The view from here...

Saturday, after Kevin's and Dale's bike ride all over Van Buren County, we all (Dale, Lori, Andrew, Makenna, Kevin, and myself) went around to the little shops and did some sight seeing. That corner of Iowa is very scenic. Lots of trees and hills, historic sites. But not touristy.


We went to this shop called "Iron and Lace". The wife is a potter and sells her wares. She's at the potter's wheel a good share of the day. Almost all (if not all) her wares have a Queen Anne's lace (wild flower that grows in the Midwest) that is placed over the glaze on the pieces and then fired on.




Kevin in the loft of the store. It was hot up there...no a/c





Looking down from the loft





Out back is the "iron" part of the Iron and Lace. The husband is a blacksmith and has many iron creations. Also has many antique tools of the trade.




Here he is explaining a huge old belt-driven drill press. We are his captive audience.






Ah, Sunday morning. The guys headed out in a drizzle...was cloudy and cold and windy.
They thought they'd give it a go. But as Lori and I were later enjoying a relaxing breakfast, the guys called. They had ridden 9 miles. The rain was a downpour and there was lightning. Time to quit and be safe.




Later, we went to Greef's General Store. They house antiques for sale, and many artifacts in glass cases.









This gentleman is quite the artisan. The display cases are made from many varieties of wood from trees that grow locally. He has so many artifacts, especially arrowheads that he has found and has generously put on display for public viewing. He is an interesting individual.