Wide-Open Spaces

“Mommy, is that the flooded forest?” Olivia queried.

“No,” Bethany answered, “it’s up ahead a bit.”

We passed a flooded creek and reached the Skunk River. On Monday, it was out of its banks a quarter-mile on each side. There was standing water in the woods. Today, there were still pools of water among the trees – Olivia’s flooded forest.

Monday, the drive from Richland to Keota had blind curves with corn planted close to the road. Today some of the corn was harvested.

We reached the valley that runs east to west, south of Washington. If you take Highway #1 through that valley, you see crops and patches of woodland. We took Highway #77. The same valley is cropland here. Much of the crops have been harvested and you can see for miles.

Iowa is not flat. There are foothills, ridges, and valleys. Some hills are too steep for a tractor. Those are dotted with cattle and sometimes sheep.

There are fields of clover and woodlands full of flowers. Wildflowers fill the ditches. Bees never have to search far for nectar. It truly is a land of milk and honey.