Monday, November 11, 2019

You ought to give Iowa a try

Before our latest cross-country trip we had never spent time in Iowa. We didn't know what we'd see, except the Andy Goldsworthy sculptures near Grinnell and in Des Moines. I assumed in my ignorance that Iowa would be flat. It's not. And the rolling hills were lush with corn in mid-September, making for lovely landscapes.
Iowa cornfield
Iowa cornfield 2

 We also visited the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, which preserves tallgrass prairie, oak savanna and sedge meadows. It too was very beautiful, and we enjoyed their educational center as well (did you know that some prairie grasses have roots 12 feet deep?). Wild sawtooth sunflowers combined with grasses and other wild plants to form a lovely mosaic. They use fire, seeding and, in one 700 acre enclosure, bison to reconstruct and preserve the prairie ecosystem. Very cool.
Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge
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7 comments:

  1. UnknownNovember 12, 2019 at 7:42 AM

    Beautiful. Really like the contrasts in the third photo.
    -Karen

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    1. Dean WightNovember 12, 2019 at 8:03 AM

      Thanks, Karen. The misty weather had cleared by the time we reached the refuge. The first two photos were taken on a rainy but pretty morning.

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    2. Homo DeanOctober 1, 2022 at 3:19 AM

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  2. Bill WoodNovember 14, 2019 at 9:42 PM

    Dean, while I've been to Iowa several times on business, your photos have pointed to the beauty I missed with my "business head" on. Strong horizontals as you've captured in your photos are always a plus for me and others. But, your "Iowa Cornfield #2" is a smart switch-up with the grassy area carrying a stream-like quality. Catching the fog in the distance makes it intriguing and, in my eye, even more memorable.

    And, thanks again, for taking the time to stop, to appreciate the beauty, to capture outstanding photos, and, really importantly, to share you work.

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  3. Dean WightNovember 15, 2019 at 9:18 PM

    Hi Bill. We were quite smitten by Iowa. Like you, I enjoy the mist, the contours and the horizontals. Being there, surrounded by landscape and solitude, was a joy. We're very fortunate to have the time and means to do so. And sharing my images is made more rewarding by thoughtful comments like yours. Thanks as always.

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  5. Wight Family BlogSeptember 30, 2022 at 11:26 PM

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