The view from here...

A fantastic Iowa fall day....

Thursday is my regular day off, so yesterday I went down to spend some time with Mom and Maynard. She prepared a tasty lunch, then she and I went for a walk in the sunshine around their small community, enjoying the beautiful fall flowers.



Penni and Mom

some of the flowers we enjoyed (and harvested some of the seeds for me):

I don't know the names, but I harvested seeds from the ones I liked (except for the ones that were on private property).

This orange flower grew on a tall airy bush.

Would have loved seeds for this pastel violet bloom, but didn't see any.

This dahlia was on private property. Mom informs me that this was her dad's favorite flower.

Here is a surprise we almost stepped on. At first glance it looked like a leaf in the street. But as we approach, we see it is a praying mantis. He was probably 5 inches in length.




Check out the creepy green eyes that followed me as I took its picture. Looks like he
could star in a sci-fi flick.






There was a small flower bed where butterflies abounded. Above is the common monarch.



On my trip down I shot this picture of an Amish buggy as I met it on the road, taken as I used my steering wheel as a makeshift tripod.




Thursday must be laundry day for the Amish. I saw laundry hanging on the line at more than one farm.





It's time to combine the beans and pick the corn in Iowa.






Huge round bales of hay on the horizon.



Sorghum field...not near as common a sight as corn or beans. I'm very thankful for the sorghum because it's a main ingredient in molasses cookies....which I plan to make this weekend...mmmm....