Peaceful

"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need."

                                                            --Cicero

In Training

As mentioned before, I don't have pets but nevertheless am fond of them.  And, doesn't your heart melt when you see a puppy?  Yep, mine does, especially when it's training for a life of service to humankind.  So, when I happened upon this chocolate lab and it's handler while at the Iowa State Fair, I politely asked to take a photo.  The owner obliged and was happy to describe her experience with service dogs and the many benefits of having them as companions.  To all those raising and training these animals, keep up the great work.

Hand in Hand

"The best thing to hold onto in life is each other."

                                                   --Audrey Hepburn

Summer in the Garden

                                   

"Nothing is more the child of art than a garden."

                             --Sir Walter Scott

                               

A Bit of Humor

                    

While at the Iowa State Fair I came across these t-shirts and they made me laugh.  Hope you enjoy the humor and it puts a smile on your face.  This is what I refer to as cheap entertainment.

"He who laughs, lasts."

                                        --Mary Pettibone Poole

                              

                  

At the Lake

"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air."

                                                             --Ralph Waldo Emerson

Here & There at the Iowa State Fair

Floral entries in the John Deere Agriculture Building

                                     

            

This horse greets visitors arriving at the Bruce L. Rastetter 4-H Exhibits Building                       

Apples galore in the Ag Building

                                           

Mighty Percherons perform

Ice sculpting captivates fair goers

The butter cow remains one of the most well-known attractions at the Iowa State Fair

                                   

State Fair Photo Salon

Find my photos at the Iowa State Fair!  Located in the Cultural Center, the Photo Salon is on the third floor and full of delightful images from a variety of categories.  Housed in the same building are other visual arts exhibits, including painting, drawing, glass art and so on.  Be sure to include this stop on your fair itinerary.

Super-sized Pumpkins

                               

                               

It's fair time in Des Moines as the Iowa State Fair is once again underway.  This annual tradition has hundreds or quite possibly thousands of competitions, including one for the "Big Pumpkin."  So, featured in this post are the top four finishers along with their winning weights -- 1235 pounds won the crown.  Seeing these enormous globes always makes me think that the Peanuts gang should've visited this summertime festival in order to truly see "The Great Pumpkin."

                               

                               

Upcycling

                                           

Recently, while enjoying an afternoon at an amusement park, I met a woman who uses plastic bags to crochet a new bag that holds just about anything and is indestructible.  While explaining the process, she noted that she cuts off the handles and proceeds to cut the original plastic bag into about 1-inch strips.  Those strips serve as the yarn and then she is off.  When asked how long it takes her to construct the new bag, she replied, "About a day -- if that's the only thing I do that day."  Also, she was quick to point out that the bag above to the left is made of many different sacks from various retailers, the one to the right is made only with "Fareway" (a popular grocery story in Iowa) bags and the one below is only from Walmart bags.

Obviously, I admire her ingenuity and am inspired by her creativity and persistence.  

                                            

Keep on Lookin'

"When you have seen one ant, one bird, one tree,

you have not seen them all."

                               --E.O. Wilson

Giants

"When the winds of change blow,

some people build walls and others build windmills."

                                                          --Chinese Proverb

Horses

"I've often said there's nothing better for the inside

of a man than the outside of a horse."

                                                                --Ronald Reagan

A 'Corny' Favorite

As a native Iowan accustomed to seeing fields full of corn and soybeans, this image makes me laugh -- a lot.  First, I LOVE the creative spirit of those who had the idea and made it reality.  Second, thanks for entertaining us Iowa folks with something quite 'corny.'  And, finally, I continue watching for the 'next surprise' to pop up on that parcel of otherwise ordinary farm ground.

Thoughts on Summer

"Summer is the annual permission slip to be lazy.

To do nothing and have it count for something.

To lie in the grass and count the stars.

To sit on a branch and study the clouds."

                                                   --Regina Brett

Driving to Work

"A person's a person, no matter how small."
                                                                --Dr. Seuss

Clever

What's showing at our local cinema is clearly announced on the marquee above; however, be sure to notice the delightful figures that further help promote the movie.  Made mostly of discarded tires, some very clever individuals created these adorable minions, and they brings smiles galore to all the passersby.  Did you also get a glimpse of the "baby" that's behind the glass just inside the door?  

Garden Produce

"Gardening requires lots of water -- most of it

in the form of perspiration."

                            --Lou Erickson

Just "Eh"

"The EARTH without ART is just EH."

                                                            --Matt McWilliams

A Mask

"No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself

and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered

as to which may be the true."

                                                              --Nathaniel Hawthorne

Arnold's Park

Familiar with the Iowa Great Lakes?  If so, you already know that this image features the ferris wheel and wooden roller coaster at the legendary Arnold's Park Amusement Park.  This well-known attraction in the northwest corner of the Hawkeye State sits on the shore of West Lake Okoboji and remains a popular destination for all ages.