windmill! The good old-fashioned kind that dotted the countryside long before wind energy and massive turbines became an Iowa standard.

The Pioneer Log Cabin with a glimpse of the red 'Showalter' barn behind it.

Perhaps my favorite building - the Puckerbrush School - because it reminds me of our own one-room country school and the memories I have of Jasper #2. Why didn't we have a more interesting name for our school? Maybe Poplar Grove for all the silver poplars around it? (Note: Even though I always refer to it as Jasper #2, the sign where it once stood labels it as Humbert School.)

A final picture of "The Pump From The Derby School" with the south side of the Stephens house in the background, and then back on the road toward home.

Across the highway from the Murray Cemetery is the Murray Roadside Park. It has been there many years - I remember stopping there with my children when they were young. After years of neglect, it has been redevloped. Bud had noticed some plaques from the highway and wanted to see what they were.

One was about the Tallgrass Prairie.

And the many wildflowers therein.

The park has several picnic tables, a play area, bathrooms and a covered picnic shelter. Limited free camping is also available.

Clarke County's Freedom Rock is across the highway, near the cemetery entrance. I would think people stopping to view the Freedom Rock might also visit the park. Both would make a welcome break during a long drive.

Because the wedding was the reason for our weekend trip to Eastern Iowa, here is a photo of the bride and groom and her family.

This one of Ayden could be titled "Welcome to the Wedding!"

I mentioned the number of photos I took in May (400), so far in June I've taken almost 500 - and read more books than in May. Bud figured out for me how to post my photos to Instagram, since I use a camera and not a phone or some other mobile device, so I have been posting some pictures there. I'm trying to be judicious about it - so far. Ha!

My photos are mostly of birds, flowers, sunrises, sunsets, clouds, wildlife and scenery. Someday, someone is going to wonder why I took so many pictures. It is something I have always enjoyed and digital makes it so easy with little or no expense. Double win.

In Fallow Fields and Byways

Summer is here. It won't be long before delicate Queen Anne's Lace will be nodding in warm breezes.

Passing The Unworked Field

Queen Anne's lace
     is hardly
          prized but
all the same it isn't
     idle look
          how it
     stands straight on its
thin stems how it
     scrubs its white faces
          with the
rags of the sun how it
     makes all the
          loveliness
                  it can.

(Mary Oliver)

Kalona Creamery & American Gothic House

Two more of the stops on our way home from North Liberty/Coralville: The Kalona Creamery. I remember going here years ago after touring the Amish town of Kalona. One of the grandkids was with me - maybe Zach? We watched the cheese makers at work and bought ice cream for sure!

Bud had only a single dip chocolate cone topped with a chocolate cow. I ordered a double dip which was so HUGE I was in danger of losing the top dip as I tried to eat it. I went back for a dish to put the top part in while I ate the bottom dip. Too much ice cream. But it was SO GOOD!

Several Amish buggies went by but I only managed a photo of this horse. Yes, I know the Amish do not like having their pictures taken.

Bud wanted his picture taken with one of the milk cows. Ha. Ha.

Our next stop was in Eldon where, with the help of one of the visitor center's staff, we did our best to recreate Grant Wood's 'American Gothic' painting. She told me not to smile or be touching. "He's not your husband and you're not happy about posing for the picture."

I was a bit surprised that they had costumes available to wear, but I was really surprised that there was no charge for them. This was a fun stop.

I discovered it is just as much fun to play dress up now as it was sixty-five years ago wearing Mom's black hat and posing with my little sister and our cousins.

Oh, yeah, I did buy some cheese at the Kalona Creamery. Those cheese curds didn't last long. Lucky for me Bud doesn't like squeaky cheese, so I had them all to myself. 😁

In Search Of A Monument

Friday morning we left for Eastern Iowa for a wedding. Opting for a more leisurely route than I-80, we headed east via US 34. Along the way we marked several stops to make on the return trip. About halfway between Albia and Ottumwa we saw a sign "Swedish American Immigrant Memorial". With Bud's Swedish ancestors on his Mother's side, we decided that was something we would like to see on the way home.

The marker along Hwy 34 indicated the memorial was North, two miles on T61. We drove the two miles with nothing that looked like a memorial marker in sight. Another mile, nada.

There was this huge boulder, but there was no signage around it. We drove on. "It must be just over the hill." After about five miles we decided we had missed it unless that boulder was the marker.

Bud pulled over so I could take a couple photos on the way back. "We'll just have to google it when we get home and see if that is the monument".

Then at the one mile corner North of Hwy 34, coming from the opposite direction, I saw the sign for the memorial marker, "one mile east". So, for clarification, the memorial is one mile north, one mile east of the highway, not two miles north.

And there it was, adjacent to the Munterville Lutheran Church and cemetery. As impressive as the monument was, the first thing I noticed was the small bird perched on the father's hat, singing it's little heart out. By its size, I thought it was a wren, but its song wasn't that of a wren. I think it may be a Henslow's Sparrow.

I took this picture of Bud taking a photo because behind him in the cemetery is a stone with the name 'Nelson' - his mother's family name - that of his ancestors from Sweden. Not that this is any of his relation, that we know of, but it seemed significant that it was the first name I noticed in the cemetery.

I took a photo of Bud with the memorial and the flags of the United States, Sweden and Iowa before getting back on the road.

Even though it took a few extra miles to find it, I'm glad we stopped to see the Swedish American Immigrant Monument overlooking Iowa's beautiful countryside.