After stopping in the swamp we continued our drive home down the back road past a lot of interesting (at least to us) rural countryside. We kept our eyes peeled for those Sandhill Cranes, but no luck.
I've always liked this farm sitting on top of a drumlin, but felt that it is awfully exposed to the winds!
And here's a brand new house. I don't even know if the owners are living here yet. But what a unique 2nd story, a 'widow's walk' spanning the whole width of the house.
Around the corner and you can see these 'bedrock bumps' near Walters Falls. I've never read a satisfactory geological explanation for these, but they are composed of the solid dolostone bedrock of the escarpment.
Sorry for the blurry railing, but this is the Bighead River at the spot where I put on for a paddle downstream with a group largely unknown to me a few years back. Has to be done in April when the water is still high.
From a distance I though this was just a big pile of topsoil, but it's a big spreading clump of Staghorn Sumach.
On through another stretch of road bordered by swamp on both sides, with lots of ferns.
And an older barn still in use if the fresh manure pile is anything to go by.
I like this picture just for the view of the countryside it provides. The hills you're seeing are mostly drumlins.
Clearly many farmers have been out preparing their fields for crops, and in many cases planting them. We badly need rain to help those crops along.
i can never believe this is still here, but one farm has this slope riddled with dirt bike tracks. You'd think a teenage boy would grow out of this hobby, but no, it's obviously become a serious passion here, going on 10 years that I can remember.
FROST last night, killing off tomatoes planted too early and surprising a number of people. I've heard that you need to wait until June 1st for planting tender plants here but until now I didn't believe it! And yesterday there was SNOW overnight further south, up on the highlands!
Wondering if the farmer charges the dirbikers??
ReplyDeleteBeautiful countryside.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the late frost. We got cold last night, but not that cold. I love the pictures of your countryside and had to look up the meaning of "drumlin." :-)
ReplyDeleteWe lived when I was a kid on the top of hill in an old house but we did have a wind break of trees directly north and close to the house. My dad did tear that house down and build a ranch house leaving the windbreak. Your camera did get a great focused shot of the river and the blur railing gave a great motion shot. I live in a tow where John Deere is made, lest than five miles away. They ship the tractors, combines and farm machinery all over the world. There are a few other factories in Iowa so that tractor could or could not have come from my hometown. Ankeny,Iowa.
ReplyDeleteFrost warnings here too. The planting in the fields has just begun.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed these photos, FG.
Beautiful photos. I like the first one too of the farm on top of the hill.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos. Crazy weather. Hoping Mrs. FG didn't loose any plants.
ReplyDeleteBe Safe and Enjoy!
It's about time.
I enjoyed seeing your photographs.
ReplyDeleteSorry to read about the cold weather, hope your plants will be okay.
All the best Jan
I love that first pic of the farm. It would make a great art piece on the wall.
ReplyDeleteI had shriveled basil and sweet potato vies this morning as well as morning glories but they came back to life a bit during the day. I'm going to cover them tonight.
Nights have been cold here south of you but no frost. Well, not yet anyway. Nothing like a nice country drive to keep things in perspective. Were very fortunate here in southern Ontario to have so many country roads to travel.
ReplyDeleteAlways beautiful and entertaining.
ReplyDeleteLovely views of your countryside, it froze here too. It can happen!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos!!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos of the countryside there. That first photo has something of the feel of a Grant Wood landscape. Our dirt bike track lasted for several generations of youngsters from our village, till it was bought up by someone who built a house on it - the villain!
ReplyDeleteDitto to D Jan, for looking up the meaning of " Drumlin" I'm sure our grandson who has passed his Master of Science with 1st Class Honours recently , with Earth sciences and Geology as the main subjects would be able to tell me all about them, fascinating to find out how they are formed. Love the drive in your countryside.
ReplyDeleteFrost? I think we just missed it. I'll have to check the bedding plants that we put in yesterday.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos! I had never heard of drumlins either - another new word for me and interesting to note that there are drumlins here in Saskatchewan. In fact, I've been a mere 15 km. from seeing some in the southwest corner of Saskatchewan (many years ago).
ReplyDeleteThankfully, no frost here - we're on the upswing but Mother Nature certainly seems to be a bit persnickety this year. It could happen still so my tomatoes are still hanging out until June 1.
It certainly doesn't pay to put tender plants in the ground too early. Frost is over down here, but overnight it's been in the lower 40s.
ReplyDeleteWe had frost. It is tragic.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your trip.
I complained to my neighbour about her 24-year-old son on dirt bikes, with his buddies, all along the highway. My impression is they are illegal on the highway. I haven't heard them since, at least.